ugh advice please! [our child visits a home with BB]

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ugh advice please! [our child visits a home with BB]

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strengthbelieve

newbite
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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Aug 16 2012 7:35:33
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My husband and I have cared for a.little girl full time since she was 6 weeks old, she is now three. Her parents are your typical "anything for free, live off the state, have children but not take care of them" anyway, last yr we were informed they had bed bugs. The little girl goes there two days a week. Thankfuly our preventative mesures last yr kept us free of thepests. Two weeks ago after picking her up from her weekend visit I stripped her clothes in the garage and placed her on the toilet before I bathed her. When she got off of the toilet there was a bedbug that, judging from pictures had just HD its first feeding. Flushed it and proceeded to bathe and now debug her. The next week, same scenario my husband picked her up took her clothes off ans immediately went to the bathtub. My husband found q small bug of some sort crawling on him. Squishes it and blood came from it. We've tornour house apart and thankfully the beds couches and bedroom had zero evidence. My question? Is there anything we could be doing to further prevent housing these pests? Is there something we could spray on ourselves and or yh lkttle girl when we pick her yo? Thank you in advance.
bedbugartist

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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Aug 16 2012 12:16:20
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Can you bring clothes in a sealed plastic bag to the parent's apartment, have her change in the entry way while inspecting for bugs, and then bring her to your place and repeat the process along with a shower?
If you follow the same procedure people with bed bugs use to go outside their homes, I think you should be ok. There is a forum topic with a long list of how to avoid transferring the bugs.
Also, make sure not to bring anything with her! If possible have second copies of everything especially shoes! I had a heavy infestation for a year in an apartment that was not treated because my landlord sucked, and I had bugs in my shoes, in my bags, everything. I went around wearing flip flops for a month not realizing they were living in the little cracks in the fake leather. I thought that throwing the shoes in a dryer for an hour had been enough. NOPE! The bites on my feet stopped as soon as I treated them in a packtite at 150 degrees for an hour -.-
cilecto

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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Aug 16 2012 12:23:47
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Bed bugs typically hitch rides on people's "things" (luggage, objects) rather than on or near the body (they prefer to get away after feeding). If you are seeing bed bugs a lot on the child's clothing, she's likely encountering a bad infestation.

Our FAQ has protocols to follow to prevent bringing home bed bugs from travel and visiting homes safely when you have bed bugs. These should apply here.
1. http://bedbugger.com/2006/11/02/faq-how-can-i-avoid-spreading-bedbugs-to-others-when-i-visit-their-homes/
2. http://bedbugger.com/faqs/travel/
batbugger

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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Aug 16 2012 12:30:33
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Wow. This is a horrible situation. I would purchase monitors for your home as well as taking precautions as bedbugarist said above. Check into things like climb-ups, passive monitors etc., mattress covers might also be a good precaution. I am sorry you are dealing with this especially that you are doing what is best for the child. It is good for her to see the parents. Are they doing anything to try to take care of the bugs? Maybe looking on here for ways they can control them for cheap. Maybe let them know to vaccuum, steam clean, DE, anything that can help keep the infestation down. Keeping your home free of bugs is important, but you can't keep her from her parents and, she is probably being bit when over there which is also not good. I hope this helps. I know you are probably frustrated.
strengthbelieve

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Posted 9 months ago
Sun Aug 19 2012 9:45:19
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I cannot thank you all enough for your replies. I was told that if she's bringing them on her person, they have them pretty badly. Nothing gets brought to our house besides the child. Could she have them in her hair?
feelinghelplesswith3 babies

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Posted 9 months ago
Sun Aug 19 2012 14:41:17
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Yes from my experience of having them from my dads place it must be a pretty bad infestation. My dad had them in his clothes. Though his sister used to visit him and sit on his bed where his infestation was super bad she never transfered them to her house. You are doing what needs to be done so not to bring them in your house but I would follow what cilecto has adviced. Good luck.
theyareoutthere

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Posted 9 months ago
Sun Aug 19 2012 14:55:22
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Just wanted to say..the little girl is lucky to have a safe place to live part of the week, and good luck to you.
Nobugsonme

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Posted 9 months ago
Sun Aug 19 2012 16:32:51
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Re: hair.

Bed bugs don't tend to want to go in or live in hair. Experts sometimes say "never!"

However, the exception we've heard of (and we've heard this only a few times, so I don't think it happens a lot) is if you have a hairstyle which does not get washed regularly-- extensions, dreadlocks, etc.-- in which case they might be undisturbed for a while.

The same sort of concept applies to clothing-- if someone is washing and changing their clothing regularly, then they should not have lots of bed bugs in there (though the odd hitchhiker can always climb on or off).

The exception would be people who don't change clothing and wash, but are in their clothes day and night for long periods. This situation might come up with people who are homeless and living on the streets (as opposed to in shelters), or those who may be in need of care (for example, an elderly person who can no longer care for himself or herself but is not getting needed assistance).

And ditto to what TAOT said.