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One bug in 23 days
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bullhaulr
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 11
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Jul 22 2009 22:25:13
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A couple of weeks before moving out of my apt. I got 12 bites over the same 2 week period. I had no clue, but now I guess that I brought in infested boxes. I never saw a single bug, but the week I moved into my home it became clear that I had been bitten by bed bugs.
It's only me in my just purchased home along with one less bedbug. I had taken precautions not to get bitten, but one night my bed cover fell to the floor and that morning I discovered a BB that was stuck to my back. I don't believe it was full grown. But for sure a BB. The imprint on the sheet was even a perfect BB impression. I had at least one BB in my new home, that was BB free before yours truely moved in. I did not know that the bites were BB until 4 days after moving in. You know when I started to believe the bites were from BB I had a panic attack and I am still just sick about it, but I am moving forward nd still have a whisper of hope, that an infestation maybe avoided.
I sleep in the middle of my room on a twin bed on a elevated metal frame that is wrapped in double sided tape, and the mattress and box springs are not showing any signs of BB. Carpet tape is wrapped around the legs and base of furniture throughout the house. I have not been bitten in 23 days, and the only bug I have seen is now dead. Two days after moving in, I searched and destroyed the mattress and box springs from my old apartment and it showed zero signs of BB. I practically shredded the thing.
I have gone through all of my belongings: furniture, clothes, and air conditioning vents here at the new house and not a sign.
Here in Northwest Arkansas the PCO people state " we just don't have BB's here, " maybe in some hotels." So while they may have some good chemicals, they are not much help and in denial because another fellow from this area just went through a nasty encounter with BB.
I have held off spraying Bayer in hopes of discovering more obvious signs. I live alone and have no pets. My room is virtually empty except the hardwood floors and the twin bed. I have no problems with spraying, but I want some advice first. Do I continue to lay in wait, I am not quite ready for new bites as the last ones really hurt. SO do I let the defenses (double sided tape ect.) down to see if new bites occur. Or do I wait and deprive the BB's of blood. I have awoke many nights with a bright light and searched the bedroom and have seen nothing. I have double sided tape all over the house. What do you think? It would be nice to get a new queen mattress and have guests but I don't want to rush it.
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Traumabugged
junior member
Joined: May '09
Posts: 110
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Jul 22 2009 22:44:47
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If you could make sure there is no bb on your bed, maybe you could get the interceptor under your frame? Or the new detector I remember I read somewhere in this forum, though this one is currently not sold in the US . I have to admit it is a problem for me, too because I'm moving in about one month to the university's dormitory (which was built like last year). What frightens me is that it is fully furnished and they recently add two cabinets in each bedroom, which my friends claim to be "new" but have no idea where they came from.
One of the building of the university IS selling shelves and cabinets indeed, and a few weeks ago when I walked around the building I did see like tons of furniture outside it, almost direct under the sun...
Maybe the PCO of the university would be much more...responsible?
Or else if it happens again I have to sue against the university?
I just feel tired and drained. -
bullhaulr
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 11
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Jul 22 2009 23:03:56
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Hi my friend I am not sure what you are saying. Do you believe the dorms may have BB?
I swim and exercise at the Hyper often, we should meet one of these days.
It really helped when you called and explained what you had been through. -
de-selftreat
junior member
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 46
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Jul 22 2009 23:07:09
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I'm not sure it was a BB "stuck to your back" (doesn't sound like bed bug behaviour; I'm not sure what you mean by "the imprint it left on the sheet") and to me it sounds like you're probably bed bug free. If I were you I'd try taking the tape off the legs and see if you get bitten. Rather that than buy a new mattress and hae to go through the whole rigmarole.
Just my personal amateur opinion, of course. And remember that the bites might take up to ten days to appear. It's not fun using yourself as bait like that but if you respond to bed bug bites it's a good way of telling. I mean, you could get a dog but by the sounds of it you'd have to pay someone's travel and hotel and it'd mount up quickly. -
bullhaulr
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 11
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Jul 22 2009 23:18:06
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Be sure or nearly sure it is a dead squashed BB I have in a zip lock bag. I would post it, but my camera sux. I may be able to get a friend to take a shot of the speciman but there is no need.
And what i mean is the bed sheet had a perfect BB outline from where I must have rolled onto the BB and squashed it. Gross I know.
23 days after moving out of my apartment the scars from the bites that occured while in the apt are healing. I appreciate and will consider your advice.
Oh and no worries about the mattress. While I am waiting to see how bad my BB problem is I am sleeping on a spare twin bed, that was not in the apartment and someday if I ever feel BB free I will get a new queen size. I needed a new one anyways, the BB thing just sped things up.
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Traumabugged
junior member
Joined: May '09
Posts: 110
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Jul 22 2009 23:28:42
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You could mail the sample or the picture to (or go there with them) the university's entomology department. There is an insect identification service there:
http://www.uark.edu/ua/arthmuse//idserv.htmlAnd sorry I did not make it clear. What I'm afraid is that the dormitory might have it and I have to go through it again, without any device except the interceptor I currently get. I sort of wanted to purchase the detector for I could just put it in the new bedroom and go there checking everyday while sleep in the current place. But with the interceptor you have to be the bait, which means I have to sleep in the new dormitory while leave my other things in the current place. That will make things more complicated and inconvenient.
As for HPER, as optimistic as I sound, I still left my house very rarely. So traumatized am I that even a coffee shop scares me (not to mention the dormitory I'm moving to...). Though I'm feeling better, it might still take sometime to fully recover my social ability and courage. So thanks for the invitation but maybe some time later?
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bullhaulr
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 11
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Jul 22 2009 23:33:12
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definetly sometime. you really helped me and it would be nice to make your aquiantance.
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Traumabugged
junior member
Joined: May '09
Posts: 110
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Jul 22 2009 23:37:57
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You are welcome! United we stand. And do try to get to the museum of the entomology department if you have a clear sample. They are really, really, really helpful. I just cannot tell how thankful I am each time I went there and they told me patiently why the sample I collected was not a bb.
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