Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tales of Bed Bug Woe
One month into my bed bug fight
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Crappy13
newbite
Joined: May '12
Posts: 1offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sat May 5 2012 3:02:51
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I have spent every free moment of the last month dealing with bed bugs. Here is a summary:
I got divorced recently, and to help pay the mortgage, I took in a tenant. He rented one bedroom in the front of my house. My children and I had our two bedrooms on the other side of the house. I was very cautious with this. I did a background check and checked three references. I had a locking door installed that I could, when I wanted to, use to separate us from him. Just for peace of mind. I had no concerns about him, though.
I should have skipped those steps and just checked his mattress when he moved in.
He lived here 8 months. The last two, he was sleeping at his girlfriend's every day. So, the bed bugs in his room had no food source.
They moved to my one couch. It was there I found two live ones, but had no idea what they were.
It all moved pretty fast after that. I removed all his stuff from the house within an hour (he had been planning on moving out, but was lagging in removing his stuff). I sprayed stuff with the Raid I found at Wal Mart before moving it through the house, and/or put it in a garbage bag.
I contacted an exterminator. I bagged everything in my house that could be washed. I threw away the couch. It looked like we were moving. Bug guy came, sprayed once. Came back a week later. I went absolutely crazy vacuuming, washing, drying, inspecting, encasing, reading and researching.
Over all, not including his room, I only found 2 actual live bugs. I also found two dead ones in my son's bed. But that is it. Bug guy said I had done a fabulous job and things looked like a very light infestation.
I was never really that at ease though, because of my research paired with how bad the tenant's mattress was.
Started getting bites on my arm. Tried to make it poison ivy, but was kidding myself. Went crazy washing bedding every day from all three beds, inspecting, spraying rubbing alcohol between cracks in the minimalist IKEA frames, all the while not seeing anything that would tell me there were any bugs. Still had only seen just those two live ones and the two dead ones, STILL. And still getting bitten. Wth?
For about 4 days I went overboard with my bed bug routines. All the while, getting more bites, because there were tons of FLEAS breeding in my living room.
I sprayed my carpets. Put fresh protection on my two cats which stay mainly outdoors at this point anyways. Waited 24 hours. Rented a carpet cleaner because I am kind of particular about keeping my kids away from pesticides (Ha.). Next day: Fleas jumping all over me... totally taunting and laughing at me. I have bites all over my midriff and my arms are torn up. Oddly, barely anything on my ankles. Otherwise I might have noticed the flea issue quicker.
Also? Cleaning my carpets brought out a horrendous cat piss smell that is possibly very old, from a previous cat a decade ago. Because I know that smell, and haven't had the problem with the current two cats I have. The smell is horrible. I am about at the cracking point, because I have put so much time and money into this and my house is still just disgusting to me.
Then, I look over and there is a full grown bed bug crawling up the wall.
I'm a little bit losing my sanity. At least half our belongings are already packed up or bagged, because I stopped putting things away once I discovered the fleas. At this point I don't know what might have been contaminated with fleas. I plan to box all my stuff up like we are moving. I am going to rip out my carpets. I am getting the exterminator out here again. He will treat for bedbugs and fleas. I will wait a week then I will have new carpet installed. All of this will have to go on my credit card unless I can get my family to help out. I am really, really, really mentally drained. I am already seeing a therapist, from the divorce. So, that's good. Because honestly, I am feeling like this is the worst thing that has happened to me. I have no friends to help me. I have 4 part time jobs and two kids to care for. It's just freaking horrible.
I have $250 still to collect from my former tenant, and I WILL get that. I might wind up on the show COPS, but I will get it.
Thanks for letting me vent and pity. Tomorrow I go back to battle.
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tiredoflosingsleep
newbite
Joined: May '12
Posts: 1offline
Posted 1 year ago
Fri May 11 2012 13:04:13
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I really feel your pain. I have been dealing with bb for about 2years now I have had exterminators come in 2xs it cost me over2100 so far I have went threw 2 couches , I'm on my 2nd bed. I clean Daily also Its enough to drive one mad. I've been lucky enough to keep them out of my kids room though but thats only because they opted to go to the basement upon us finding them upstairs so we sealed up the basement good bought them new beds and dressers and took everything we own to the building out back thats away from the house and not heated was really disappointed that southern ohio had such a mild winter. I found that rid lice spray works to kill any live bugs u might find. check ur curtain rods I found about 25 hiding in one rod at one point. get casements for your bed and box springs. take down all trim and clean it really good with bleach I keep bleach water in a spray bottle and spray down my bed nightly, I keep my clothing in trash bags in my bath tub. I'm fixing on moving to a new house and I have seriously thought about moving in with nothing but my kitchen stuff and think I will soak it in bleach before i pack that stuff up. I'm afraid they might be in my book collection so I'm going to tote up all my books and put them in storage for 2 years I had to toss out stuffed animals.. my next step is to buy me a steam cleaner and steam clean everything. Also keep your home as cold as possible they do not like the cold. I hope some of this helps u out and if I find new methods I will share.
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