Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Reader questions (do not fit into other categories)
I NEED HELP! so many questions!!!
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bbericka
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Joined: Aug '08
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Posted 4 years ago
Mon Aug 18 2008 2:54:16
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Hello all.... Ericka in Iowa here.... I still haven't been sleeping well (3 hrs each nite the past 3 nites).... Tonight I am a little jittery - but I have some questions that I need some help with ---
first of all, thank you to all of you who have given me support and advice. I have already messed up some of it, but am following the best I can.....
I want to say thank you again - for your time to help me with this. I have so many questions - I have been up until 4am the past two nights trying to find these specific answers and haven't been able to yet so if y ou know the answers or if you know the links that I have missed that are already posted- thank you in advance for your help with this.1. How do you find a good exterminator? I read the information from other PCO's on bedbugger website, and this is helpful, but our town just flooded (in Cedar Rapids) and the PCO's are so busy it is difficult to get them in for an estimate even (I want to get this done asap!). Any tips or references in Cedar Rapids, Iowa area?
2. the encasements are so expensive... can I purchase the recommended 'protect a bed' for my mattress and then get the less expensive specific box spring encasings (two for king bed) that are much less expensive? These are not listed on bedbugger website (offered from Nat'l allergy). Or do I just bite the bullet and purchase the mucho-expensive one for the box spring as well?
3. I don't believe my kid's rooms have been infested but am afraid the toddlers' room is right next to ours (and sometimes they have been in our bed in the middle of the night due to night terrors)..... do I purchase mattress covers for them as well? can bed bugs get into the plastic crib mattresses? seems like they probably could, since it is stitched..... I am willing to if I have to, but this is getting so expensive I thought I would ask first before spending another $300. My eldest son's room is next to theirs and no evidence there at all - that I can see.
4. Where do we purchase DE? I think I read true valuehardware?
5. I have been laundering and drying as prescribed for 2 days now (we have so much!).... how important are the plastic bags for laundry right after they are dry? Our bedroom is on the second story and laundry is in basement - is it safe down there? When can we use our dressers again? Do we have to wait for like 6 months or something? (willing, but argh!) How do we know when bedbugs are gone? Can I just clear off shelves in the basement for our clothes in the meantime? Do I have to use plastic bags?
6. I capitalizing on this 'opportunity' to go thru clothing and get rid of excess, outgrown, and underused clothing and since the flood there is a real need in Cedar Rapids - but I CERTAINLY do not want to give anyone else bedbugs.... Can I feel safe if I have washed them in hot water, dried in hot till bone dry plus twenty minutes, and then bag airtight to take to distribution center?
7. I have so many books in my room that I want to keep - I don't think they are infested, but how do I know?
8. What does a 'harbourage' look like in wood? or in a dresser? are they easy to miss? I am suppossed to look for them, but don't know what to look for.... Maybe I need to comb over the bedbugger website again - I have read and skimmed the majority of it, but am still going on only about 3hrs a night for past three nights. we did find harborages in our bed (underneath boxsprings) and did spray they dead tonight and vacuumed them up -pco coming tomorrow - I couldn't leave them alive!
9. How do I know how bad the infestation is? I am a bit freaked out here - normally not so neurotic....well.... anyways! HOw do I know?
Big thanks to the compassionate souls who have told me that they are difficult but not impossible to get rid of.... I am horrified and scared. I get so freaked out by bugs anyways and this is awful, as you know. thanks so much for listening to me ramble.
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Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 4 years ago
Mon Aug 18 2008 20:07:45
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Hi Ericka,
(I saw your message here after responding on the yahoo group. Am re-posting some of my response here. My answers follow the **.)
1. How do you find a good exterminator?
** Here's a Bedbugger.com FAQ on how to choose a PCO. I recommend calling at least 3 for comparison and asking the questions suggested in the FAQ.
I'm interested in whether the PCOs are busy with bed bugs? If so, it's bad news of course. But good news in the sense that they may have more experience with them.
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2. can I purchase the recommended 'protect a bed' for my mattress and then get the less expensive specific box spring encasings (two for king bed) that are much less expensive? These are not listed on bedbugger website (offered from Nat'l allergy).
** You can find the Protect-a-bed box spring encasements (as well as pillow and crib encasements) via Bedbugger.com from this link.
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3. I don't believe my kid's rooms have been infested but am afraid the toddlers' room is right next to ours (and sometimes they have been in our bed in the middle of the night due to night terrors).... . do I purchase mattress covers for them as well? can bed bugs get into the plastic crib mattresses? ...
**Yes-- They can infest cribs. (The link above has crib encasements as well as box spring, pillow, etc.)
There's no way you or anyone else can be sure the bed bugs are not in any part of your house unless a really good PCO inspects. And even then, they can miss them. Bed bugs spread easily. They can bite people who do not react to bites and so how would you know?
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4. Where do we purchase DE?
** Read the DE FAQ to make sure you understand the issues involved. There's some links there on where to buy online, though you can also sometimes buy it from PCO's offices.
DO NOT buy it from a pool store. The FAQ will explain that all DE is not the same, and you want food grade or freshwater DE. I would personally recommend getting a PCO in first and having them treat. Some will not treat you if you use DE or other methods before they get there. Once they treat, you can OK it with them that you supplement in this way.
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5.Ziplocs - the big ones someone was talking about - where do you get them?
** You have to bag clothes and seal them or you cannot be sure there are no bed bugs in the clothes. Skip the dresser for now. You can buy ziplocs here via Bedbugger.com or at Home Depot, Target, etc.
Strong contractor bags are another option but can't easily be resealed.
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6. .... Can I feel safe if I have washed [clothes] in hot water, dried in hot till bone dry plus twenty minutes, and then bag airtight to take to distribution center?
** If they are already clean, drying on hot alone and bagging them is enough, according to research. Read this FAQ on dealing with clothing.
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7. I have so many books in my room that I want to keep - I don't think they are infested, but how do I know?
** I would personally get the PCO in and follow his/her instructions. Depending on the level of infestation you might leave them out, or you might have to go through them. Every case is NOT the same.
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8. What does a 'harbourage' look like? AND 9. How do I know how bad the infestation is?
** The best idea is to get a pest control operator who knows bed bugs to inspect carefully. (See #1 above.) Before you do anything, throw out anything, or encase anything. You need to verify if you have them and where they are. The PCO needs to see all this. Some people go crazy cleaning and steaming and treating and THEN call the PCO can't see them anymore, and can't even do anything.
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It's normal to panic, but it is best to try and work through steps methodically. We hear a lot of stories from people who threw things away that they did not need to, or who cleaned to the point where a PCO would not treat them because they could not easily find visual evidence. It is best not to go crazy or do everything everyone recommends.
Start with a good PCO. If you tell people on this forum where you are in Iowa, they may have recommendations, though the steps in the FAQ above will help if you can't find a local recommendation.
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