Varied bites on him & me @ night - only upper body. Help?

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Varied bites on him & me @ night - only upper body. Help?

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scarednscratchy

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Joined: Apr '09
Posts: 4

Posted 7 months ago
Fri Apr 24 2009 7:04:35
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I hope someone can help me!

We've lived in London, for 10 years, in a small one bed flat on the top floor. It started 2 weeks ago. To begin with, only my boyfriend was being bitten, on his forehead, hands, arms & back. Big bites, kind of swollen. Now I am being bitten too, on my arms & hands, tiny red pinpricks.
His left side is the worst, & as he often sleeps with his left arm under my neck, he thinks the problem is in the bed. I thought if it was BB we'd both be bitten ALL over, not just the upper half... We sleep with the window open, maybe something flew in? Or am I clutching at straws here?!

Also, he says we should change the mattress - we have a king size with storage drawers - but having looked at your site I'm not sure this would suffice. We have carpet too, can they live in that? I am too scared to go to bed now & - I know this is probably psychological - feel itchy all over, nearly all the time!
begonebedbugs

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Joined: Mar '09
Posts: 68

Posted 7 months ago
Fri Apr 24 2009 12:28:37
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Have you checked with anyone else in the building or called your landlord? I would start there... Dont do anything else until you've spoken to a PCO/Exterminator and read all of the FAQ's on this site. DO NOT THROW OUT anything just yet. Not everyone reacts to the bites - and it really doesnt matter where on your body your getting them. Check with your neighbors and call your landlord immediately! Good luck!
scarednscratchy

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Posted 7 months ago
Fri Apr 24 2009 14:49:34
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Thank you, I did call a few PCOs to compare knowledge/quotes ( referring to the very helpful FAQ pages) & I'm expecting a free survey on Monday. No landlord, as my boyfriend has a mortgage. So it's all on us... Eeek. I'm also a little apprehensive about trusting someone who makes a living from bugs to actually remove them all...! Hmm. Thanks again, I'll update this as & when.
spideyjg

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Posted 7 months ago
Fri Apr 24 2009 14:54:08
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scarednscratchy - 7 hours ago »

Also, he says we should change the mattress - we have a king size with storage drawers - but having looked at your site I'm not sure this would suffice.

Those beds are called Captains beds and read up here what a nightmare of bug harborage they can be.

Jim
begonebedbugs

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Joined: Mar '09
Posts: 68

Posted 7 months ago
Sat Apr 25 2009 20:02:56
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Sometimes its better when your the home owner and can hire your own PCO... is it an attached house or single? Ask LOTS of questions - ask for references - ask what kind of treatments they do and how many homes they've done in the past. Go with your gut - hire who you trust! What state do you live in? I hear great things about Cooper and wish I knew that before I hired my PCO.

Keep us posted and GOOD LUCK!
begonebedbugs

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Joined: Mar '09
Posts: 68

Posted 7 months ago
Sat Apr 25 2009 20:02:57
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Sometimes its better when your the home owner and can hire your own PCO... is it an attached house or single? Ask LOTS of questions - ask for references - ask what kind of treatments they do and how many homes they've done in the past. Go with your gut - hire who you trust! What state do you live in? I hear great things about Cooper and wish I knew that before I hired my PCO.

Keep us posted and GOOD LUCK!
buggyinsocal

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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130

Posted 7 months ago
Sat Apr 25 2009 21:04:10
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Since ScaredandScratchy is in the UK, Cooper's probably a bit far away (the living in London and calling the residence a flat as opposed to an apartment are the big give aways there.)

David Cain is a PCO who posts pretty regularly to the fora who is based in the UK, so you might want to get in contact with him. I'm sick again this weekend, and on cold meds, so I'm not at 100% cognitive efficiency, so to speak, which means I can't recall off the top of my head whether he's in the London area or treats London area places or not, but he is a PCO who regularly posts in these fora, and if I were looking for a PCO to give advice or recs, I would feel more comfortable talking to one who is clearly concerned enough about bed bugs to voluntarily post to a community like this. I sympathize with your concern that in bringing in a PCO you're relying on giving money to someone who would appear to have no financial interest in getting rid of bugs, but the good PCOs do exactly that. (Please note, I said the good ones. I should add that I was lucky enough to get a good PCO in to treat my place, and while I live in a multi-unit building, it's a small one with a very cooperative landlord. Not everyone is so lucky.)

Good PCOs know that ridding someone of the pest is the best for their longterm financial health because word of mouth recommendations will bring more repeat business over time. Also, the best PCOs are really as annoyed by bed bugs and see the eradication of them as a puzzle to be solved. Again, I understand why you're apprehensive. I vividly remember finding the bugs in my place and being completely broadsided by it since I didn't even know bed bugs still existed. But if you can find a good PCO, one with expertise in bed bugs, you can rule out other pests and get started on treatment.

As for the bed . . . captain's beds do have kind of a notorious reputation for being hard to treat/isolate, but as to whether you'll need to get rid of the bed itself and/or the mattress, wait to decide on that until you've had the PCO whose treatment plan you're going with out for an inspection.

Hang in there.
scarednscratchy

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Joined: Apr '09
Posts: 4

Posted 6 months ago
Sat May 2 2009 14:32:45
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Hi, thank you so much for your comments & advice!

After extensive research & a wide range of quotes the most comprehensive web site (& therefore the one I trusted most) was bedbugs.co.uk so that's the one we went with - only then did I find out that David Cain is the Managing Director! So I believe we're in good hands. We have now begun treatment & I understand we have caught this very early, thank goodness, so despite still feeling very itchy, we're hoping to return to normal sleep very soon... Incidentally, the nest was in the headboard, the entire bed was almost completely clear.

Quick question, though - I am VERY aware/anxious now, & after the proper chemical treatment is over, wish to take every possible measure to prevent this happening again. I have read that diatomaceous earth is a great natural deterrent, as it dehydrates the bug's skin, & they die. Makes sense to me, but our PCO hadn't heard of it, which gave me pause. Does anybody know if this is as effective as it sounds?
scarednscratchy

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Joined: Apr '09
Posts: 4

Posted 6 months ago
Sat May 2 2009 14:49:38
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I apologise - just found a heap of FAQs on DE - which I have now realised stands for, yep... I know - D'OH!! :-)
spideyjg

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Joined: Jul '08
Posts: 1,405

Posted 6 months ago
Sat May 2 2009 14:55:03
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David is a one of the foremost BB experts and he will eliminate your problem. Do what he says and don't do anything without his OK.

DE is a great tool but it may not fit in David's plan of attack based on your scenario.

Post infestation treating the voids with DE and sealing them off with caulk and or foam can be of benefit against pest infiltration and better insulates your abode.

Don't do that until David gives you the high sign though.

Jim