Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tales of Bed Bug Woe
My worst fear realzed.
(4 posts)-
whythebugsandme
newbite
Joined: Sep '10
Posts: 2offline
Posted 2 years ago
Mon Sep 20 2010 9:39:12
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New here, trying to stay sane on one hour of sleep. I found out for sure last night we have bed bugs. I called the exterminator person but I have yet to get a call back. Also have a call into the bug dog guy, but I think it's a moot point by now. Last night I found three casing/bugs near my pillow before bed. I flipped out. Sorry a little backstory, bought a new bed, new head and foot board/new mattresses all sealed in plastic. Yea, guess there was an old bedbuggy mattress with it. Worried about it, worried some more. Checked everything over again and again. Felt that ugly feeling in your gut. Never saw any blood/smears/poop nothing. But I started getting little maybe bites, which now I know they are real bites. They look like someone poked me with a toothpick. No swelling, no real redness, just a funky scab. Had one, then four, then last night in my flipped outness I slept in the bath tub. Wouldn't you know, I woke up with 7 new bites, and these hurt more. I look under our bath mat and there's a party going on there. @@ So, I bag it up and throw it outside by the curb, clorox wipe the floor and put the towels in the washer on high heat and now transfering them to the high heat dryer for at least an hour. I'm going to try and call again in half an hour. I know they are in my bed too. That's where I got bit first. Totally freaking out here. I'm sure they are all over my house as my hubby refuses, even with the bites and bug casings I've bagged up, to believe they are bed bugs because he's not being bit. I think they are in my car too because I drove several times with my pjs on. I think I'm going to have them thermal my whole house, then Vicane if I can get someone to come after. Then the dog to see if anything is left. This really sucks.
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buggyinsocal
oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 2,440offline
Posted 2 years ago
Mon Sep 20 2010 10:49:06
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Sorry to hear you've joined our club.
Your husband may be getting bitten and just not react to the bites. That's a pretty common scenario.
If heat and Vikane are both available where you are, if you can find a good provider, you should only need one. (I'm assuming that means that you live in a single family detached house, since usually those are the only structures that can be treated that way. Unless you mean having your belongings treated with Vikane while your unit in a multi-unit building is treated with heat.)
Bed bugs can be bitten. If there was one thing I wish I'd known from the get go, it's this: spend your time looking for a good PCO before you treat the first time. Treating professionally right from the start with someone who knows bed bugs is the best way to increase your chances of getting rid of these bugs as quickly as possible without making the infestation harder to treat.
And, save any samples you come across. PCOs will need proof of the particular pest in order to treat. So put the bugs you find in ziplock bags (I used clear tape to capture them and then stuck that to an index card; other people have used empty prescription bottles.) and hang onto them to show the PCO when you get one in.
It does get better. I know that feels impossible right now, but it does. Hang in there.
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whythebugsandme
newbite
Joined: Sep '10
Posts: 2offline
Posted 2 years ago
Mon Sep 20 2010 11:39:37
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Thank you so much for the ray of hope. I have a PCO coming hopefully today or tomorrow morning. But it still creeps me out. I think I'll stick with the heat though, we are a single house. And thank you for the ugs in bag advice. I did manage to snag a few while cleaning my bathroom floor.
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bugnut
senior member
Joined: Feb '10
Posts: 528offline
Posted 2 years ago
Mon Sep 20 2010 21:04:17
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Weird that they are in the bathroom - is it next to the bedroom? Try not to sleep anywhere else or they may try and follow you.
I have a single family also and treated with chemicals. Wish I had done thermal from the get-go but did not want my nosy neighbors to see. Now I am sorry I did not do it in the first place.
Vikane is a fortune! In the Northeast, they quoted me $13K for a 1200 sf house - 2BRS. It is about a quarter of that in Fla. Thermal would have been about $3600 (i got a quote but I was too far into treatment to change). I did have my car Vikaned - I did not have any confirmation they were in there but had a bite and was too uncomfortable to drive it. $800!
If you think they are in your car (I am told it is very rare) you should set up a beacon or put in passive monitor to be sure. i did that with my other car and it is fine.
And use 91% rubbing alcohol to kill them - bleach does not work (and makes a mess) . buggyinsocal said she had them for a while, drove all the time, stayed a peoples houses and she never gave them to anyone else (she asked). It is possible you kept them to yourself.
Treating a house is a paint in the ass, but you have way more control than if you live in an apartment. Access to your dry at all times is a plus too. I got a packtite too - it is a lifesaver!
Good Luck!
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