Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tales of Bed Bug Woe
They're Spreading Out
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kannon_bosatsu
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Posted 1 year ago
Tue May 15 2012 1:26:48
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This morning I found two bed bugs in the hallway which is not a good sign. This evening, my husband and I found about 8 in various places on the wall and door. How do PCOs generally treat non-localized infestations?
The first time the infestation was super-localized. It only affected our bed and hadn't spread further. This time... well my husband had found nests on the moulding halfway across the room and the bugs are not content with staying in the room...
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oldtimer
Joined: Mar '08
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Posted 1 year ago
Tue May 15 2012 1:52:18
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Sorry but there is soooo much more info needed to figure this one out. Are you using a professional for treatment?
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kannon_bosatsu
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Posted 12 months ago
Sun May 27 2012 7:40:53
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KillerQueen - 1 week ago »
Sorry but there is soooo much more info needed to figure this one out. Are you using a professional for treatment?Sorry to be away so long. KillerQueen. I had pressing work responsibilities and was unable to be on the boards.
To answer your question we are using the PCO provided by our landlord. So far they have sprayed us twice (Wednesday before last and last Tuesday). The first time the PCO came, he refused to spray our room, even though we found a bedbug crawling on the wall in there at 11AM in the morning. One that I killed and ziplocked for evidence. Since the infestation he found was in our kids' room he paid no attention to ours.
The second time he came, he grudgingly sprayed around our room, which fortunately hasn't seen a bug since then. According to my husband, he did a very cursory examination of our bed and frame -- this is the owner of the company -- so we supplemented his spraying in our room with the Bedlam and DE he left behind for us. (I have a "puffer" I bought based on recommendations I read here two years ago, so I applied the DE.)
Getting back to the PCO,... He did spray along the molding in the hallway and on the doors we saw the bedbugs on. I still killed a few bugs on the outside of the kids' bedroom door this past week but haven't seen any the past two days which I'm hoping is a good sign. I haven't seen any on the wall in the hallway which also has me breathing a tiny sigh of relief.
Still, the battle continues. While we don't have bugs in the hall or in our room, I keep finding live bedbugs in the kids' room -- killed a nymph and mid-sized one this morning -- and it's been two weeks since they did the major spray in that room. The only consolation is that I am not finding them walking brazenly along the walls at all hours of the day. My husband is calling the landlord on Tuesday to tell them we are still finding bugs and to see what, if any, advice they give. My guess is that they'll just send the PCO over to spray the room full of poison again.
This has been hard. I have thrown out several thousand dollars worth of furniture and toys because they could not be treated. My kids have about 10 toys and stuffies that we allow them to play with. All their books are packed away in boxes. Their clothes are plastic wrapped and locked in a closet. My daughter (5) is a clothes horse and is depressed she can't have her fairy costumes. My son (5) is wondering when he can get his hot wheels back again. (When we dipped the toys in bleach, dozens of dead bedbugs emerged. They were seriously EVERYWHERE in that room.) The pactite has taken permanent residence in their room (our PCO didn't know what it was and scoffed at the idea that it could actually work.)
Today we are doing a massive clean and inspection of their room to see if we can find new nests and are laying down a new layer of DE. I'm frustrated, tired and anxious. I dream of fighting bedbugs.
We're looking to move because we have a bad neighbor situation and because we want to move to an area with better schools. I'm terrified of moving the bugs with me and I'm quickly coming to the end of how much I can handle with this situation.
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 12 months ago
Sun May 27 2012 13:26:28
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kannon_bosatsu,
That sounds awful. If there were that many bed bugs in toys, surely they must have been in your home breeding for a while?
I am so sorry you are going through this. I hope you are able to get out of there. It sounds
Like the building may have a serious problem. Is moving with a Vikane truck an option when you do go? -
kannon_bosatsu
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Posts: 128offline
Posted 12 months ago
Sun May 27 2012 13:37:19
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Nobugsonme - 6 minutes ago »
kannon_bosatsu,
That sounds awful. If there were that many bed bugs in toys, surely they must have been in your home breeding for a while?
I am so sorry you are going through this. I hope you are able to get out of there. It sounds
Like the building may have a serious problem. Is moving with a Vikane truck an option when you do go?Seriously, it was like a nightmare We saw one bug on the wall one day and then started finding them everywhere. They were running across the floor while my kids played. They were in my daughter's dress up clothes, in the dressers, just simply everywhere. It seemed like a bug explosion to me. We'd hired a cleaning lady about a month ago but prior to that I was the one who cleaned the kids' room and I hadn't seen anything.
I have not ruled out the possibility that we missed the signs and that the kids brought them home from pre-K or elsewhere. But I really have my doubts. The largest nests being up by the molding near the ceiling have me thinking otherwise. And our new upstairs neighbors are problem tenants who won't let anyone in to inspect the apartment.
I'm definitely thinking of a Vikane truck for when we move. I'm trying to figure out what it's going to cost us right now. Along with security, deposit, broker's fee, etc. we'll have to pay for the move too. This whole thing is raping our bank account and leaving me demoralized.
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oldtimer
Joined: Apr '07
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Posted 12 months ago
Sun May 27 2012 13:51:18
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Hi,
What is the property type? Have you checked neighbours?
Do you have images of signs, particularly in ceiling harbourage which is an odd location without things being heavy or not cimex lectularius / hemipterous.
Seems an odd thing to just happen and then just flare up. I would be looking for the source and confirming samples with an entomologist specifically saying you need to check for closely related species (unless you have access to a flat bed scanner and can post so high res scans linked to a post here).
Sorry questions often lead to questions before you get answers and its worth sitting down when you have time and writing it all up with pictures if you can.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited -
kannon_bosatsu
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Posts: 128offline
Posted 12 months ago
Sun May 27 2012 14:11:09
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bed-bugscouk - 14 minutes ago »
Hi,
What is the property type? Have you checked neighbours?
Do you have images of signs, particularly in ceiling harbourage which is an odd location without things being heavy or not cimex lectularius / hemipterous.Hi David,
We live in a 6-floor multi-family apartment building. To my knowledge the upstairs neighbors have not been checked or treated but they are in a dispute with the landlord and are not cooperating with him.
The PCO confirmed that the bugs we found were indeed bedbugs and was surprised to find them on the walls, in the molding (our molding is about a foot below the ceiling). I'll try to see if we have any clear pictures of the bugs. We have a lot of pictures of the things we had to throw out and of the bugs climbing walls, doorframes, etc. but I doubt they are clear enough for an ID.
L in Brooklyn, NY
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oldtimer
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Posted 12 months ago
Sun May 27 2012 14:17:02
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Hi,
OK I would certainly be looking to communicate with all adjoining neighbours and educate all even if they are clear it will help keep them that way. The floors above and below as well.
Unless your PCO was a bedbug specialist of known reputation I would still suggest a confirmation from an entomologist, I am sure Lou would oblige if you can get a sample to him (coffee is always appreciated as well).
I would most likley have a few more questions / suggestions after evaluation of what can be seen in the pictures.
David
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kannon_bosatsu
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Joined: Sep '10
Posts: 128offline
Posted 12 months ago
Sun May 27 2012 14:39:50
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We did tell our next door neighbors about our situation so they are on the lookout.
Here are the pics that I dug up off the camera. I apologize for the quality:
<img src="http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8033/img3209v.th.jpg" border="0"/>
<img src="http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6350/img3208n.th.jpg" border="0"/>
<img src="http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/5215/img3205b.th.jpg" border="0"/>
<img src="http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3397/img3204ad.th.jpg" border="0"/>
Sigh... I'm sure we'll wind up finding one or two when we go through our cleaning so I'll try to get a better pics and report back.
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edtt
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Joined: Apr '12
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Posted 12 months ago
Sun May 27 2012 22:48:10
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bumping for poster
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