I saw bites on my sons friend and I believe he brought them into my house.

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I saw bites on my sons friend and I believe he brought them into my house.

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Omega

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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 39

Posted 1 year ago
Thu Sep 11 2008 16:40:53
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Ive been bite free since June 18. Prior to that it was pure living hell. I felt like I was going to have a breakdown of some sort. Out of the blue Im getting bites which I thought were hives. Ive had hives before and I still get them. After taking anti histamine every day and night and waking up with bites I realized this is not hives. Long story short. I found a bedbug. I called my bldg mgmnt. They send a PCO. I isolate the bed. I wash and bag everything. I throw out all my living room funiture. I was a fanatic with the flashlight, caulk gun and steri fab. PCO tells me I have a very light infestation. No harbourage was found.

My son is 16. He has his friends over to play video games. I always had a feeling that one of his friends brought in the bedbugs. Especially one of them who he said he saw roaches running around the kids kitchen and that his friend and family didnt seem to care. Red Flag! Today that kid came home with my son. I saw bedbug bites all over his neck. Believe me, I know I bite when I see one. I was mortified.

I pulled my son on the side and told him to look at his friends neck. I told my son to take his friends outside. His bookbag was laying on my floor. UGH. I went straight for the Steri-Fab and saturated the area where they were in the living even though we have no furniture, they sit on a beach chair. I feel like its a matter of time before I get bit.

What do I do? Tell the kid he cant come back into my house? I asked my son to ask him if he has bedbugs. My son is supposed to go over his house tomorrow before they all go out to the movies. I dont want him to go there. My son is very indifferent and believes anyone could have brought them into the house. Im dealing with a typical teenaer here. He did not get bite. His bed is a steel loft bed. I, on the other hand, get serious allergic reactions to the BB bites.

How do you deal with your childrens friends who you think are the ones infesting your house? Im beside myself. I just cannot deal with another infestation after finally being able to sleep at night.

What do I tell his friend? Should I ask him outright if he has bedbugs? What if he doesnt even know if he has and doesnt care. That was his attitude towards the roaches in his house "we dont care" ..ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Bugged_in_MD

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Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 40

Posted 1 year ago
Thu Sep 11 2008 17:02:36
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I would go to the parents instead of the child/teen. Point out what you seen on him, if they deny it, then don't allow him back in but only if you are 100% sure it is him. I won't allow any of my kids friends in here nor do i allow mine to go to friends home because I am afraid of spreading them even though i have only seen two dying ones in 2 weeks. I got my bb's from neighbor's who couldn't care any less that they have them and only bomb, so i understand the fear all to well of them coming back.
BugsInTO

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Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 213

Posted 1 year ago
Thu Sep 11 2008 17:42:48
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It's very hard on the kids. Your son is 16 and doesn't care because he doesn't get bitten. I remember that at that age I didn't care much about anything that affected other people. But, if he has to do the work associated with the bedbug infestation, he might care more. It'll be a huge fight for you every day, but make sure that your son understands that all the washing and bagging that might happen if you get BB's again will be shared with him.

Since he is still living in your house, you get to decide who comes over. After that, if he wants to go to a friend's house, then he has to be responsible. It includes coming home and bagging all his stuff, showering and then washing everything he wore.

If your son's friend is living in a bad situation, he might need help. If you know his parents, how will they respond to your call? or is there somewhere else you can call instead like the school or Public Health?
Newbeebugger

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Joined: Sep '08
Posts: 56

Posted 1 year ago
Fri Sep 12 2008 8:47:50
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And what about us you guys? We clean and spray and do the best we can to avoid all contact and love from those most important to us and yet we can be the cause of someone, somewhere becomming infested. It's such a difficult topic. I break out from the bites too and heal very slowly because of medicines I've been on forever. If this family is indifferent to the problem then that is a problem but where do we fit in? I'm crazy enough as it is over the bb's in my house. My apartment really....I confess...I think if you have them in your apartment it's a greater sin in my head because now others are in jeapordy and your the black goat. The town leper if you will. I need a bell around my neck. I washed a friends clothes. He is very clean too but was at a badly maintained camp. I did not realise what I was doing. And now because of my act of kindness I have bb's. I pray to God I'm not the cause of anyone elses suffering in or out of this apartment building. I've always been clean to the point of OCD. I bleached and cleaned and vacuumed like a nut even before all of this. I haven't been over a friend or familys house in a month. It's not like a case of ants or moths. It's a horrable little creature who's egg's are impossible to kill without Kriptonite. Good luck there Mom. Your son needs to truly understand about your suffering and his responsibilities to protect his family. I hope he gets it. I'm a man and I'll do whatever I have to to protect those I love. We understand too.

Newbeebugger
Omega

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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 39

Posted 1 year ago
Fri Sep 12 2008 12:58:23
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Here is my update. I had to take the initiave and tell my son that until I get an all clear again from my PCO I cannot have him bring friends over and that he cannot go to their homes. I know this is hard on my son. I have to do what I have to do. When his friend called to have him come over to go to the movies my son handed me the phone to explain. I told him that my bldg has bedbugs (I fibbed, according to my bldg mgmnt, Im the only one that had them ,which I find hard to believe)and that the PCO stated that we should isolate ourselves until the all clear sign. I had to make it simple. I then asked him if he had bedbugs. He had no idea what I was talking about. I knew it. I asked him if he ever got very itchy bites upon waking in the morning. His response was Oh yeah we have alot of mosquitoe bites. I asked, do you know what a BB looks like? He had no clue. Living in NYC our mosquitoe population is not what I call extreme. I only get a bite if I go to the park or cemetery or any other wooded area. Believe me, there is not alot of wooded areas in NYC. Once again, NYC and the entire country needs BB education.

I called my bldg mgmnt because I want another inspection by a PCO. They are very compliant I am happy to say. I told them I hadnt been bit since June and I told him my concern. He told me that the last thing he wants is any of them going dormant and breeding within walls, cable lines, basement, etc. So Monday, the PCO will be back. I doubt he will find a harbourage in my apt because I am diligent in the washing, bagging, vacumning, inspecting, etc. and I havent been bitten. I have those mouse glue traps under the wheels of my bed and along the baseboards. I got one BB that way back in June and that was the impetous for the PCO to treat. If I didnt catch one, I get the feeling that I wouldnt have gotten treated because he could find no signs of BB anywhere in my apt. That leads me to believe the one or 2 were brought in by my son's friend/s. I know that NYC schools have them and Im sure my son's school has them, especially if lets say his friend brought them there, or my son for that matter before the washing and bagging started.

I also complained to my bldg mgnt about the old furniture and mattresses I see laying around the bldg basement. This has got to stop, they have to put it outside, not inside the bldg. Duh!

Thank you all for your replies. I do pray that there will be a bigger concern by the powers that be to educate the public about BB. We need some commercials out there to educate the public. More and more Im coming across people who have no idea BB exist, or what they look like, let alone that they themselves can be infested and think they are suffering from mosquitoe bites or hives. What about half the population that have no reaction to bites? They can have a breeding fest going on and never know it but can spread them.

I write to my local politician about BB education. I think we have a long road ahead of us here. Too many people are complacent including the politicians.