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Reinfestation at neighbour's house

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buggedoff

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Posted 4 years ago
Thu Jan 29 2009 15:35:06
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We live in a semi-detached house. Our PCO surmises that our problem originated from our neighbour when they treated back in early June 2008. After months and months of bagging, vacuuming, steaming, caulking and decluttering, we had not seen any activity for almost 60 days.

Then just before Christmas, I found a live bug that had been recently fed near our front door. I was immediately suspicious. The PCO told me to vacuum, steam, lay out monitors and call immediately if there was any activity. He did not think the bug was fed from anyone in my home. He also commented on my caulking job

I asked for a meeting with the housing company that owns the house next door - it's a commune. We talked about the bug issue. They confirmed that their PCO treats the problem with fogging, then residual. He does not steam and thinks that it's a waste of time. I immediately remarked that everything that I have read to date indicates that steaming is integral to the treatment process. I wasn't going to argue with him, but now I am concerned - especially because they have just told me that they have a problem with BB in their house again!

After a mild freak attack, I called my PCO. He told me that the best course of treatment on my side is to isolate my house as best I can. I have already caulked almost all cracks and crevices in the house. I am still sealing outlets - but will definitely step it up now with this new information.

How do you seal the carpet edges???? We only have a small area with carpet anyways, but this is very worrisome.

I have asked the neighbours to please coordinate their treatment with our PCO so that they are aware what is happening and when. I have requested that they DO NOT fog. I don't know what else to do!
parakeets

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Posted 4 years ago
Thu Jan 29 2009 18:35:21
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I really like the idea of a coordinated effort for the whole building because what they do (or don't do) certainly affects your unit.

If the commune has members who go out to various locations, maybe the treatment their PCO is applying in their unit is actually working but then they are getting re-infested on a regular basis and bringing new bedbugs back? Could some of the commune members be bringing donations of used clothing back to the building or free items they got dumpster diving? Have you talked with them about bedbug education?

Could you consider a contract with a bedbug dog on a regular basis who could inspect both units? Since you would be sharing the costs it would be less expensive. If they found out that the bedbugs were always detected in their unit and not in yours, and repeatedly, maybe they would decide to switch to your PCO and work along the lines that have worked for you.

Unless you work together, you won't get rid of the bedbugs. At least it is not a commune of people who believe in not killing insects (there are such groups of people who don't kill insects for religious reasons. If that is the case, you'd have a much worse problem.)
IKILLEDTHEM

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Posted 4 years ago
Fri Jan 30 2009 0:50:18
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Pull up the carpet slightly and apply De!
Nobugsonme

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Posted 4 years ago
Fri Jan 30 2009 2:06:49
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IKILLEDTHEM - 1 hour ago »
Pull up the carpet slightly and apply De!

IKILLEDTHEM,

Half of your posts (4/8) today contain the same advice: buy DE! Apply DE!

I understand from other posts that your PCO was not good and you ended up self-treating with DE and it worked. That's great.

But this does not mean it is the best, most expedient option for everyone, or that everyone will be able to do it safely and properly.

It's not always as simple as "buy DE and put it down."

Do you realize that it is not always easy to eliminate an entire infestation with DE, especially not quickly?

Do you realize people often think they have a "light" infestation, when it is actually much more serious?

Do you realize that there are other options?

Do you realize that many people try to self-treat in the manner you describe, and it fails, and when they eventually call in a PCO, the PCO refuses to treat until the DE is removed?

Do you realize that many people do not read up on how to use DE safely (e.g. in our DE FAQ) and also that everyone has a different idea of what it means to "apply DE lightly to cracks"?

I apologize to everyone else for ranting here, but IKILLEDTHEM, I have just read four posts in a row from you with the same advice and I am irritated. That's half of your posts total.

Most of us here agree that self-treatment is not always the best idea, and when it is the only option, it requires a lot of thought, research, and knowledge. A one-liner isn't really enough knowledge.

And anyway, no one was asking you how to self-treat, so your post is pretty much off-topic here as it was on the other threads I read.

Posting the same thing on every thread is spam, period. Please stop.
IKILLEDTHEM

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Posted 4 years ago
Fri Jan 30 2009 10:30:35
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Nobugsonme,

De does work and since you read my other posts ,I also had stated that knowledge is power, and to read thru the forum to educate one self. I used other products ,such as rubbing alcohol,bedlam and Dforce which I posted in other topics previously.

You dont have to be a brain surgeon to eradicate bedbugs. I am certain that I absoluely did a better job than 2 pco's that attempted to eradicate my problem. I was actually much more knowledgeable on the subject.

By the way this is a forum and I posted what worked and what I thought may help other sufferers. Do you REALIZE that perhaps you should have just added to my post instead of personally attacking me?
Nobugsonme

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Posted 4 years ago
Sun Feb 1 2009 3:09:00
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IKILLEDTHEM - 1 day ago »
Nobugsonme,
De does work and since you read my other posts ,I also had stated that knowledge is power, and to read thru the forum to educate one self. I used other products ,such as rubbing alcohol,bedlam and Dforce which I posted in other topics previously.
You dont have to be a brain surgeon to eradicate bedbugs. I am certain that I absoluely did a better job than 2 pco's that attempted to eradicate my problem. I was actually much more knowledgeable on the subject.
By the way this is a forum and I posted what worked and what I thought may help other sufferers. Do you REALIZE that perhaps you should have just added to my post instead of personally attacking me?

It's not a personal attack. Please re-read my post, IKILLEDTHEM.

If I did not see DE could have some value, if used properly, I would not have included a FAQ about it.

My point stands that posting the same advice over and over is not helpful. You recommended DE in four of your first 8 posts. Don't you realize people are reading more than one thread?

There are PCOs who are not skillful, but there are also many who are. AND there are many people here who read a suggestion like this, dump DE everywhere and are perplexed when this does not work. It only works if correctly applied. It is often misapplied. And this can have health consequences.

Bottom line, if you want to argue about this, let's take it to email or PM.
buggedoff

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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Feb 3 2009 17:29:36
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Update: we have decided to pull up the carpet on the second floor and install a new subfloor. Once this is done, I am going to use the DAP foaming sealant and seal up the space between the subfloor and the drywall. We are then going to install the new baseboards before the carpet. It may be rough around the edges but this will ensure that I can seal the edges with silicone underneath.

We have also requested that the neighbours do not fog as part of their treatment. Our pest company is going to speak directly to their pest company to come up with a mutually acceptable course of treatment. Fingers crossed that this works.