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Well, just found a load of nymphs and fecal matter....PLEASE HELP
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mysteriousbites
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 13
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 14:04:58
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Just found at least 10 nymphs (which I've captured on duct tape) in a cloth jewelry box on my window sill. On sill (which is about a foot deep) there is also plenty of fecal matter. It looks like black dots/dust. I think the bugs are hiding in the wooden sill there are cracks and crevices galore. Just called apartment management company and they are supposed to schedule an exterminator appointment.
This comes after about a week of bites mostly tiny red bumps that sometimes itch.
My question is, what do I do with the jewelry box (and jewelry inside) as well as other things along the window sill. I want to contain this as best as possible. My box spring, mattress, and pillows are already encased.
Please please help. Thank you so much.
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senior member
Joined: Mar '08
Posts: 596
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 14:32:33
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Make sure you're not looking at book lice
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mysteriousbites
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 13
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 14:37:50
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That is really interesting. I was just looking them up and these bugs do resemble booklice, however I also found a possible bedbug with a little spot of red in it, like a growing adult. How can I be sure what the difference is? Also I found two possible fecal spots on my pillow. Do booklice leave fecal spots?
Either way, what precautions should I take in order to avoid spread.
I do have bites, and booklice apparently don't bite. My camera won't take a good closeup of the bugs that I found.
Thanks for the advice. If anyone has more info about booklice, it would be greatly appreciated.
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upagain
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Joined: Aug '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 14:40:11
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I have found booklice with a spot or two on the abdomen. Just dark spots, not red though.
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mysteriousbites
newbite
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 14:43:07
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I will say that I have isolated my bed and also done pretty close inspection of the area around it with zero signs of bugs. It is just that fecal matter on the bed that leads me to bed bugs. Although, the more I read about book lice, the more I think this could also be a possibility.
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mysteriousbites
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 13
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 14:44:35
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If I did have bed bugs, would it be likely that I would find an adult in this mass of nymphs? Or is it typical for nymphs to be more visible and "catchable." In other words, is it rare to find so many nymphs without a sign of adults?
I will also point out that this windowsill is in direct sunlight during the day and afternoon. If they are underneath the jewelry box then it is not sunny, but the sill isn't an ideal place for bed bugs with all of that light, right?
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mysteriousbites
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 13
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 18:01:30
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Any other advice?? Please help I am so unsettled by this!
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spideyjg
oldtimer
Joined: Jul '08
Posts: 1,405
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 18:07:59
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Booklice have bulbous "noses" and BBs don't. You get a 10X magnifier and you will be able to tell.
Jim
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mysteriousbites
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 18:21:55
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How big is a bed bug nymph and how big is a booklice?
Thank you all so much.
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Adele
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Joined: May '08
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 19:58:57
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it would be better if you could post pictures. then you could have the gang of experts here give you the definitive answer
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mysteriousbites
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 13
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 20:01:48
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I'm having trouble getting my camera to capture the bugs. They are TINY, like just look like specks if you aren't looking close enough. How big are nymphs usually? I'm sorry I can't post photos :( However, here is the windowledge where I found some black marks, which are watery in consistency and almost gray (not hard chunks or spherical). It almost looks like dirt blowing in from my window.
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senior member
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 20:02:02
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a BB nymph is about 1mm when it leaves the egg. Very close in size of booklice. I'm sure you didn't find that many unfed immatures in one location. Look closer as Jim mentioned.
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mysteriousbites
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 13
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 20:04:26
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I found one bug (same size as other ones) that did have a grayish/blackish mark on the torso. My magnifying glass is only like a 3 or 4x magnifier, so I'm having troulbe really seeing what the bugs look like. I am going to have to go out and buy a better magnifying glass tomorrow.
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senior member
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 20:05:54
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That picture is not fecal. If you had that much fecal in one location ... I would imagine you could have found a bug by now.
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depressedandconfused
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Joined: Aug '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 21:47:53
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If you are in NYC, M&M will do a free bug identification for you (I am neither for or against M&M and their paid services -- but the free ID is good to know about). You can also call and ask about mailing them a sample, if you are outside of NYC.
As to cleaning your jewelry, I can tell you what I did to clean my parrot's toys. I found a bunch of some kind of tiny beetle crawling all over his toys (this was during my prep for BB extermination). The first thing I did was to spray alcohol all over the container and the toys (nothing was valuable, so I wasn't worried about staining). Once I felt that all the visible bugs were killed by the alcohol, I dropped all the washable toys into a tub of hot, soapy water. (Non-washables went into the trash.) I carefully cleaned each toy in the sink, dried it off and put it into a sealed ziploc bag. Alcohol kills BBs on contact. If you are concerned about book lice, you may want to find out what kills them and use it as part of your clean up.
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spideyjg
oldtimer
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 21:57:15
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Put 2 and 2 together here. Psocids feed on mold and mildew, you found these near a window, and you have what appears to be mold or mildew in the location.
Everything is pointing psocid and not BB. At least in that location.
Jim
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mysteriousbites
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 13
Posted 1 month ago
Tue Sep 29 2009 23:49:45
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Thanks for all of the help everyone. This is the first time I've had to deal with a scare like this so I'm sorry if I seem anxious and repetitive. Just trying to be thorough and gather as much information as possible.
Now, off to bed armed with my flashlight. It is so hard to sleep when all you can think about is creepy crawlies!
I'll let everyone know if anything develops regarding BB vs. booklice
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