Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Detection / Identification of bed bugs
Stains on couch, Trying to identify.
(8 posts)-
Hello all, I can't say it's a pleasure for me to have to be here :(.
I should start off by saying, I've completely freaked myself out over bed bugs ever since one night reading about them for a reason I cannot remember. Reading about the horrors of getting rid of them after the horrors of even identifying you have them, the sleepless nights, anxiety, etc. really planted the seed in my mind.
Anyway. A few nights ago I was staying at my girlfriend's. I noticed a blister like mark on my back. I thought it could possibly be a bit, but it has never itched or anything like that. Thinking it may be a bite we both started kind of freaking out and searching her bed. We found a bug (which we later identified as a carpet beetle larvae) and that was the end of that at my girlfriend's house. Fast forward to a few days later at my house:
This morning I wake up and my Mom has the bloody sofa on the porch. I should start by saying she sleeps on the sofa. She says she's been a little paranoid as well and was searching the sofa and found a few little, I'd say dime sized, brown stains down the arm of the sofa. It's a leather sofa and you kind of have to peel back the arm to see these stains. Something to note is this couch is probably around 15 years old. We were going to get rid of it soon anyway, so my mom started hacking it open with a pair of scissors. We've found a few bug casings, but are as of yet unsure of if they are bed bug casings or something else. I know we have carpet beetles here, too. Do they shed cast skins? From hacking apart the couch we haven't found much else. We found a tiny, tiny black bug that almost looked like a flea or mite, but apart from that and the casings haven't found anything else.
I should also note that none of us (my, my mom, my girlfriend, etc.) have any "bites" we're aware of, but a few days ago I did notice little pin pricks of blood on my arms, almost as if my pores were bleeding! I've read this could result from extreme stress or anxiety, both of which I've been under over the last few days. What percentage of people don't react to BB bites? If there was a problem, either here or at my girlfriend's place, I assume at least one of us would have these unbearably itchy bites I've read so much about? How long do the bites take to show up/start to itch?
The next step we're taking is to find a good PCO and take the casings and things we've found to them to try and identify the (potential) problem. Right now I'm just doing all I can not to go completely insane. Since everything started at my girlfriend's I've had this constant feeling of uneasiness in my stomach.
One last thing I could ask, is, if it is indeed identified as a bed bug problem, I've read a bit on this heat treatment where they heat your place up to a temperature where the bugs simply cannot survive. Sounds like a pretty fail safe option. Is that available in Canada?
Thanks for your help.
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I suppose I should also mention that when I said "bloody sofa", I didn't mean it's actually bloody, it was an expression :P.
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upagain
junior member
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 164
Posted 2 months ago
Tue Sep 8 2009 17:48:12
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Where did you read about the "pin pricks" of blood? I've been noticing the same thing and was unsure.
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I don't remember exactly. It was during a frantic google searching session trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I assume if they were bites - specifically bed bug bites - they would itch like mad, no?
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itchyonmyrtle
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 6
Posted 2 months ago
Tue Sep 8 2009 20:08:48
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And here I was thinking you were being punny...
Everyone reacts differently to bed bugs. Some people don't react to them at all, some people have mild reactions that eventually get worse as the body becomes more and more intolerant of the bed bug saliva, and some people have bad reactions right off the bat.
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paulaw0919
oldtimer
Joined: Jul '07
Posts: 997
Posted 2 months ago
Tue Sep 8 2009 20:36:37
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Yes, carpet beetles shed skins as do many other pests.
Many people react to bed bug bites. Everyone reacts differently. Some people react right away, while others it takes a long time for them to react at all. Some people just don't react.
What ever bugs, skins you find I would NOT send to a PCO, but an entomologist for ID. That is your best bet. Sean, aka thebedbugresource here on the forums is from Canada I believe. He may be able to help you or know some one to direct you to.
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paulaw0919 - 3 hours ago »
Yes, carpet beetles shed skins as do many other pests.
Many people react to bed bug bites. Everyone reacts differently. Some people react right away, while others it takes a long time for them to react at all. Some people just don't react.
What ever bugs, skins you find I would NOT send to a PCO, but an entomologist for ID. That is your best bet. Sean, aka thebedbugresource here on the forums is from Canada I believe. He may be able to help you or know some one to direct you to.Right. We've searched nearly the entire place top to bottom and found literally nothing in the way of actual bugs. A big part of me feels like this is all just paranoia because I have next to no reason to believe we've ever picked up bed bugs anywhere along the line. It's a fine line between letting the thought you may have unknowingly picked it up somewhere along the line consume you, or actually having something to worry about.
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upagain
junior member
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 164
Posted 2 months ago
Wed Sep 9 2009 8:07:26
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I think I am learning it is a VERY fine line.
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