Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Detection / Identification of bed bugs
how do i know i have bed bugs
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BB_Hell_NYC
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 8
Posted 1 month ago
Fri Oct 2 2009 13:01:01
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hi, i have read this site up and down and i know there are people who never find evidence of the bed bugs, but get bites and treat for them anyway. Here is my dilemma. I was living with my mother who had a bad infestation. After she treated, i moved out, taking all precautions, (washing and drying all clothes on hot, throwing everything else out.
During the time i lived with my mom and before we discovered the bugs, i would spend some nights with my boyfriend. I never saw a bug in my room, it seemed they were very happy in her room(she was a hoarder).because of the debacle and being traumatized by my experience living with her i am convinced i have bed bugs every time i get a bug bite.
So now i live with my boyfriend. i inspected the entire apartment, encased the mattresses, even put the legs of the bedframe in cans of oil. Every night before bed i check the white sheets for bugs. nothing. About 2 weeks ago i noticed a blood smear on one of the pillows and the red flags went off. but my boyfriend had a pimple on his neck that he picked (gross) so i took his word and pushed the nagging feeling to the back of my mind. so two nights ago i got 3 bites, one on my eyebrow, one on my wrist and one on my butt cheek. i did see a mosquito in the room and i assumed it was from that, but my boyfriend has a rash on his leg that looks like tiny pimples, about 5 of them not in a line. He also had this rash about 2 months prior. So being a paranoid bed bug survivor, i took the bed apart, looking everywhere, also looking closely with a magnifying glass at all the bedroom furniture and floorboards. I even woke up 3 times in the middle of the night to check for bugs with the flashlight.
My question is, it has been over 3 months since i left my moms place and if there were bed bugs, wouldnt the population have grown enough in those 3 months to be noticeable? if they are breeding why can i not find any eggs or skins or poop marks? the only evidence is the blood smear which might not be from them, especially since the smear is on the pillow and not where the bites appeared. am i being unreasonable and paranoid? i spent over $2000 the last time i had bed bugs and through out all my belongings. i cant go through this again! please help!
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MyWorstFear
member
Joined: Sep '08
Posts: 266
Posted 1 month ago
Fri Oct 2 2009 15:13:56
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If you're in NYC, you're in an apartment, right? Not to say that you have bed bugs now, but I think anyone living in an apartment these days has to be aware that bed bugs can migrate from somebody else's apartment to their apartment. Also, living in NYC, you can pick them up anywhere...the office, bus, subway, restaurant, etc. So, if you have them (I say IF) you can't be sure they came from your mom's place 3 months later.
Since you are freaking out (and I totally understand from where you are coming, as I tend to immediately think "bed bugs" for anything, see my post below about the Chicago Olympics to see how my mind works these days) maybe you could get a bed bug dog in to relieve your anxiety. Although at this point, I think checking the bed weekly when you wash the sheets, should be enough. If you pull everything apart daily, the bugs might go harbour in a spot that will be harder to find, (if you even have any bed bugs). -
BB_Hell_NYC
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 8
Posted 1 month ago
Fri Oct 2 2009 17:42:27
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i definitely understand that i can pick up bed bugs anywhere, that is what is so scary!!! im trying not to let my paranoia take over my day to day life, but its so hard. i went to the movies and thought i had them crawling all over me. i went to a bar in bk and was paranoid about sitting on a wooden bench! my boyfriend thinks im going crazy but its just impossible for people to understand unless they have been through it.
i would like to get a bed bug dog but i cannot afford it after all the old bed bug expensives and moving costs, etc. i guess i will just keep a log of bites if they continue and wake up in the middle of the night with the flashlight. thanks for the response.
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