still not sure, still not sure what to do « Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums

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still not sure, still not sure what to do

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chicken

newbite
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 23

Posted 1 year ago
Sun Jul 20 2008 21:23:37
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Almost two months ago I woke up with a couple of bites. I immediately suspected bed bugs. I have been able to find no evidence despite frequent inspections and monitoring and I am no longer being bitten. I started to feel like it was all just paranoia when I found a cluster of 8 little bites on my baby daughter's knee. We had just been away for a week at my family's summer place which is very buggy and we both had tons of mosquito bites. The bites on her knee looked like her mosquito bites except that there were so many of them in one spot. I first noticed her cluster of bites the morning after we returned home so I don't know if she got them at home or while we were away. Now I am going bananas. I tore her crib apart and inspected every inch, I didn't find a thing, I've checked and re-checked my bed but can't find anything. I have not gotten any bites since those first bites a couple of months ago (which could have been from anything since we spend time in the garden). I don't know what to do. I can't concentrate on anything, all I keep thinking about is whether we have bed bugs or not. Should I just forget about it and assume that if I have them the problem will get worse and eventually become evident? It's really driving me crazy not knowing.
BeeBee

junior member
Joined: May '08
Posts: 79

Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jul 21 2008 5:42:01
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Mosquitoes bite in clusters. I got back from a run through wooded trails tonight and I had mosquitoes in my ear and tons of bites all around my ear lobe and even in my ear. So yeah, your daughter's bites could very well be from that. (I've also gotten skeeter bites in straight lines of twos and threes, just like BB bites, so it's important to remember that not all bites are bed bug bites. There are tons of other critters waiting to suck our blood.)
lieutenantdan

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Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 1,162

Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jul 21 2008 10:22:51
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Before we had made our infestation discovery my wife thought that her bites were from spiders etc... from yard work, even suspected fleas. Back in 2006 this much awareness did not exist so we did not know that the country was experiencing a bed bug epidemic so we did not know what to look for. When we finally realized it was too late.
Do you have bed bugs? I do not know but I do know that they have stealth.
I would continue inspecting and buy a steamer, steamer once every ten days or so.
I probably will be inspecting and steaming for the rest of my life and I would advise all to do the same even if you think that you do not have bed bugs. Keep a common sense approach and do not drive yourself crazy, if you do one day find out you have bed bugs then you deal with it like many have done and many will do. One problem for us is that it had taken us by surprise, like I said in 2006 we had no clue that bed bugs existed to this extent or even existed at all. Much, much more information and awareness exists now so believe me when I say that dealing with bed bugs is a little easier now than it was in 2006.
chicken

newbite
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 23

Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jul 21 2008 10:39:29
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My husband suggested that perhaps in summer there are just too many variables. He thinks we should (I should) stop obsessing and wait until November. If we are still being bitten then, we will re-visit the possibility of bbs. Is this a good idea?
busy with my kids

account closed
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 57

Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jul 21 2008 10:51:26
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Waiting until November could make the problem so much worse. Keep searching, but I guess if you aren't finding any evidence what can you do? Husbands seem to be very good at rationalizing things, but that doesn't mean it's not true.
busy with my kids

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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 57

Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jul 21 2008 10:52:30
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Is a sniffing dog an option?
chicken

newbite
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 23

Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jul 21 2008 11:54:31
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I contacted a sniffing dog person and he said it seemed like if we did have them, it might be too light an infestation to find via sniffing. This is just exasperating I can't imagine the horror of actually having them if it's this bad and I don't even know if I have them.
lieutenantdan

oldtimer
Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 1,162

Posted 1 year ago
Tue Jul 22 2008 11:31:09
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Your husband appears to have taken an approach that seems right to him and not for you or I. Inspect and clean when he is not around and try not to discuss this with him for he does not understand what you do about bed bugs. My wife and her family had the same view of this but neither researched bed bugs as well as I and her mother had no clue at all and did no research but had a strong opinion. She told me that the bugs are gone , meaning obviously some talk had been going on between my wife and her mother which may have provided some influence. I knew in my heart what I had to do and I continued to battle because I had much to loose and she does not. When you come to realize that if you do not stay on top of this than the enemy numbers can escalate and and will then take you by surprise. I thought of my home and possessions and realized that I had to take the bull by the horns on this so as not to have to lose anymore than I had already
no matter what others may think of me.

If the fact that you are being proactive makes you feel more secure than why not be proactive, just do not expect him to have as much enthusiasm as you.
spideyjg

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Joined: Jul '08
Posts: 1,614

Posted 1 year ago
Tue Jul 22 2008 12:02:31
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Like Dan my wife is convinced they are gone and thinks I am insane for all the stuff I am doing.

We fight over it quite a bit with the idea of caulking new furniture. I'm putting together a new mostly metal Beddinge bed frame from Ikea and I'm caulking the wood/plastic junctions and will, taking the proper precautions, spread DE thoughout the hollow metal parts, seal the gaps, then once assembled fully double check all seals.

Things such as using DE in voids and sealing them and any potential entrances such as around electrical plates help defend you against any bugs. Shoring up your defensive perimeter will make you feel better.

Jim
lieutenantdan

oldtimer
Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 1,162

Posted 1 year ago
Tue Jul 22 2008 15:42:29
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It is something. It takes a problem like bed bugs to find out just how much support or the lack of you support that you receive from family and friends.