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Some Not so Good News, Guys
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DeedleBeetle
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 7:04:45
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so yesterday i was feeling all brave... i had put all the pillows back on the sofa and love seat a few days before and yesterday i decided to sit there as i watched my favorite korean drama. That was at 11:30am and it was a half hour show. i had on my jeans and a t-shirt. i ate a bowl of lychees as i sat there. i wanted to test the couch where the carpet beetle larvaes had been found before my first and only treatment which was on may 17 -- 47 days ago!
At around 5ish i noticed a little red splotch on my inner calf on the left leg. it was a little itchy and i put some witchhazel on it and some benadryl cream. i was not a happy camper but i wasn't completely bummed since it was so small and looked like it was resolving over the next few hours until it looked like almost nothing by the time i got out of my last shower of the day around 9:30pm.
This morning i woke up with itchiness in that same place and also on the outside of that same calf where i see a red welt about and 1 1 /2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide...
For some reason (denial?) i don't think it's bed bugs..i think it is reaction to carpet beetle larvae hairs but on the other hand, my leg was covered by my pant leg as i sat on the sofa and the calf never made contact with the sofa. Is it possible to have a skin reaction to carpet beetles on a part of the body that did not make contact with the hair of the larvae?
I did not clean the cushions on the sofa when i treated my place. I beat them outside and put them in plastic bags BEFORE the guy treated my place so they didn't get sprayed. It was only later when i was reading the label information for the product that was used to treat my place that i saw that the cushions could be sprayed without a problem...too bad. Anyway..i did PackTite my cushions but i realize that that would not do anything for the carpet beetle larvae hair problem.
This morning i am going to take a look at the sofa again and make sure that there are no further carpet beetle larvae. if i find some or anything else like bb evidence, i suppose i can have the guy come back and treat again? Or i can just go ahead and get rid of the sofa? (What a waste..it's such a gigantic sofa -- i've looked around and i don't see anything like it offered for a price i'd be willing to pay for a sofa that i hardly use)....or i could cover the sofa with an encasement. I made a cover for it myself that i had used before treatment to protect my skin from making contact with the sofa as i sat there...and i never put that back on the sofa after treatment...
One good thing to report is that i don't feel overwhelmed...maybe because i've had some good sleep and i feel refreshed and it won't take so much work to get the place ready for the next treatment if that's what i need.
i'm just not sure what i'll need to deal with those hairs if that is what it is.
any suggestions?
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mcsmcs
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 7:18:53
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Oh no Deedle!!!! I am so sorry this happened. I have no insight on the carpet beetle/BB thing but I am rooting for it to be carpet beetle. I'm so glad you don't feel overwhelmed. That just makes the whole thing worse.
Hang in there....
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bugnut
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 7:57:24
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Yikes - I hope it is carpet beetles. I had them before in my last place (LOTS of them) got rid of them but never had a reaction. I vacuumed like a mad woman! The are slow as all get out and are easy to suck up with the hose.
I was just treated and 5 days ago (2nd time) and now have lots of bites, even with the climb ups. I hope it is not my sofa either - but I am so ready to chuck it. (2 different dogs gave the sofa and LR in general the all clear)
I was almost a month bite-free! As you going to have the tech come in again? Maybe he could help you give it the once over?
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DeedleBeetle
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 8:39:02
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let me go examine the sofa well right now...will report back when i'm finished and then we'll see...
be right back..
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DeedleBeetle
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 8:59:29
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okay...i just pulled the sofa cushions off and inspected them carefully...and looked at the sofa bed part and behind and under and everything...no signs of anything...definitely no bbs there and no cp larvae either. so all that i can figure -- if my skin reaction is in response to something on the sofa (since that's the first skin reaction i've had and i only sat there yesterday) is that there are still larvae hairs and they triggered the response. I just don't know whether you can have a response to cb larvae hairs on a part of the body that doesn't directly get touched by the hair....but i also have read about the static electricity of the hairs and i suppose conceivably they could get attracted to the socks i wore and the two reactions i have are on the calf about an inch above the top of the sock....
i changed the bed yesterday and did my normal inspection, finding nothing that looked suspicious..
i did have a sort of generalized itchy feeling yesterday evening into night...but i slept well last night..a good 6 hours.
i dunno...
i'll talk to the land lord this morning. i'm sure they wouldn't do any treatment until tuesday since it's the holiday weekend...that will give me enough time to see whether i get any more bites and to pack up the few things i need to pack up before treatment, if necessary. I can always get a treatment date and then cancel if i think it's not necessary.
all suggestions would be welcomed. I'm so glad that i don't feel freaked out.
Thanks for the support and good wishes!
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mcsmcs
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 10:03:52
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Deedle,
I don't have any suggestions, but I'll send a prayer your way. SO glad you can at least be calm about this.
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DeedleBeetle
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 10:58:39
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Oh...i LOVE to be the subject of others' prayers ! That's so great and thank you for that...
The super just came by and said he's going away for a month starting today so that the other guy (my favorite guy, the one who did the treatment last time) will have to do it but that the other guy won't be back until wednesday....so i'm going to have to wait some days...no problem because i don't think it's bbs and i can use that time to carefully look and watch to see if i have any more reactions.
please do keep me on your prayer list and i'll put you on mine!
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mcsmcs
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 11:03:10
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Thanks Deedle...I'm still in "not sure" mode myself and it's quite uncomfortable. I very much appreciate it.
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miserableone
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 11:42:35
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Is it possible to go a month with no bites after treatment and then start getting bit again all of the sudden?
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Jenn28
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Joined: Mar '10
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 11:58:40
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Deedle,
Sorry to hear that but glad to hear you're taking it well. I will keep you in my prayers also
I hope you have a great holiday weekend.
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DeedleBeetle
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 12:14:15
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Thanks Jen! You've just been added to my list too!
Yes Miserable...i had some kind of skin reaction (not sure what to yet) after 47 days...so it's possible.
But...Don't freak out.
Do you see any other evidence?
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bugnut
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 12:22:19
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Deedle -
I am so impressed you are so calm! I am sure my bites (after 28 days!
) are bb's but I think it may have been due to the spraying on Sunday. Since they used Phantom it is typical as it is a residual. Hopefully the little bast@#$s got covered with it on their way to me!Did you react badly to the cb larve hairs previously? I know with the bb bites the "itch" is different from a mosquito or other bite. Also this infestation (yes it is the 2nd time) the reaction is much less severe for me - I have heard the bb's mutate so quickly different strains can produce different reactions. (You did not shop at Hollisters recently? They should be sued!)
But I digress....you should have your tech treat one more time. I hate having the chemicals but it does seem that 2x is the minimum even for a light infestation like yours. I want you to be a success story! FYI if you do not have success with your tech (I know you trust him), my PCO lives in Queens and he has treated all of the tenants in the buildings my boss owns and he is reasonable too. Just to get an idea of breadth of the bb issue, my boss owns 3 buildings in Brooklyn and all three have had bb's. All cases can from different sources. BUT the good news is all cases have been resolved and the buildings are currently bb free! For now anyway....
Try to have a nice long weekend - can you see fireworks from your terrace? I know what you mean about crowds - I am a bit claustrophobic!
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miserableone
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 12:35:57
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Deedle....your calmness in this matter is very calming to me lol I have been 2 weeks now with no bites. I had 3 treatments 2 weeks apart from eachother. It seems as though 3 might be the magic number in this battle. The bites tapered off after every treatment. My PCO used Suspend. Says its one of the only things out there that works. I pray everyday I have seen the last of these evil bugs. Ill be praying for you as well to reslove your situation. Hopefully all I will have left of this nightmare are the scars that the bites left on my leg. My husband calls them battle scars lol It sure does feel like I have been through a war.
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Bed Bug Epidemic
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 16:04:08
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Thinking of you Deedle, and all of you. We all saw the success stories out there, so no worries. ALL of OUR times will come, are coming...soon enough.
Let's try to have an enjoyable holiday weekend! Iknow i'm going to try!
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DeedleBeetle
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 16:21:48
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Battle scars...yes...that's very good. They are indeed!
the welts seem exactly the same as last time...and just as itchy. I have not seen any additional welts yet and i'm keeping my distance from the sofa...tomorrow i will put the sofa cover i made for it on. It completely covers the sofa...maybe i'll take a picture of it and post it here. The cover is CRAAAZY colorful. Then i'll sit on the sofa, say, on Sunday if i don't see any further welts and see if i can sit there without a reaction.
Yes, as a matter of fact i can see the fireworks from our terrace...not as good as years ago before they built between my building and the park...but still...
Thanks miserableone..for your prayers. As you know i'm a greedy gut for prayers so i'll scoop them all up and clutch them to my chest -"mine, all mine." and i'll add you to my prayer list as well along with Jenn, mcsmcs, bugnut and others.
Thanks Bugnut for the recommendation. i'll keep it in mind, but i know my building is interested in doing the treatment they believe will work. I think i got decent results the first time and they just may need to treat again...or...maybe not...because for some reason i really do think it's the larvae hairs and yes, i did have a reaction to them before. And the guy from the building discovered the larvae there..so...that may have been my problem all along ....but, of course you know that i did catch one big fat juicy blood-filled bed bug on my bed sheet. I'm had purchase the biography of Oscar Wilde (used) over the Internet and i had it on my bed stand...i have a sneaking suspicion that the bug may have arrived in that book and that what i was really reacting to was the carpet beetle larvae hairs...
anyway...we'll see and i'm keeping watch for any bbs anyhow...
Maybe i should get one of those doggies to come through?
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DeedleBeetle
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 16:24:59
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i'm getting a better vacuum...the one i have is just a stand up with no attachments, no hepa filter and it doesn't have bags. I bought it years ago when i had wall to wall carpeting...that was a long time ago before i got smart and ripped all that stuff up and went with a more green way of life...
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mcsmcs
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 2 2010 17:03:32
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We have a Dyson vacuum. It rocks.
Spot I thought might be a bite forming was actually a small blemish aided in turning red by my cat's claw. Still not sure what I have on my forehead, acne, bump, or what. Spun the way I sleep in case it IS a BB bite and they are in my headboard...I don't mind being bait, but my hands and feet, please, not my face! So still a question mark. UGH.
And thanks for the prayers, Deedle!
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