Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Introductions
New here….Help!!
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badbadbedbugs
newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 33
Posted 3 months ago
Tue Aug 11 2009 15:30:07
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I am covered in bites and have been getting bitten with increasing frequency for about 2 months now. Noone else in my family is getting bitten. But based on what my bites look like (classic clumps or lines of 3 bites, usually large welts)…we are pretty darn sure. This is just awful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have two girls 4 yo and 16 months at home…we live a pretty organic lifestyle, green homecleaning products etc. and the thought of having to bring in all kinds of toxic treatments really really bothers me. A small part of me wants to just completely ignore the problem…though I think that is just the denial. Our house is fairly clean, but a bit cluttered--and the thought of having to wash ALL the clothes & linens for the whole family, bag them, do all of the prep work recommended by the PCOs, clean all surfaces, remove faceplates etc. is SO OVERWHELMING!! Dont even get me started on our hundreds of books…All this with two young kids underfoot…and I dont feel like we can bring in out of town family to help because they would risk getting infected….And the PCO treatment is expensive!! We can find the money, but we will really feel it as we have been budgeting carefully & saving for a number of upcoming expenses etc. We can’t really ignore it, can we?Also…should a PCO verify first that this is what we have before coming to treat? The places I talked to all took it at my word that it is bedbugs…and we have been looking & looking and can’t find them…
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH
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Bklynchica
newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 14
Posted 3 months ago
Tue Aug 11 2009 15:56:59
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After confirming that you have bed bugs by finding a sample (try double sided tape, or those climb-up interceptors), maybe you should look into the thermal treatments like ThermaPure. I can't recommend, as have never used it or know anyone who has, but the theory is that it heats up a room so hot that it kills all bugs. No chemicals.
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BuggedInSomerville
junior member
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 65
Posted 3 months ago
Tue Aug 11 2009 16:04:19
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Please: Just have the PCO treat the unit with the chemicals. This is NOT an issue you want to take lightly and try to sidestep around; the principal reason bedbugs are getting a stronger foothold in this country is the regulation and prohibition of chemicals strong enough to really kill them. I've heard good things about thermal treatment, but really, just do whatever it takes. The longer you give them leniency, the more they will multiply and the harder it will be to get rid of them. My landlord and her dad, in an attempt to be cheap, tried telling me that all you have to do with bedbugs is spray them with a can of $10 crap from the Home Depot.... I don't think so.
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buggyinsocal
oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 3 months ago
Tue Aug 11 2009 16:28:43
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As I've said before elsewhere, I'm a very crunchy, granola type of Californian. I buy my organic milk in glass bottles that I return to the store. I get a weekly delivery of community supported agriculture (at least when school is in session and there's enough demand for it). I only use a mint oil based spray inside the house to fight ants. I take reusable bags with me to the store. I cluster my trips so that I don't go out three times a day to get things, but instead plan the trips to start at the store that's farthest away and work my way home. I switched my Tupperware for Pyrex and my plastic water bottle for a stainless steel one.
Trust me, I get the desire to avoid chemical pesticides.
The thing is that bed bugs are a pest that is very difficult to eliminate, no matter what approach you take.
Chemical pesticides are one way of getting rid of bed bugs. Depending on where you are, there are other options that will expose you and your family to fewer chemical pesticides, but those treatments are not available everywhere, and they will seem to cost more up front than chemical treatment. (In some cases they may cost more than chemical treatment, even with all expenses figured in. The problem is that it's hard to tell exactly how much they cost because costs do vary by geographical region.)
Thermal remediation involves people bringing in large heaters and taking the temperature inside your residence up to about 140 degrees F for several hours. This kills the bugs and the eggs. Thermal can be done on a unit in a multi-unit building, but not all buildings allow this treatment (larger buildings with sprinkler systems, for example, present certain problems.), and it's not available everywhere.
If you live in a single family home, Vikane is another option. Vikane is a highly toxic gas (which would sound like a bad thing, right? Except it's so toxic that absolutely all of it, every last little pocket has to be out of the home before anyone can go back in) used to kill termites. When used at three times the concentration used for termites, Vikane kills bed bugs and their eggs when applied properly. It also requires all living beings--you, your family, and your pets--to be out of the home for several days.
Vikane does not require the use of residual pesticides applied throughout the home after the tenting is done; neither does thermal. So if you're worried about how long you're exposed to chemicals, either of those might be an option. (Truth be told, long term, I'm not sure that either treatment is any "greener" than chemical pesticides since many thermal providers use propane heaters and Vikane contributes to the greenhouse gas effect or eats the ozone layer, or something else bad, but I live in southern California where there's a drywood termite problem, so both of those treatments are highly available options in my general neck of the woods because of that other pest being so prevalent.)
Whatever choice you go with--chemical, thermal, fumigation with Vikane, make sure to talk extensively with the PCO you choose and clear any and all supportive treatments with your PCO. A lot of people come in after a PCO visit and vacuum or mop floors, and in doing so, they reduce the effectiveness of the residual chemicals. Steam, from a dry vapor steamer, can kill bed bugs, but it can also vaporize the chemicals left behind by POCs. So exactly what you can and can't do will depend on which treatment option you go with.
But no matter how much you may want to minimize your exposure to chemical pesticides, getting a pro in to deal with the bed bugs is the fastest way to get rid of the bugs. These are not a do it yourself pest.
Of course, all of that may be moot. You don't make any mention of finding either the bugs themselves or any of the signs of bugs. It's possible you have bed bugs, but it's also possible that you have fleas, or carpet beetles, or any number of other pests that cause bites. It's also possible, if you work outside the home, that you're coming into contact with bugs at work.
Absolutely the next step should be finding a good PCO in your area who knows his or her way around bed bugs and getting that person in for an inspection to see if the source is bed bugs or not. Once you know that, you can make informed decisions about where to go next.
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BrklnChica has the right idea.... Try using Climb Up Interceptors & double sided tape to capture a specimen .... It is important to ID the pest first...
Do your research.... Read the FAQs..... Educate yourself, so that you know how to identify a good PCO.... Some PCOs are greener than others, but green pest control is very labor intensive and expensive as a result
The links page has info on performing a basic inspection for physical evidence... The Cornell IPM guide has good photos of bed bugs in all stages and a list of biting insects to rule out...
You have a number of options for the books.... Thermal & chemical treatments are available to decon your books... Ask your PCO about using DDVP strips... Colony Pest Control has portable thermal treatment chambers called the Bed Bug Oven (JDL 2000) or a smaller unit like the Packtite could treat the books in small batches...
BuggyinSoCal has provided detailed info on your options... Let us know how your situation progresses
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badbadbedbugs
newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 33
Posted 3 months ago
Wed Aug 12 2009 21:53:25
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wow--thanks to all of you for your thoughtful and extremely detailed & informative replies.
I think ultimately I accept that we will need PCO help & that it may involve toxic chemicals, I'm just still wrestling with the concept. We tried the double sided tape thing on Monday night and didn't trap anything. Ironically I called PCOs for quotes on Monday and then haven't been bitten since...i will look into the other options. Neither of the places I called (both top of the line, reputable) mentioned alternatives such as thermal or Vikane. I will read up on both of those. We are also going to ask a PCO to come in & confirm id first, before we go ahead. I think at this point we will need to hire a teen to come in & watch the girls while we get everything ready. Sigh.
We are about to head off on a week long camping vacation, and we will not be able to get all this ready until we get back. But when we get back, the battle will begin!
I really appreciate the support & insights in all the posts.
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