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I'm (sort of) moving. Should I use cardboard boxes?
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mangycur
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jan 17 2008 21:23:43
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Ok, my situation is ridiculous. There are things that should have gone down differently, but this is where I'm at right now, so i'd like to focus, if possible on the question of whether or not to use any cardboard.
ahem.
I live in an apartment building that has had bed bugs in it for over 2 years I think. Neighbors were saying they didn't have them because they didn't want the landlord to come over, etc. Other neighbors hired their own PCOs and didn't tell anyone else in the building, for whatever reason. Then I got them. Then got a PCO. Then I thought they were gone. Then I saw one. Then I got one bite. Then I started the protocol again.
Suddenly an apartment on the first floor of my building opens up, right when my dog suddenly can't go down the stairs anymore. I have to take this apartment ASAP. Don't have time to do everything perfectly.
I"m moving this weekend. Most of my stuff is in plastic anyway but now I'm looking around at odds and ends and I'm thinking it would be best to put them in boxes to carry downstairs. But we all know BBS love cardboard.
I'm getting a PCO in here on Friday (tomorrow). I can move downstairs Saturday (the day after tomorrow). So what if I go buy boxes after the PCO treatment on Friday, pack stuff in the boxes, and move the stuff down to the new apartment Saturday morning? Then unpack and throw out the cardboard Saturday day? Or should I wait and go buy the cardboard on Saturday right before I pack stuff into it so the bugs don't have 6 hours to flee into the cardboard?
Or should I just carry my plates in stacks in my bare hands up and down 4 flights of stairs repeatedly?
BTW, the tenants on the 1st floor swear up and down they don't have bed bugs. But I suspect they are lying because they don't want to deal. I mean how is it that all 3 floors above them have been infested but they haven't? I am not convinced I'm moving into a bug free place.
My landlord sprayed the new apartment I'm going into himself. I can't change that. What I CAN do is pray. Any thoughts about the cardboard?
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paulaw0919
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Joined: Jul '07
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jan 17 2008 22:45:00
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I can only advise on what I would do in that situation. If you can afford it, I would purchase plastic bins. (HomeDepot, target, BedBath&Beyond or whatever) Right now they all have sales, coupons etc after the holidays for peoples storage.
The reasoning behind it is IF you're moving into another apartment that is possibly infested like you said, those plastic bins would make a world of difference in taking items on and off shelves, cabinets etc.. before and after treatments. Then when the bugs are gone, you can use them for storage if you like. Cardboard is very risky in bringing into the new place if it doesn't have bugs and a definite no-no if it does have them. Plus why purchase all that cardboard just to throw it away. If you can afford the plastic bins then I would get them. (HomeDepot, Lowes, and even Walmart open very early in the a.m.) Check their sites for hours of operation at a store near you.
It would make life easier if the new place has bugs and would put your mind at ease if it doesn't. Either way you have to head out to a store last minute to purchase anyway right? I hope that helps and I wish you luck. -
mangycur
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Joined: Sep '07
Posts: 275
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jan 17 2008 23:14:25
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thanks paulaw. I already have a lot of plastic bins for books actually. Will think about using plastic bins for dishes too.
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Good luck, mangy.
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Would taking things down in plastic bins and quickly unpacking work for some things, and then the things that are slow-to-unpack could be the last few loads, and sit in the plastic bins? Just an idea.
I think you have a shot at getting away from the bugs, Mangy. It's worth a shot, right?
You may move some bed bugs.
They may already have them on the first floor. (They may have them and not be lying--Dr. Michael Potter thinks as many as 50% of people may not react to bites, so you can see how people can be clueless.)
But maybe they don't have them.
Good luck. It won't be worse, right?
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mangycur
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Posts: 275
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Jan 18 2008 1:28:29
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LOL it totally can't be worse. At least I know what to do! :)
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parakeets
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Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 866
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Jan 18 2008 8:54:46
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You are so sweet to move because of your dog having trouble climbing the stairs.
Another thing you can do about boxes, to add to the good suggestions already posted here, is to use smaller cardboard boxes for moving(which are better for heavy things, such as books, anyway) but keep the cardboard boxes sealed inside large ziplocks. A cardboard box that is sealed inside a ziplock has the security of the ziplock. If you are just going to be tossing the cardboard boxes after the move, ziplocks are cheaper than plastic tubs.
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pleasenotme
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Joined: Jan '08
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Posted 1 year ago
Fri Jan 18 2008 9:02:46
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What if you had the PCO treat the new place too, just for safety?
Good luck! -
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Joined: Oct '07
Posts: 106
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Jan 18 2008 10:08:57
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Mangy --
You and I are in a similar situation right now -- except I'm moving to a new building (long story short, given the way they're approaching the bb problem in my building, I'm getting out before the place is completely overrun -- and no bites in 5 weeks which is good).
I have slowly been "staging" my move between home and work. While at home I take things I know not to have bedbugs (dishes, coat hangers, toiletries, etc -- things I can easily clean with alcohol and are not where a bb would like to hang anyway) and putting them in plastic bags, sealed up. Then I bring the bag to work and pack the things into cardboard boxes here -- we have about a zillion from Corporate Express. Then I keep those boxes in my storage closets at work so no one comes into contact with them.
As soon as I get those boxes into my place I will dispose of them just to be safe. But I figure if the cardboard itself isn't exposed to bbs and the things inside are clean, that will be okay. I realize that's probably impractical for you since you won't be moving out of the building, but just throwing the idea out there for anyone reading this who might be moving to a new building like myself.
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Bugless
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Joined: Dec '07
Posts: 144
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Feb 17 2008 16:31:38
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A good source for boxes is outside a liquor store. Many of these stores (at least in my part of the country) put the boxes outside for anyone who wants to take them. It's good for public relations, which is something liquor stores think about.
These boxes are sturdy and have well-glued bottoms. And all the way from the brewery or distillery to the liquor store they have never been in places where there is likely to be bedbugs. I think the trucks and warehouses are always, or nearly always, used only for the alcoholic beverage industry. That is because of the licensing restrictions etc. placed on that industry. No bedbugs are likely in those places.
DON'T use corrugated-cardboard boxes. These boxes can conceal bbs in the corrugations.
Paulaw0919 recommends (good advice) getting boxes the same day you move. Or at least, get them the day before and leave them outside overnight. That way, bbs won't crawl into them in your home overnight.
Boxes for liquor bottles are usually stronger than boxes for beer 6 packs. That is because liquor is worth more than beer and is in bottles rather than cans. Thus, breakage during shipment is more likely and more expensive for liquor bottles.
Before using one of these boxes, line it with a heavy duty trash bag -- just in case a bedbug crawled off a box handler into a box. Then, of course, after loading the trash bag, fold over the top and put a rubber band on it. Preferably, leave the box outside and carry out the loaded bag to it.
When unloading the box, keep the box indoors only long enough to take out the bag. Or maybe, even, leave the box outside and take in only the bag.
These boxes might be available at supermarkets that sell alcoholic beverages. But I think liquor stores a better source for them. Supermarket storage areas are used for many things besides alcoholic bevs.
Afterwords, take the boxes to a recycle center. Don't keep them around -- bedbugs love to crawl into cardboard things. Leave the boxes outside until you can get rid of them.
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mangycur
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Joined: Sep '07
Posts: 275
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Feb 17 2008 17:06:52
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These are all good suggestions. In the end I mostly used plastic bags and then we ran out of time so I had to use a few boxes I bought at staples. But I didn't let them sit around before shoving things in them and carting them downstairs. I got them out of plastic, assembled them, packed them, and moved them.
Alas, the end of my particular story did not end well. I must have not scrubbed a table thoroughly enough, or maybe they were inside my electronics. Or maybe they were already in the apartment I moved to. Cuz they're back. My landlord swears up and down that bugs had never before been in this particular apartment, but I am not convinced. The family that was here was too big for this space and they could very well have had them and not known it. So here we go. Interestingly, my other neighbors who had battled the bugs alongside me, now appear to be bug free. I'm the only one who still has them, even though I'm twice as vigilant as they ever were. Isn't that weird?
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Bugless
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Joined: Dec '07
Posts: 144
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Feb 17 2008 17:39:29
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So sorry to hear they are still with you, mang. I felt a little stab of sorrow when I read it. You had gone to such trouble to move clean.
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senior member
Joined: Dec '07
Posts: 544
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Feb 17 2008 18:38:53
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mangycur,
I'm so sorry!I think it's wonderful that you did this for your doggie,though.I know you will be bb free again soon.That's the worst thing about them,their ability to travel back and forth.Sending hugs,it will be ok.If I can help in any way,let me know.I'm not far from nyc and I mean it,not just sayimg it. -
mangycur
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Joined: Sep '07
Posts: 275
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Feb 17 2008 21:52:34
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Thank you guys, your support is so helpful. What I really need is to have a month off of work to deal with this! LOL
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buggedmama
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Joined: Nov '07
Posts: 178
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Mar 24 2008 21:03:14
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Mangy, I found this thread because I was reading one you've posted to more recently and couldn't figure out how you got from the "Bwahaha Human" thread where you'd only seen one or two signs of bed bugs, to being able to catch a bug in your bed to perform pesticide tests on!
I am SO sorry that you moved but still brought the bugs with you, that totally sucks. I can't help but wonder, though, if your landlord and/or neighbours aren't being completely straight about what's going on in your building ... it seems to me like with all the work us bedbuggers do, for you to still have them makes me think they are coming to you from elsewhere. Ugh, sorry if this totally adds to the anxiety you are already feeling about neighbouring apartments, but as someone whose *thinks* I may be bed bug free, the thought of one crawling up to me on the couch keeps coming to mind after reading your Christmastime post :(
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Joined: May '07
Posts: 436
Posted 1 year ago
Wed Mar 26 2008 18:42:09
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Cardboard offers harborage for a number of pests, if the plastic bins are too much you might consider lining boxes with bags and using tape.
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