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Possible BB sighting? Please help!

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paranoidmommy

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Posted 11 months ago
Tue May 29 2012 9:38:57
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So... here is the story. Yesterday I was at a demolition derby (outside, and it was like 95 degrees) and I was sitting on the wood bleachers with other people. We were there for about an hour and a half. About 20 minutes after getting up I saw a tiny beige bug crawling on my arm that I thought looked like pictures of a BB nymph. But it was so tiny, probably less than a mm long. I killed it and tried not to think about it anymore but still washed all our clothes when we got home. This morning I noticed a tiny red bump in that same arm, so now I am worried. So I have a couple questions:

1. Is it even likely that BBs would be around outside for me to pick up, especially in that heat?

2. If it was a BB nymph and it bit me, wouldn't it have been reddish instead of beige?

3. Are there other bugs whose nymphs look similar that could have been it?

I was outside so I know in reality the bug and bite could literally be anything, but I am so paranoid about BBs that my mind automatically goes to that.
paranoidmommy

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Posted 11 months ago
Tue May 29 2012 14:18:28
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Just wanted to bump this up- can an expert please give me some perspective? I can't stop worrying! Thank you.
rs1971

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Posted 11 months ago
Tue May 29 2012 14:30:53
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paranoidmommy - 10 minutes ago »
Just wanted to bump this up- can an expert please give me some perspective? I can't stop worrying! Thank you.

I am not an expert but basically you saw a bug outside. There is no rational reason to think that it was a bed bug. The issue here is just your paranoia (which based on your username is something that you already understand).

-rs1971
bed-bugscouk

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Posted 11 months ago
Tue May 29 2012 14:53:00
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paranoidmommy - 5 hours ago »
1. Is it even likely that BBs would be around outside for me to pick up, especially in that heat?

Based on what you have said I would also say bedbugs is less likley. Partially due to the answer to 2 and partly because if a bedbug were to be outside and especially in hot weather it would be highly unlikely to be anything other than extremely hungry and thus not likley to miss an opportunity to feed.

paranoidmommy - 5 hours ago »
2. If it was a BB nymph and it bit me, wouldn't it have been reddish instead of beige?

Yes I have some rather interesting YouTube clips for the brave of bedbugs feeding through a digital microscope. The detail is not for the bug phobic as over sized insect images can have an adverse effect on some people. I will PM you if you cant find it, I use an almost identical username and don't have shocking poor taste in wall paper

paranoidmommy - 5 hours ago »
3. Are there other bugs whose nymphs look similar that could have been it?

Yes there are many other insects it could have been and in reality it was most likely. If you had a sample we might be able to ID it for you but without more specific detail what it was is pure guess work.

paranoidmommy - 5 hours ago »
I was outside so I know in reality the bug and bite could literally be anything, but I am so paranoid about BBs that my mind automatically goes to that.

To combat fear some time learning the facts and FAQ's always helps and this site is a great resource for that.

Keep an eye out at home for:
- Live samples
- Cast skins
- Faecal traces
If you see any take a picture and we can help ID.

At this stage I would stand down the red alert and get yourself an action plan is needed.

Hope that helps.

David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited
paranoidmommy

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Posted 11 months ago
Tue May 29 2012 15:02:55
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Thank you very much David for taking the time to answer me. I am overly paranoid due to the fact my husband works in an at-risk environment so I am always on the look out. Since we were outside I didn't have tape handy to catch it, but it was beige colored with a brown spot toward the "butt end". It moved very fast and was too small for me to notice any real shape other than it was not long and skinny. I know BBs wouldn't be living on the bleachers but I thought maybe someone sitting beside us had it in their clothes and it crawled over to me.