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SO UPSET!
(8 posts)-
Ihate bugs
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 22
Posted 2 months ago
Mon Sep 14 2009 2:26:34
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Hi I am new here. Just found this site. I just can't believe it! I have lived here 21 years this month and I just saw my first bedbug. Last week I noticed my 4 year old son had 3 strange bites on his face. Even though we have a creek behind our house these didn't look like mosquito bites to me. I Googled bites and bedbugs came up. I have been on the look out since. I started looking right away- EVERYWHERE! I saw nothing. Nothing on the sheets, nothing around the bed or under the carpet along the baseboards. I even took my bank card and tried to wedge it in the cracks along the floorboards but it wouldn't fit in. Our son has bunk beds and I took the bunkboards outside and took them apart. Nothing! I was so paranoid that we burnt the boards in an outside fire. I then wrapped the mattresses in heavy duty plastic making sure to tape them extra well with packaging tape at the corners. I used almost 2 rolls. We have the beds apart side by side rather than on top of each other. We looked inside the posts as well. They are metal which I guess is better than wood in these cases. I called a pest control company and set up a home inspection since it is free. He will be here later today. It's 3:00 a.m. on the east coast right now.
Let me say that my phobia since childhood has been bugs. This is just all I need! I just can't believe this is happening! Anyway since I have been looking nightly under my son's covers with a flashlight I was looking tonight to see if anything was under the plastic. I pulled the corner of the sheet back and there it was right under the plastic. I thought at first I was seeing things. NO WAY could it be a bedbug! I got my magnifying glass and from the on line photos I have seen it is indeed one. These mattresses are about 10 years old. They were our daughter's. They are still like new. No rips or tears that I can see. I am so puzzled. We have been NO WHERE. We have stayed NO WHERE but here. No one has stayed here! We made a trip to the ER last week with our son because he had a temp of 104 and an ear infection. Seems like I noticed the bites after that. Surely not the hospital though!
I should also mention that I am a bit OCD. This is going to kill me! I can't do this! Please someone tell me that it can get better! I never in my worst nightmares imagined this could happen!
We have had ants here through the years but that's it, maybe a spider now and again. We had a birds nest above our roof over the summer. Could that be the culprit? I have been spraying Ortho home defense max all around BEFORE I discovered the bug tonight and BEFORE I found out I shouldn't have! Now I am more worried and I just can't stop itching. I have no bites that I can see but I feel like they are crawling on me. I am serious , I will surely end up in the mental ward over this. These are my worst fears coming true!
Is it possible for the bugs to just be in the bed? I know from what I read they can be hiding anywhere but honestly I have caulked everywhere. I even turned my sofa upside down and took the felt off. I saw not one black spot. I used my husband's mechanic light and everything.
How do you sleep again after this? I am disposing of the mattresses today since they are already wrapped in plastic and I am buying air mattresses. I know that won't solve the problem but it will help some. Right? Right? OMG I am so upset I am shaking.
Anything anyone can say to reassure me this will be ok please feel free. Are they here to stay? Will they always be here now? I just can't figure out how they got here in the first place! Part of me is angry too! Our sweet son asleep unaware on top of his Car sheets being a human buffet for vermin just makes me want to cry! :(
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depressedandconfused
newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 32
Posted 2 months ago
Mon Sep 14 2009 4:39:18
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It's interesting that you mention the ER, because my bites started just after my husband visited a NYC hospital for surgery. It was in and out in one day, but he was still lying in a bed for hours and hours and his clothes were in a hospital bag and locker for hours and hours. It makes me so angry that they are not on top of this and are exposing people.
I too am having trouble sleeping. I don't even have a bed bug phobia, but I just have trouble relaxing when I know things might crawl on me at night.
If you can, try not to be overwhelmed. Come up with a treatment plan and then just take it step by step and day by day. Consider the pros and cons of thermal, Vikaine fumigation and/or a comprehensive pesticide treatment by an experienced bed bug professional.
It's too easy to get so wrapped up in this that the rest of your life slips.
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sisterfaith
junior member
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 48
Posted 2 months ago
Mon Sep 14 2009 18:36:26
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I can see that you've only had one reply in quite some time...so I thought maybe I could add something useful. Hopefully you had the visit and advise from your PCO by now.
I am currently bug & bite free for over 6 weeks, but when I encountered my 1st (and only) bedbug I was a pretty overwhelmed by it also. I tried to quite my horror with the knowledge that these are just little bugs...and I'm a big human. I also isolated my bed and slept covered up for a week. Now I have climb-ups under my bed legs (so I can monitor in case I get them again) and my mattress is encased. I can sleep through the night with out too much tossing and turning, and I don't feel ichy until I read BEDBUG on an exterminator sign, which are now poping up in my (ritzy) neighborhood and on the subway.
I don't know if I'll ever feel that they won't come back, and somethings are now permenently changed in my life, but I feel like I have control of my life back. And so will you. Depressedandconfused was right...take it step by step and day by day.
I've read articles about bedbugs in hospitals. Chances are, that's where you picked it up. But good news is that it was only a week before you discovered it, and have a great chance to stop them from infesting your house.
I hope this gives you some help, or at least makes you feel a little better. REMEMBER, you're not alone and you will overcome this.
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MyWorstFear
member
Joined: Sep '08
Posts: 266
Posted 2 months ago
Mon Sep 14 2009 20:03:30
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Don't blame yourself. You could have picked up a pregnant female bedbug anywhere! However, I'm thinking you probably picked them up in the ER. Like the poster before me, if that was the case, then you've only had them for a bit over a week, and thus, chances are they haven't gone beyond the bed...although all the spraying you did (before you knew better) possibly scattered them. BUT, there might not have been that many "them" in only a week, if you know what I mean. Make sure the PCO gets an entomologist to identify the bug you saw in the mattress. The bird's nest you mentioned could mean that you have bird mites and not bed bugs at all.
It sounds like you caught this really really early, so if you get a PCO who really knows bed bugs, you can be bed bug free really really soon! -
Ohnotheygottago
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 22
Posted 2 months ago
Mon Sep 14 2009 23:25:18
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So sorry this is happening to you! I had the identical reaction when I found out we had a bedbug in my son's bed. I could not sleep, felt like bugs were everywhere (they weren't) and totally freaked out. I told my hubby that I would be a witch these next few weeks until I knew there was no bug left and not to take it personally. Then I found these nice people on the board who comforted and advised me. Thank you!
We found one live confirmed bedbug - if you look for my name on this board you will find pictures. One thermal treatment took care of our problem. I was very very very very happy. So was my husband. He could not figure out why I was freaking out over one bed bug. Sigh! I had done too much research already and realized there would be more somwhere.
I think my mother-in-law brought them in when she came back from a trip to China. She is coming again on Wednesday. We had the conversation with her, but I don't think she realizes how bad it is in China with the BBs. We are planning on leaving her luggage in the hot car for a half day when she gets here. We will see how it goes.
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Ihate bugs
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 22
Posted 2 months ago
Tue Sep 15 2009 22:12:15
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Thank-you for the responses! The PCO came and looked at what was under the plastic on the mattress. Ready for what it was? It was a small ball of colored threads wound up. It honestly looked like a BB to me! I think my being paranoid and lack of sleep did it. The PCO was very nice, he didn't laugh at me, he did a thorough inspection. He pointed out that the mattress had no black spots anywhere around the seams and he pretty much looked everywhere. We took all the dresser drawers out and he even removed switch plate and electrical covers. Seemed like he was here forever but he seemed determined to find something, lol, I am glad he did not. I am also glad I have a small home. I can't imagine how long a bigger home would take to go through. Anyway I still got rid of our mattresses and we now have air mattresses on metal frames. After taking the mattresses outside I decided to take a utility knife and open them up. SO like Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss in JAWS I hunkered down and slit those babies open to see if anything was in there. Well no license plates came out, LOL . I didn't see any black spots inside on the padding or any other signs of bugs. Yes I am still paranoid but not as bad. I know just because nothing was "found" doesn't mean it isn't lurking in the shadows.
I am glad in a way that this experience happened because now I know what to look for for future reference. My son has a a few tiny like bites on his thighs and I have a few on my ankles and one on my wrist. They are very small and appear to look like pimples or zits. I did notice several clothing items with what appear to be chewed holes in them. I am now suspecting carpet beetles for that but I don't know if they bite. We have no pets but all of our neighbors do and my son is in their yards so fleas are possible as well. I have set out the glue traps but have only caught some ants and spiders. I don't want to live in fear over bugs, but it is my "thing." I just have always been this way.
Well for right now the coast seems clear but I am not going to let my guard down by any means. My husband laughed at me about the little ball of colored thread. I guess it is a bit funny now. I had my sewing kit out earlier pryer to taping the plastic on the mattresses and I guess that is how it got in there. Today was our 21st wedding anniversary and we just found out our daughter and her husband are pregnant with our first grandchild. It is really something how one day can be so "bad" and the next day brings new hope. :)
Thanks to all of you for your kindness and I think this site is awesome! :)
Amy -
AwakeAllNight
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 5
Posted 2 months ago
Wed Sep 16 2009 22:12:21
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Congrats on no bed bugs and your newest grandchild! I'm excited for you. I had an extremely similar reaction to the bed bugs, and still now I find it difficult to sleep at night. Hang in there.
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Ihate bugs
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 22
Posted 2 months ago
Wed Sep 16 2009 22:45:40
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Thanks Awakeallnight! I seem to be awake all night alot too! I still just feel like they are here. I am driving my husband crazy. I went tonight and got some Diatomaceous Earth and placed it all along the floorboards under the carpet and under the couch. It just made me feel better but I will still be up looking around at 5:00 a.m. I am sure. I even went as far as having my husband turn up the hot water tank temp which I know is not really safe to do. My dryer has run all day with the comforters. My son's is Disney Cars and it is a dark almost black background which makes it harder to inspect. He loves it so much that I can't imagine taking it from him and replacing it. We just got it in March. I don't know what is worse knowing they are here or not knowing for sure. *Sighs*
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