Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Detection / Identification of bed bugs
Opinion on this situation?
(4 posts)-
Paranoid_and_crazy
newbite
Joined: Apr '12
Posts: 2offline
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Apr 20 2012 10:34:05
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Last night I got home and, being super lazy, just bummed around in my scrubs. I didn't even go into my bedroom until 10pm when my husband came home from work. At that point he showed me the mirror he "got"... It's beautil btw, anyway one of my oversized shirts was laying on the floor (near the mirror) and I just threw it on w/ a pair of pj pants. We were sitting on the couch and around midnight I felt a tickling on my upper arm where the t-shirt sleeve was still covering. I lifted the sleeve and found what I, at first, thought was a tick. I picked it up on a scrap paper and dropped it into the toilet. Then I stared at it, some thing wasn't right and I couldn't place it at first. Then it hit me- it didn't have enough legs (and the shape was off). It was flat though and a rusty brown/red color. That's when I realized I'd seen the mirror out by the dump around 8 am that same morning (as I left for work). My paranoid mind went immediately to bed bugs. I looked up pictures and saw the thing that had been crawling on my arm. Panic mode over took me, despite having to be up early for work, I couldn't sleep. I tore apart our room, made him take the mirror outside, and tore apart our room again looking for any signs of more. I found nothing. I was freaking out all night and am paying for it today.
I told my friend about it and she said not to freak, it probably just came on on the mirror, hid in my shirt and is now gone down the drain (hubby flushed it -_-).
She also said it could be a poultry bug. She said they look a lot alike and although we live in an apartment, poultry bug is entirely possible. April 8, Easter Sunday, we went to my uncles and he and hubby put down a rooster and we brought it home to feed to our raw fed pets.So here are my questions and concerns:
How likely is it that there is only one? Is there ever only one?
We have 3 ferrets and a dog, they are my babies and I am so worried, will they be bit/bothered by the bed bugs?
I have eczema, 3 months ago I conquered (finally) a YEAR long eczema break out. I was reading about BB bites affecting histamines, will bites affect people w/ eczema worse?
How can I tell if it was a BB or a poultry bug?
If it was a BB, how long should I worry/ freak out?
What brand of mattress cover thingie do you reccomend? I know to look for the one for allergy suffers/ anti-dust mite... But how do u know (before you buy) if it has gaps by the zippers and what not??
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Paranoid_and_crazy
newbite
Joined: Apr '12
Posts: 2offline
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Apr 20 2012 10:44:46
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That is, how long should I worry/freak out assuming I don't see any more and we don't start showing bite symptoms in 9 days...
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nervous breakdown
newbite
Joined: Apr '12
Posts: 9offline
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Apr 20 2012 19:40:59
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What we did was wait for confirmation and then treated with the strongest possible methods. I'm not sure if a partial treatment "just in case" would do any good and an "all-out" treatment might not be justified until you are sure.
I'm just a former BB sufferer, not an expert.
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 13,693offline
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Apr 20 2012 20:20:04
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I am not an expert either. The beautiful mirror found in the dump sounds a lot more likely than a dead chicken to me. Moreover, if the mirror was in your apartment building's dump (?) then your building may have bed bugs in some other units.
Being bite-free for nine days doesn't really tell you anything, I am afraid. Many people don't react to bites. Some react after a time.
At minimum I'd install some passive or pitfall monitors on the beds, so you can monitor whether anything appears. You can find FAQs about passive monitors in the Useful Stuff page.
Is this mirror still in your home? It could have bed bugs or eggs in any crevices. Remember 1st instar nymphs are very small (1 mm) and all stages hide very well in tight spaces.
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