Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Reader questions (do not fit into other categories)
Please give advice on what to do when neighbor has them!
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Fri Jan 16 2009 2:03:52
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The management of my building had an exterminator come in two days ago to do a "precautionary" bedbug treatment because someone next to me had them. (I'm guessing it's my upstairs neighbor because I heard lots of furniture being moved right before the exterminator came to my apartment.)He put a powder substance(Perhaps DE.Will call tomorrow to confirm) in all of the apartment outlets except the bathroom and kitchen. (And, I think he missed one in my bedroom) He said the neighbor no longer has them. (But, unless he gave my neighbor a treatment earlier that I don't know about, it seems unlikely he got rid of them in 1 treatment.)
What do I do? There was no treatment put by the heaters. Nor was there an inspection to make sure they didn't already migrate to me. Also, has DE been successful for everyone? What on spot killer is recommended in case I see bbs or their eggs? I'm officially freaking out!!!!!! And, could someone tell me where on this site I can find directions on how to do laundry? I am afraid of picking some bbs up in the laundry room, now that I know someone has them who lives in this building. HELP!!!
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Fri Jan 16 2009 16:12:04
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Anyone?
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losingit
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Posted 4 years ago
Fri Jan 16 2009 17:19:43
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I'm sure you'll have other comments from people here but in the meantime check out the FAQs here they can answer a lot of your questions.
DE works but it's slow to kill them - some folks keep a can of Raid or other type handy. It couldn't hurt to use it but be careful: don't inhale it! Use only a very very light dusting and push it under things so it's not floating around your air.
I live in a highrise and have no bbs (fingers crossed!) but I sealed/caulked up all the baseboards that join my neighbours walls. I also sealed/cauled around all my electrical outlets, and put duct tape over the holey-parts of the outlets I don't use. I have strips of duct tape hanging on the outlets I DO use each day and simply slap it over the holes each night or when Im out all day (unplugging the cords first obviously - hope that makes sense). I caulked up my light switches too.
For my laundry room in basement of bldg, I don't put anything on the floor, on the washer or dryer top. I stuff my laundry directly from my bag into the washer and do the same taking it out of the dryer. I take my shoes off at my front door and then immediately put them out on the balcony so I don't track anything into my place.
If you haven't seen any or being bitten you may be ok - try not to panic as it won't help (I DO know how ridiculously hard that is!). Sealing/caulking isn't 100% but it sure helps if you do as much as you can...
Hope this helps you!
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Fri Jan 16 2009 20:38:15
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Thank you losingit! In terms of shoes, what exactly would I be tracking in? Eggs on the bottom? Or a bed bug that actually crawls onto my shoe? If I wipe my feet in front of the door, wouldn't that kill anything on the bottom?
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puye
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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Mar 31 2009 20:47:13
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I sprayed 71% alcohol on the shoe just to be sure
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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Mar 31 2009 21:27:14
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cantstopscratching,
The first thing I would do is an inspection yourself of your bed and anywhere in your home you spend time sitting still.Look at the pictures on this site to show you what to look for.An awful lot of people don't react to being bitten so you can't wait for bites to show,since they may not.You'll need a good flashlight and unless you have very sharp eyesight , a magnifiying glass as well.If you find nothing good,do an inspection every month to make sure you're clear.Remember these things are very small and very good at hiding. -
newbite
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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Mar 31 2009 22:31:37
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I think it's more important not to freak out about "contracting" bed bugs. You have to remember the chances of importing them into your apartment is pretty small. Sure they could travel into your apartment from above, but you really don't have control of that. What you do have control over is making your bedroom as bed bug proof as possible. Here are some ideas to prevent these guys from gaining a foothold:
- Vacuum often. Although there isn't a direct connection between sanitation and having bed bugs, a clean room makes it a lot easier to see a cast skin, egg casing or a live one.
- Make miniature pitfall traps with your bed posts. Place them in hard plastic wide-brimmed glasses...a surface bed bugs cannot readily climb.
- Move your bed about a foot from the wall and keep bedding material off the ground. This prevents the bugs from gaining easy access to your box spring and mattress
- Encase your mattress with a "bed bug-proof" encasement.
- Any bed bug eggs or live specimens you find can be steamed using an iron. This has to be placed with steam emitting directly on top of such sites or it will not be effective.Don't get carried away. If you are fairly vigilant and know what you're inspecting for, you will probably find a bed bug infestation in its early stages... more than enough time to get rid of them. Bed bugs are difficult to eliminate when a population has been allowed to incubate with a host for a while, spreads farther from that source of infestation and then like icing on a cake, a PCO comes in and just hoses the place down, killing a majority but not eliminating, in fact it makes it tougher for the next company to combat them with multiple infestation points.
If you feel like you are going crazy, it's probably better to just move out of your apartment to get a clear mind and be assured they're not biting you! Once they're on your mind that they're in your bed, they'll always be in your bed until you can get them from your mind. It sounds silly, but it happens frequently.
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your host
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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Mar 31 2009 23:49:01
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losingit - 2 months ago »
DE works but it's slow to kill them - some folks keep a can of Raid or other type handy. It couldn't hurt to use it but be careful: don't inhale it! Use only a very very light dusting and push it under things so it's not floating around your air.I actually would not do this.
If your building's PCO put something down as a preventive -- some kind of dust -- then it may be DE and it may also include a residual.
I would not spray anything -- esp. not a pesticide. Why? Because we don't know what the PCO used and you should not be layering a treatment on top of theirs.
If it turns out you have bed bugs, you'll need them to come back and treat more thoroughly.
If you see bed bugs, remember that dry vapor steam heat, 91% rubbing alcohol, and some commercially available products can be used as contact kills. So can the bottom of a shoe, the heel of your hand.
The most important thing now is to educate yourself about what they look like so you can search carefully and regularly.
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your host
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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Mar 31 2009 23:50:16
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BostonBugterfuge - 1 hour ago » If you feel like you are going crazy, it's probably better to just move out of your apartment to get a clear mind and be assured they're not biting you! Once they're on your mind that they're in your bed, they'll always be in your bed until you can get them from your mind. It sounds silly, but it happens frequently.
On the other hand, if you had bed bugs, sleeping elsewhere would be a very bad idea, since it's easy to move them around.
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 0:39:37
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Well, just as I feared, I found a bedbug!!!!! Last Wednesday I found a tiny(baby) bedbug crawling inside the cabinet of my captains bed. I immediately caught it, saved it in a ziplock and had an exterminator identify it. I then called the management of my building and they sent over a PCO two days later. He inspected and steamed both bedrooms, as well as treated the whole apartment. He found no bbs or any signs of bbs. He thinks it probably was a straggler.
My common sense tells me that it is possible to have brought that bug in from somewhere, but more likely is that it came from upstairs. (Too coincidental to be the former) The management also had the PCO check her apartment.
The PCO is coming back tomorrow (only 5 days later), to recheck my apartment.( I'm also going to see if he can come again next week. Because of the egg hatching thing)
I'm Freaking out!!!! My boyfriend and I did 16 huge contractor bags of laundry over the weekend! I'm afraid to sleep!!! Completely creeped out in my own home!!! It's a nightmare!!!!!
I keep thinking that we have more, but the PCO just didn't find them!!! And/or that another "straggler" is going to find its way into my apartment from upstairs! (Maybe they have been dormant in the wall since my neighbor got treated two months ago!!
I'm losing my mind!!!!!!! HELP!!!!
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cantstopscratching, you're going to need your mind to get rid of them. It's the best tool you've got. The quicker you act, the less you will react, and believe me...really, I understand what you are going through as do most on this forum.
First, you have to sleep. Trying to deal with this on 3 hours of broken sleep a night will wear you down and you won't have the energy to do what you need to do. And you really will be crazy and may make bad decisions that prolong your infestation.
You're doing the right thing by learning everything you can from this forum and blog. Read and re-read everything. Get rid of clutter (guilty!) I had lots of stuff and it made it so much harder to clean up.. Let go of any extra stuff, ziplock (hefty XL) what you want to keep, and don't open it till you can decontaminate it. Assume everything might have one on/in it. Remember the goal is to get to zero. It can seem daunting, but it will eventually happen. Not in a week, though.
Get the pest person there and have them do their thing. Ask them if you can mop your floors after - they often don't tell you or you don't see them when you leave. Find out what they used, they should leave you some kind of paper with that info. Know where they treated, not just what they used. You will need that information.
Did I mention sleep. After your pco treats your house with poison either get a different bed, or some bed you can isolate as in the post above. In a dish preferably straight sides and murphy's oil in the bowl part. Bed legs in the dish not touching the sides. I added a touch of Vaseline to the bed legs above that.
Bedtime = bathe/get in bed/wipe feet off well - in between the toes now! And you do that foot routine every time you have to get back in bed. Now that you've got them out of the bed, you can sleep. Blissful sleep and they'll still try to get to you but they'll have to cross over the poison and they can't get you in bed. Now you will feel less crazy.
It's true that cleaning up is a BIG part of this treatment. Vacuuming, mopping if it's OK, 90% alcohol to spray on if you see one (but I've just taken to using it like a cleaning solution, kitchen counters, wall hooks (good for hanging all those bags on), etc.
Do not douse yourself in alcohol every night (guilty! but not for a couple of months now) as you will not only dry your skin out to the point where it just cracks open, it stinks. And...if your bed is isolated, bedding off the ground, and you clean as a whistle (hair too, washed, i think conditioner makes them slide right off in the bath), you don't need to do the alcohol/pajamas tucked into socks (doesn't help) routine. In fact you can sleep naked - all night. Tip: get a blanket that doesn't have static, a nice soft fluffy one that can take washing and drying even if the label says not to.
Thank me later after you sleep 6 wonderful hours in a row.
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Emmm
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 1:07:44
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I don't know what to tell you, can'tstopscratching.
That's so sad you found one/have them.When my roommate and I had a dog come and suss out our situation, we were 99% sure it was from a friend of ours who gave us bed bugs. We immediately called our landlord, and when we found a good PCO (recommended once on here and from the dog handler as well), they offered to extend the three-month warranty if they could dust in our neighbours units as well (We only have three neighbours). I desperately hope that was right and because we were the ground zero, that it was enough. This story makes me wonder.
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 1:33:14
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I have a captains bed...so can't really isolate it. They steamed and sprayed the entire bed, so I'm sleeping in the bed in the hopes that they will walk through the treatment.
So, I guess it seems pretty unlikely that I only had one. And, that somehow I spotted it.... Despite what the PCO says.
The one good thing that came out of this is that it forced me to get rid of a lot of stuff I did not need. Mostly old video tapes papers and clothes.
Going to talk to the PCO tomorrow about sealing up cracks, outlets, etc. I tried so hard to prevent this. Since I found out 2 months ago that my neighbor was treated, I got two of the closets plastered, bought bb proof mattress and pillow covers, taped most of the outlets closed, and have been changing the vacuum bag after every use, as well as keeping my laundry in the dryer for an hour. *SIGH*.
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Right, you have a captains bed. Unless you are going to have a super competent, detail oriented Pest Officer treat your house, you may have to consider a different bed. Beds with captains - (a joke) Beds with drawers, panels, kinda anything wood are going to make this more complex. More places to hide and they hide real good.
I hung onto my bed two months longer than I should have, because no one advised me as to the difficulty it posed. My PCO SHOULD have at the least told me it would make it much more difficult - and in retrospect maybe impossible, to get rid of them with that f@!*'ing bed. Rather, he would just answer "Yep" every time I asked and reasked if he could really get them out of my bed. He never did.
Your situation, lay there knowing you have to for them to cross over the poison. This takes weeks.
I'm just sayin.
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 2:30:27
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Yeah, I think I'm going to get rid of the bed.... if I get a metal bed frame...can they crawl up the metal legs?
I read on here somewhere, they can crawl on the ceiling and drop onto the bed, if it is isolated. I guess this has not been your experience...
2:29...should be going to bed....*sigh*
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 2:59:04
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2:59...Still up.
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 3:21:01
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3:20....
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Emmm
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 11:22:42
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I know it's hard, can'tstopscratching, but you really need to sleep, at least one full night. You really need your head to deal with these. Once you get going on this, I promise, it gets much better. Can you take ALL proper precautions and get one night of sleep somewhere else? A hotel? I've seen people on here who've said they've slept in the bathtub-- certainly that's not a proper solution, but could you curl up in there just one night to recover?
I lost a lot of sleep just wondering if we even had the bugs, and then scads worrying about it, preparing for PCO, etc. My bites weren't even that bad, were few and far between and not even scary-- it was just knowing the bugs were there. But the lack of sleep only helped me fight with everyone I knew, obsess and make myself crazy. Sleeping has been my biggest, strongest tool in this fight. You WILL get them. It will not be a short fight, but it will be taken care of. Your landlord sounds like he was at least trying to be on it before, so he'll stay on it again-- that's a benefit. Remember all these things, and find a way to sleep so you can outsmart these little bastards.
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 11:35:52
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Thank you.
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your host
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 14:02:22
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cantstopscratching - 12 hours ago »
I have a captains bed...so can't really isolate it. They steamed and sprayed the entire bed, so I'm sleeping in the bed in the hopes that they will walk through the treatment.Did they disassemble the entire bed?
I ask because I had a platform bed (with drawers, kind of a semi-captain's bed) made by Gothic Cabinet Craft. There are thin gaps where the platform and base were attached. Thin gaps in the drawers themselves. You can actually see screws, and these would need to be undone and the entire structure searched.
Bed bugs are designed to hide in the thinnest space.
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your host
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 14:07:17
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They can crawl onto any bed frame. Some people isolate the legs to prevent this (see The Bed FAQs). Everyone does not agree with isolation and many of us don't do it.
I encased the mattress but did not isolate.
I would also not want to keep sleeping on a structure like a captain's bed that would have many small gaps and hidden spaces I could not regularly inspect.
If there are bed bugs living and breeding in the bed itself, it will be impossible to get rid of them because they will keep feeding.
I think spideyjg has experience assembling things like bed frames and placing DE in the legs, for example, where there are gaos. (You would not want it anywhere you would touch it or breathe it!)
Others would choose a frame which was as solid as possible & easy to inspect.
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your host
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 14:10:22
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Emmm - 2 hours ago »
Can you take ALL proper precautions and get one night of sleep somewhere else? A hotel? I've seen people on here who've said they've slept in the bathtub-- certainly that's not a proper solution, but could you curl up in there just one night to recover?Taking precautions not to spread bed bugs and having a night elsewhere IS a good idea.
Sleeping elsewhere in the home is not IMO since you may attract bed bugs to additional parts of your home.
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 14:32:13
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No, nobugs, he did not. It splits in half, so they turned both pieces up. They removed all of the drawers. They steamed all the cracks and sprayed. He saw no signs of bedbugs. Nor did any come running out from the steam. He told me that he would see signs. (He has inspected captains beds that have had feces and casings all inside them.)
But, I agree with you and the others that have responded...too risky. I want to get rid of mine for peace of mind. And, to prevent future infestations. It would be hard for me to regularly check the captains bed. (And it's brown.) Now, to convince the boyfriend....
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 14:34:22
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And, I forgot to mention that the first PCO also didn't see anything there or anywhere. Said I caught it even before the infancy stage.... I can only hope......
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 14:36:26
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Oh, and mine is also from Gothic Cabinet ! (Actually, we have one in both bedrooms.) Now, to start searching for new ones.... ikea here I come...
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spideyjg
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 15:26:42
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Nobugsonme - 1 hour ago »
I think spideyjg has experience assembling things like bed frames and placing DE in the legs, for example, where there are gaos. (You would not want it anywhere you would touch it or breathe it!)
Others would choose a frame which was as solid as possible & easy to inspect.See these.......Basically triple or more the assembly times of anything if building it to BB resistance.
http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/bb-resistant-furniture-assembly
http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/particle-board-and-plywood-can-be-evil
Probably need to refresh and update that stuff but my furniture thoughts could be a book regarding materials and construction for BB hospitality.
Someplace I have a picture of a captains bed made with OSB boards which are glued together big chips of wood. See the sheet of real chunky stuff on the page below to see what I mean. IMHO that is the worst possible material short of rattan for potential harborage.
http://www.alsfordtimber.com/Products/Sheet-Materials/index.html
If that bed got infested it would be beyond hope.
Jim
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cantstopscratching
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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 1 2009 17:23:02
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No, my bed is all wood...no particle board as I can see. But, talked it over with the bf, and will be getting rid of both of them. I don't think they are infested...PCO says they are not, but I'm more worried about the future. The bed bugs are spreading through out the building, and I want a bed I can easily routinely check. I also will try to get a bed that is not dark. This one is brown and so they can easily camouflage. Ick.
So now the hunt for the new bed. Guess I will have to go to Ikea in person and inspect the frames to see if they have too many holes that can't be sealed. And also, Ikea uses a lot of particle board. This is tiring.
Does anyone know how easy is it to inspect a box spring? I haven't had one in a long time. Do you have to take both mattresses up to inspect them?
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