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What is this thing called success? [living with bed bugs after one year]
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noanestheticNYC
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Posted 1 year ago
Sat May 12 2012 0:14:01
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your host
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Posted 1 year ago
Sat May 12 2012 1:32:59
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noanestheticNYC - 1 hour ago »
I have done what I didn't think was possible: I have learned to live with bed bugs. This is the only kind of success most of us will ever see with this pest.
That's not what most readers of this website seen to be reporting.
Very few people report not being able to get rid of bed bugs with treatment.
A well-known exception would be people living in a building with chronically mismanaged bed bug problems.
However, most people seem to be able to get rid of bed bugs with some effort (and getting experienced help seems to help too).
I want to note also that if you're in the US as your username suggests, but propoxur is not labeled for bed bugs. So it would not be a good idea for others to follow your lead, since we recommend people use products according to label instructions.
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noanestheticNYC
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Posted 1 year ago
Sat May 12 2012 1:47:19
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your host
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Posted 1 year ago
Sat May 12 2012 2:31:16
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You're right that off-label is not he same as illegal.
We don't recommend people use products off-label. If you're choosing to do so that's your right, but others should be very cautious about doing so.
People often mis- and overapply pesticides, and I would be especially concerned if the person was going to be using the product indefinitely as you seem to be planning to.
It should be possible to eliminate your bed bug problem and I hope
you will be able to do that. Note that research suggests that new introductions of bed bugs are more rare than you would think. (Unless there is some particular continued source of exposure.)You don't mention how you know your bed bug problem persists. Do you have visual evidence besides skin reactions?
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noanestheticNYC
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Posted 1 year ago
Sat May 12 2012 2:50:22
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your host
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Posted 1 year ago
Sat May 12 2012 3:06:58
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First, I want to point out that in the US, if you "follow all the label instructions," as you claim to be doing, then you don't use this product for bed bugs.
Also, other people here who live in NYC (as I also do) do not continually have bed bugs. That's despite our living in the same city, going to job, schools, riding the subway, etc. That's a fact.
So I do not agree that having bed bugs continually is normal.
I think that if you do have bed bugs for a year despite treatment, you have some source of continued exposure. (I don't mean this as in "NYC," but as in a particular place you visit, a neighbor, a recurrent guest, etc.). I would look into that possibility.
This problem could even be caused by something like an infested item covered in a sealed encasement which has some kind of exit points.
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Sickntired
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Posted 1 year ago
Sat May 12 2012 8:12:55
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noanestheticNYC, It's funny. I come here to hear how to treat and read success stories. But after hearing your post. I really feel that I won't be here anymore. Your post was very disturbing and feel that my problem will never come to an end. I had my PCO here and did his treatment and is coming this Monday for the 2nd. My PCO said i didn't have a bad infestation and this will be treated with just 2 treatments. He also gave me a 6 month warranty. I kept mentioning to him about what people write in these posts and he said he wouldn't have been in his business for 30 yrs if he couldn't do his job right. I just want to let you know that there is hope so maybe you should think before you write these posts. Sorry that you have to live in fear looking around every corner. but most of us don't have your problem which is a huge infestation. Maybe you should call a PCO
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noanestheticNYC
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Posted 1 year ago
Sat May 12 2012 14:21:47
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your host
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Posted 1 year ago
Sun May 13 2012 16:02:33
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Sickntired - 1 day ago »
noanestheticNYC, It's funny. I come here to hear how to treat and read success stories. But after hearing your post. I really feel that I won't be here anymore. Your post was very disturbing and feel that my problem will never come to an end.Sickntired,
My advice would be not to be alarmed by the post above.
Most people get rid of bed bugs and with two treatments and a six month warranty you're in a good situation-- that should be long enough to know if more treatments are needed.
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your host
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Posted 1 year ago
Sun May 13 2012 16:16:21
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NonanaestheticNYC,
Sorry, but I think we probably disagree on a bit more than that.
I have communicated with thousands of NYC residents alone in the last six years, and no one else reports picking up bed bugs over and over and over in different places, or bringing them home over and over, regularly. No one else reports being regularly bitten on the subway, as you do.
(Most people don't even feel bed bug bites as they occur, due to the anesthetic they inject when biting. Some of us seem to get a "bite-like feeling" after the fact, when nothing is biting us, and I believe I've suggested in the past that this may be what's happening to you.)
I would seriously look into whether you have a continued source of re-exposure which can be identified and then the problem solved somehow.
It's not true in most cases that people need to resign themselves to living with bed bugs,
The exception would be in cases where one's building has a serious undertreated or
untreated problem, and the individual can't get help with the problem and can't move. I am not trying to discount that situation, which is awful as does happen. However, it does not seem to be your case.I do not want to argue with you further, but for the sake of other people who are finding your story distressing I will continue to respond to them.
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Sickntired
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Posted 1 year ago
Sun May 13 2012 16:35:52
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Nobugsonme, Thank you for your comforting post. I like hearing that this will end. I trust my PCO which is coming tomorrow to do the last treatment. I only had bb's in the bedrooms upstairs. They did not come down to the other bedrooms. I got treated for the downstairs and the bedrooms for precaution that they could be down here. My kids got bit on two different nights. But none since the 10 days of last treatment. I feel comfortable enough to put my clothes back in my closet and live like a normal person. I wish everyone luck here and hope i do have the success that i feel will be getting.
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your host
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Posted 1 year ago
Sun May 13 2012 23:44:19
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Sickntired - 7 hours ago »
But none since the 10 days of last treatment. I feel comfortable enough to put my clothes back in my closet and live like a normal person. I wish everyone luck here and hope i do have the success that i feel will be getting.Hi Sickntired,
With any luck, the second treatment will be all you need.However, it's worth being a bit vigilant for a few weeks or so after that. You might like to employ some sort of passive monitor or interceptor monitors or some other method so that you would be alerted early if the problem persists or is brought in again.
That's not to say you can't or won't have gotten rid of the problem, but where bed bugs are concerned, knowing whether they're there is a big part of the battle.
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endless_nightmare
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Jul 27 2012 6:15:27
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Hi everyone, I don't not mean to disagree with anyone, but I feel I must adress this post. I did find some comfort in the original post on how to cope psychologically, I'm struggling to keep my life normal after battling bed bugs for more than 10 months.
While I don't think re-introduction is that frequent, I believe that there are many people fighting the critters for extra long time.
I posted my stories elsewhere and recently moved after treating everything I owned in a packtite for 6 weeks straight 17 hours a day and throwing most of my stuff away. This is the 2nd time I move, briging the bugs with me, each time getting a brand new bed.
So I lived in 3 places one after another with bed bugs, the first one was the source as it was already infested.
So here I am 10 months later, in total I have had 12 chemical treatments from 4 different places, waiting for another next week.
I've had four heat treatments from 2 places that both didn't work and both refused to honor their warranty. Very costly and useless a waste of $4500 total just on those
I've used DE, Drione, Bedlam as self treatment I also caulked. I'm doing the dryer thing and the constant laundry and the constant vacuuming and the clothes in plastic bags.I have casings for my bed and boxspring. The legs of my metal bed frame are in climb ups.
But nonetheless I am still getting bit, almost every night. And NO it is not something else, as I have the fecal stains, the blood spots and the cast skins and once in a while I see the odd bug, I must admit I don't see many, but my vision is not so good.
I am disabled and I rarely have any visitors and the rare ones I have I am certain they don't have bedbugs.
I'm somwhat resigned now, I'm totally unable to work, I used to work at home and part time outside (I'm on extended sick leave from that)
I'm seing a therapist but soon I won't be able to afford her.
I have asked this before on this site but if anyone whatoever can give me advice at this point on controlling an infestation like that I'd really appreciate it, or any advice whatsoever on how to cope now after almost a year, I've lost 70LBS and $30,000, I feel I won't last the summer
anyone out there?
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Koebner
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Jul 27 2012 7:48:34
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First things first, if, at any time you feel that BBs are bringing you to contemplate any kind of self-harm; please, please, read the green "sticky" post at the top of these forums entitled; "If you are feeling suicidal or anxious..."
Advising people to "learn to live with BBs" is pretty much a textbook definition of the "counsel of despair". It's not advice, it's an account of failure.
I'm on a low income & live with chronic illness, bed bugs was a viciously hard road for me to travel & I found myself having to battle with not one, but three indifferent & ill-informed landlords as the infestation spread from one adjoining property to another.
The cheap & cheerful pest controllers on whom our landlords relied were at best haphazard in their approach & the City departments who should have been helping the tenants turned out to be woefully out-of-date when it came to BBs.
My problem dragged on for years & like you, I doubted my ability to keep on coping. I became isolated, despairing & ever more ill. Fortunately, I found this site.
You can throw every chemical you like at the problem without success - what makes a successful treatment is understanding the pest & its behaviour, & targetting treatment appropriately.
The OP is atypical, seriously atypical, & I'm very sorry you stumbled across this post as it has clearly & understandably brought you low.
Read the FAQs on this site. I know only too well the temptation to do everything all at once, or the feeling that one has to do something, anything, but only structured, methodical action will achieve results & some of the things we are encouraged to do by pest controllers & the internet alike are not good.
Our host, Nobugsonme, has gone to great lengths to bring together accurate & up-to-date information & advice, & even for those of us with long & bitter experience of BBs, the FAQs are the place to start. Misinformation is worse than no information.
Don't be shy to come back & ask more questions in the forums but do get the FAQs under your belt first. If they contradict anything you've learned elsewhere - discard the information from elsewhere.
As a final note, I've now been BB-free for almost 2 years. It cost me a lot, emotionally & financially, but now it's over I know I would have sacrificed even more to get where I am today. Don't despair; this is a winnable battle.
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feelinghelplesswith3 babies
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Jul 27 2012 8:18:50
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Thank you koebner after reading the initial post I too lost hope we've only had one treatment thus far with the second one happening this morning . I've been waking up to check my children's bed 3 nights of nothing but this morning 430 am PST I found a 3 or 4 th stage crawling. Instantly I felt defeat. My situation I rather complicated. But the whole building is getting treated. I'm getting tiny bites here and there thinkin maybe it was the fleas. But after seeing that one I know they're still here just hidding so well. I know that its much less than before and I've only been living w/ bb for 2 or so months discovering them 10 days ago. My life has flipped upside down my children are suffering because their home is not accessible. I cannot live like this much longer hoping the 2nd treatment kills the rest. Then a 3 rd treatment to follow with a garantee. My husband thinks I'm ocd and I am. After your comment however I feel perhaps I can beat it......just gotta be patient .
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your host
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Jul 27 2012 10:04:43
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endless_nightmare - 3 hours ago »
I have asked this before on this site but if anyone whatoever can give me advice at this point on controlling an infestation like that I'd really appreciate it, or any advice whatsoever on how to cope now after almost a year, I've lost 70LBS and $30,000, I feel I won't last the summer
anyone out there?If you are anxious or think you may harm yourself, please read this post and talk to someone. There is help out there, so please reach out to someone qualified to help.
About the bed bugs: without giving more detail, can you tell us what city or region you are in?
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endless_nightmare
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Jul 27 2012 17:15:57
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Nobugsonme
I posted this previously elsewhere, I'm in Montreal, Canada. It seems from other people I know who had them that the pco's here are not that great, I think all my pesticide treatments have been pyrethine (spelling?) based, and that the bugs have become resistant to this type of chemical, I'm not even sure if there is anything else available in terms of insecticide in Montreal
Yesterday I was reading (on this forum) about Propoxur, but I don't think I have the strenght to self treat and apply a dangerous (from what I understand) chemical like that, people have been saying it's one of the only thing to do when the bugs resist to traditional pesticide
I cannot afford other heat treatments (the ones I had put me in great debts) and heat treatments in appartments in Montreal don't work, other BB sufferers in Montreal have confirmed this
Also Vikane is not available.
As for your other comment, I have read the green sticky, I've been seeing doctors, psychologists, I've been on the suicide hotline several times since I reliazed I moved them with me again.
Koebner, thank you for your support. I have read the FAQ's here many times, several months ago
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your host
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Jul 27 2012 18:48:56
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There will be lots of other pesticides besides permethrin available in Montreal. Propoxur is definitely not the only alternative (is it even labeled for indoor use there?)
We have heard several complaints about heat treatment there, yet at the same time, people in Montreal do seem to get rid of their bed bugs in time. If you are entitled to treatment through your landlord, I would persist with it. If not, and if you can afford it, going with a national chain may be a good idea if you feel the local companies don't know what they're doing. While service at national chains varies, they do have access to a knowledge base since they will surely be hearing from their cohorts in other cities.
Of course, any PCO who's paying attention has access to best practices where bed bugs are concerned. I am not convinced there are no good PCOs in Montreal, just because we've heard about a few bad experiences. Keep in mind that for some reason we have not had that many forum users in Montreal compared with other cities-- so it may be we are not hearing about the better PCOs.
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