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New to bedbugs, have them in my apartment :[

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minaa

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Posted 3 years ago
Fri Jul 24 2009 11:59:15
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Hello everyone, I finally figured out what was biting me yesterday, after months of denial (not a fun feeling). The exterminators are coming today, and they seem confident that their spray will kill everything in two treatments, which from the sound of it I still should stay cautious and get some mattress encasements (hello ebay), DE, and BB deterrents for my bedframe (wooden legs). Unfortunately, I think it's only going to be a matter of time before my roommate gets them, what with my unwittingly bringing my cat in a week before I realize I have an infestation, and my walking around unknowingly the past two months (I'm surprised she hasn't gotten any bite signs yet) in my apartment with nasty hitch-hikers (I can only theorize that they started biting me at my dorms and came along during my moving process).

I feel really crappy about the whole thing. I'm afraid of what I'll find under the box spring, but as it is the mattress has only revealed about 6 or so around the seams. Hopefully the PCOs are willing to help me move my mattress/box spring also, as I couldn't prop it up last night without difficulty (they have their requirements).

It does sound like this PCO has dealt with bedbugs before, so I'm hoping his confidence isn't just hot air. How does this sound to everyone?
DrFrank

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Posted 3 years ago
Fri Jul 24 2009 12:20:33
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If you're getting a used set of encasements from ebay, wash and dry the heck out of them. Ticks, fleas, lice, scabies, bacteria, viruses... And check thoroughly for holes. You'll probably need a magnifying glass.

Probably make more sense to get a new set.

I'd be pretty skeptical of the abilities of any PCO that didn't recommend treating the entire apartment after a visual inspection found six bugs; from what I've read, that's indicative of a pretty well-established infestation.
minaa

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Posted 3 years ago
Fri Jul 24 2009 12:28:38
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I'm looking for new cases on ebay for sure. I'm a student, forking out $200+ is what I'd like to avoid if possible.

Well, I'm going to talk to them once they get here. It's probably more beneficial to us to have them treat the whole place, but now I'm thinking about how bad this possibly is. I know I personally killed three, captured one, and missed another. So, my estimate was off--I found five, and showed one of those five to the PCO. Regardless... I haven't found any on the floor or anywhere else in the apartment. From the sound of it I might be in for a long bit of work...
minaa

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Posted 3 years ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 5:38:28
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Update:

PCO came and went, and I've been too freaked out to sleep on my mattress. I found eggs on the slats of my bed frame, and I've gotten some DE to apply around while waiting for the PCOs to come back in two weeks to combat it more completely. They said they found, killed, and vaccuumed about a dozen to two dozen of the little jerks, and called that a "major infestation" that was concentrated around my mattress only, not my box spring. They also sprayed my entire bedroom. I have ordered Protect-a-bed covers, but I've been advised to wait until the second spraying (which I'll comply with).

I have a question, though. I was told that the insecticides they used were a duo treatment of liquid and aerosol. I can only figure that the aerosol was the pyrethrin (he had said they were using pyrethrin, so), but what liquid could they be using? I'm in San Jose, CA (Northern california), working with a local company through my landlords. Do any spiders like to eat bed bugs, apart from the fabled spider in europe?
cilecto

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Posted 3 years ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 14:01:49
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minaa - 2 days ago »
I'm looking for new cases on ebay for sure. I'm a student, forking out $200+ is what I'd like to avoid if possible.

Ever wonder why "product A" on an auction site costs significantly less than the same product in the store? Perhaps because it's not really "product A". Or because the guy who sells the product works out of his bedroom and keeps his stock under the bed? Or because it's not new. When you're dissatisfied with the product from an auction merchant, how much time and effort will you be spending to rectify?

If you're going to go cheap, might as well go to your local big box (Wal-Mart, Target, BB&B...), buy what they have and duck-tape the zipper down (IMHO).
minaa

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Posted 3 years ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 15:43:51
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I'll have to take the risk, I already purchased some on ebay. I did as much searching I could on the sellers, they had 100% positive feedback on over 1000 transactions.
spideyjg

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Posted 3 years ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 15:57:13
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minaa - 10 hours ago »

Do any spiders like to eat bed bugs, apart from the fabled spider in europe?

All spiders eat insects. The fabled spider in Europe was a type of Running Crab spider that is about 1cm in size.

House centipedes, roaches, and spiders will view a BB as food. Predators are not a control but during the war they are your allies and unless you really skeeved out, leave them be. My theory is that BBs are aware they are vulnerable as prey and one of the reasons they hide wedged deep into cracks where nothing can get above them.

I wouldn't recommend letting a large population of brown recluse, virtually unknown in California, or yellow sac spiders be in your house. We do have yellow sacs in California and they can have a clinically significant bite.

My belief is that the roaming spiders such as the running crab, wolf, and jumping, are the ones more likely to eat BBs. They actually prowl as oppsed to web builders that only react to things trapped in the web. Jumpers may live in gaps in the wall and have the best eyesight for hunting.

If you find a hole with a spider living in it I highly doubt there can be a chance of a BB harboring in there.

Overall you really have to try hard to get a spider to bite you. They just view us as an object in the way if hunting. If you try to grab one it may bite out of defense.

Jim
minaa

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Posted 3 years ago
Sun Jul 26 2009 19:46:37
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thanks Jim! P.S. I'm not thinking about bringing in a crate of spiders :p I'm a tad arachnophobic. But it was moreso just a "hey, with the spiders who are already residing here, do they eat BBs?"

I have a new question. The PCO treated on Friday. I bought some Diatect DE today, if only so I can feel like I can sleep in my own bed again (insomnia and cursed to sleep on the couch = one unhappy me ). The pyrethrin in the Diactect won't react with what's already been sprayed down, will it? I've spoken to the PCO about it already, and he said it wouldn't hurt (but then again, they're confident the problem will be taken care of within two or three treatments). My bedroom is the only area that has been treated in my apartment, so after reading here, I'm afraid it's probably only a matter of time until they possibly go and invade my roommate's space. However, would sprinkling around my bed, doorway, and adjoining wall be a good counter measure, if only to slow them down? I'd like to think the bastards can be isolated and killed around my own bed.
Upset_Undergrad

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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 9:15:47
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good call. how is it all going?