Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tales of Bed Bug Woe
No Joy in New Jersey: Found live bed bugs
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NYLuna11
newbite
Joined: Apr '10
Posts: 11offline
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 0:48:59
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Ok, so it's a long story... moved back to NYC in 2010 & stayed w/ a cousin, started getting bitten (highly allergic). She said I was paranoid and insane, that she didn't have a problem and I was the only one getting bitten. It was my problem, not hers, yadda yadda yadda I moved out. I moved into a "bi-sublet" type of situation for a year- alternating between a house in NJ, and a NYC apartment: and had no bites in 11 months.
Lost my job & the NYC sublet in April 2011, had to move everything to the house in NJ, including stuff from first apartment stay. Within 3 weeks I had terrible bites. Told my housemates the situation. Explained that I was worried and called Cooper to come and inspect. The person I spoke to there was really unhelpful, and said that I really needed to have physical evidence before they'd send anyone out, even for an inspection. So, I called Action, and paid for a dog inspection. The dog alerted in my room, the room next to mine, the sofa in the TV room, and in the garage, but the dog handler didn't confirm the "hits" with evidence. He saw an apple seed under the sofa cushion and said "that's a bug." I said it looked like an apple seed and he said... "Oh, yeah, it IS a seed, but the dog is 98% effective, you don't need any more evidence."
So, I told my housemates that Action quoted a price of $1,500 to treat the two rooms and the sofa. They said... "No physical evidence and you're the only one getting bitten, we're not paying $1,500 for that. You'll have to take care of this on your own."
So... I cleaned, and sprayed alcohol on everything, I put DM down along all the edges of the wall perimeter of my room. I bought an encasement for my box spring, and climb up interceptors for my bed and isolated it. I washed, dried all my clothes on high heat and put everything in sealed plastic bins. Bagged all my books and left them out in the sun. I bought a BB Beacon monitor but never caught anything, and nothing ever showed up in my climb ups. Since April until now, I had no bites (or maybe just mosquito bites?)
Night before last I was getting ready for bed and I saw a brown spot on the floor. "That's weird..." So, I poked it- and it was a bug: pretending to be dead but it wasn't. It "was" empty, though. I put it in a little jar of alcohol.
I told my housemates. They said... "You're paranoid. You're over-reacting, we're not paying $1,500 for a treatment when you're the one with the problem." They're leaving for vacation for 2.5 weeks in Greece an France. I thought, I'll get my BB monitor and see if the problem has spread to the rest of the house, while they're gone, and show them evidence when they get back. I went to get the BB Beacon from where I was storing it in the closet, and there are two nymphs in the little well.
My housemates don't want to pay for a PCO and I have no money.
Any suggestions? I'd appreciate any helpful thoughts. This is a huge house. We have people coming and going all the time. My housemates travel constantly for work. I might have brought the bugs in, from one of my NY trips, but maybe someone else did?
Regardless, I'm brokeand jobless, but my housemates are not. I'm planning on moving back out West in September (& seriously thinking of burning all my personal belongings before I go). Aside from this BB issue, my housemates were really great and basically saved my life. They've been letting me live with them, rent free, in exchange for helping with their dogs and kids. I'm miserable about this. What do I do? This is a disaster! Help! -
cilecto
oldtimer
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 3,852offline
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 11:07:47
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Hi, that's quite a predicament. If it's not bothering them and they're essentially your "hosts", then it's really up to you to protect your self and your stuff, especially when you move.
Our FAQ have tips on how to inspect and find physical evidence.
You can post pictures of what you find (links to flicker pages) and we can help confirm what it is.
We can coach you on how to move out without bugs.
I hope that helps get you started.
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NYLuna11
newbite
Joined: Apr '10
Posts: 11offline
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 15:27:35
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Thanks, cilecto! You and dougsommers, and nobugsonme, and killer queen are all so awesome. I'm feeling a little cursed or like a bed bug Mary...
My biggest fear on coming back to NYC was the BB problem, and the first place I stayed, I started getting bitten. SO crazy! Now, a year & 2 months later, I'm getting bitten again!I have absolutely no doubts that what I found is a bed bug. It's a perfect specimen, and looks exactly like every entomological photo I've seen. The teeny nymph like ones, ... not so sure about. We'll see. My housemates are now saying that I should go ahead and get some estimates, but will they be willing to deal with possibly higher prices? I tried calling Cooper again, but once again, they want me to send them the bug I found before they'll even send someone out to check. Thinking of going the Action route again and having another dog come. Hoping this hasn't spread farther in the house. I'll keep everyone posted, and thanks for the support. Geeze, I wish all this wasn't so expensive... Sigh.
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cilecto
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Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 3,852offline
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 15:38:57
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Why not send cooper the bug or a pic?
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NYLuna11
newbite
Joined: Apr '10
Posts: 11offline
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 15:45:03
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Cooper won't accept a picture, I have to send it in the mail, or get in the car and drive one hour, before they'll even let me schedule an inspection... and the inspection is not free - by any means. Action is willing to make an appointment to come out on Monday! I still have to get the ok from my housemates, however.
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NYLuna11
newbite
Joined: Apr '10
Posts: 11offline
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 16:07:59
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Here's a picture of what I found. We all know what this is. Oh, and that's my own fingertip, too.
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NYLuna11
newbite
Joined: Apr '10
Posts: 11offline
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 16:09:51
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Here's a picture of what I found. We all know what this is. Oh, and that's my own fingertip, too.
This is what I found on the floor, here.(trying this again...)
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buggyinsocal
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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 2,440offline
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 17:00:57
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Wait for the expert IDers on the site. Something about it looks off to me for it to be a bed bug (I think maybe the head shape/side proportion to the body seems off to me, but I'm not sure), but I'd personally prefer a picture that's slightly closer up before I could say anything conclusively, and, like I said, I'm not the best IDer on the site (by a long shot).
You really want Spidey or Lou or David or EffeCi to look at it, but if you can also get a shot that's closer up, you'll probably get a better answer.
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NYLuna11
newbite
Joined: Apr '10
Posts: 11offline
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 18:33:40
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Ok, here we go again... This is a bigger pic. closer shot... My phone camera is pretty limited in what it can do, but - this is as good as it gets.
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spideyjg
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Joined: Jul '08
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 18:47:26
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It's a BB.
Jim
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buggyinsocal
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Joined: Jun '08
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 11 2011 19:03:40
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That shot does look like a bed bug to me too.
But Spideyjg knows his stuff, so pretty much you can ignore me and take his word for it.
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