Sorry MS… I have the same issue. Confession! I first realized i had them in Jan when my daughter got bit. I thought the rash and bumps on my neck and arms were from stress… well i wrong. I’m moving… I know that’s not exactly going to be a solution to everyone’s problem but I guess tossin the mattress and working quickly would be wise. I ignored it and slept on the couch to only find the buggers followed me to the couch. They follow the carbon dioxide you give off when you sleep. I’m junking my Stearns and Foster and my couch… the only thing coming with me is the dresser tv and computer. Sucks… I finally got one the other night… they are red… small (1/4 tip of your fingernail) and round. Also you really have to squeeze the napkin to kill the little fucker… they shed frequently so if you see some red lookin speck on your bed or couch… they were their… shedded their skin and left.
Freakin sucks…
It’s highly likely that’s the origin of our little bloodsuckers. Some moron once left an infested mattress in our building’s trash room. They keep trying to establish colonies in my bedroom but I know where to look and kill 'em before they get out of hand.
Napkin? If the local CSI ever has to check my wall with luminol for whatever reason, they’re going to wonder about all the little blood spots.
After the exterminator comes today, I’m going to set my bed’s legs each in a plastic cup, and fill the cup with rubbing alcohol. That way when the little vampires climb up to chew on me, they’ll fall in and die.
And ‘learning to live with them’ is not something I’m going to do. I’m covered in hideous red welts. I’ve got a pile of miscellaneous items (an old rug, pillow, etc.) that’re going to the dumpster today. I sprayed the wall trim and carpet down with bleach and Bedlam again last night. If they don’t die or move on, I’m moving. I’m not living like this.
My old roommate and I had a relatively easy time getting rid of our bedbugs, though it helped that we had hardwood floors and an infestation that was heavily centralized in one room.
My roommate started getting eaten alive, and since we both kept really odd hours we had no trouble spotting them right away (they’re most active just before dawn). The bulk of them were around his bed frame. He bombed the area with diatomaceous earth (Get some! Today!), and we also covered the floor along the walls in every room, as well as the thresholds between every room/hallway, to limit their ability to migrate (it’s easy to use, a light dusting works fine). Obviously we both did laundry.
And then we waited. Within a week we saw no more living adults, and within two we saw no more juveniles, either. My roommate slept on the living room couch for a couple months to be safe (which got to be annoying, but whatever), and we kept the DE on the ground for three or four. Honestly, it was not that big a deal for us, so in my biased opinion people tend to freak out about it more than is necessary. Don’t worry: you can handle this. You’re the human, after all.
Notes:
– Be super-vigilant when visiting friends or family, obviously. This was the only scenario in which I went full-quarantine, extreme measures.
– They can’t climb glass, so if you want to study/torture/interrogate them, keep them in a shot glass or something. I never got around to running my freezer-survivability test, so if you do take up a collection, would you do me a solid and let me know how long they can last in there?
– If you want to see them, keep a flashlight next to you when you sleep and, if and when you’re up before dawn, use it to inspect your bed, the floor, and the walls. Or you may not want to do this, as it might be … disturbing.
– They have a peculiar odor when you squished.
My sister had an infestation in her bedroom. She most likely picked them up at a hotel. She immediately threw out her mattress, bed frame, and dressers. She slept on a plastic blow-up mattress for a while. Once everything was thrown out she got an exterminator in to do his thing. She had to stay out of the room for about two weeks I think. Then he came back and did his thing again. She stayed out for another two weeks or so that time as well. It seems to have cured the problem.
It helps that the infestation was confined purely to her bedroom. She was working a lot at the time and spending most of her time either at work or out with friends, so she didn’t spend much time at all in the rest of the house.
The exterminator was really expensive, around $400 I think in total. It was well worth every penny.
Are bedbugs not as big a problem in the southeast for some reason? Cause I don’t know anybody who has had the problem or knows somebody else that does (that the’ve told me about at least). Or am I and my monkeysphere just particularly lucky?
Not to say we don’t have virtually every OTHER pest/bug/dangerous critter problem one could have…in spades…
I have no idea. I’ve never experienced bedbugs before, or known anyone who has, but there seems to be some shame attached to having bedbugs, so maybe people have had them and hushed it up.
I wonder if Southerners are less likely to travel than Northeasterners, and thusly have a smaller chance of bringing bedbugs back with them?
I live where there is an epidemic also. They used to have exterminators spray but have switched to the heat method which is very effective but the big problem is that people keep bringing the critters back in. You have to remove all plants, pets, electronic equipment (computers), aerosol cans, anything containing flammable liquid including nail polish remover because they will explode and start fires.
Please get the diatomaceous earth. The bug bomb you’re contemplating won’t work, and there’s no telling whether the exterminator’s pesticide will work 100% either, these critters are being reported as becoming resistant to a lot of current pesticides - especially pyrethrins. (I can’t use pyrethrins in my case because I have cats and cats + pyrethrins = seizures and possible death)
That aside, moving may not help you either - I didn’t have a problem until AFTER I moved, whether they were already in the new apartment or whether they got picked up in the moving truck, I’ll never know.
I had a terrible allergic reaction to the bites. The welts and itching didn’t start until the next day, so I didn’t associate what was happening with the possibility of bedbugs at first. When I started researching what could be biting me (there are a few different kinds of spiders lurking about the windows) it turned out as BB being most likely, as it seems most species of spiders around here really don’t bite, and definitely don’t make meals out of people. By the 4th time I had been bitten, several times in the same square inch spot, I had a HUGE 6-inch long welt on my leg, like nothing I had ever experienced and don’t want to ever again. It hurt, and itched, and looked horrible.
I can’t afford all the mattress coverings, throwing furniture out, professional exterminators, etc. I researched the diatomaceous earth and thought that might be worth a try. Bought 2 containers at ACE Hardware for $6.95 each, and haven’t finished the first one yet - this stuff goes a long way. It’s harmless to people and pets (don’t rub it in your eyes, and don’t do a line - that’s it) I rubbed it into the outside edges and seams of the boxspring with my hand, made little mountain ranges around the legs of the bed, and then puffed it all underneath plus swept it around so it went into all the cracks between the wood planks.
The biting was ramping up and happening more often. From the research I did, it was only going to get worse. I did the original DE application on the 10th. 2 more bites happened over the next 3 days (which were much milder for some reason), and then nothing. The bastards crossed the DE, had a last feed, and died. Granted the DE is slower, but it’s a sure thing - chemicals are faster at first, but they are not a sure thing.
I think the initial extermination is a great idea. If I could afford it (including boarding the cats for a couple weeks), I would do it too. But for long-term post-chemical control, many of the websites I visited strongly recommended the dual-action approach, including using diatomaceous earth. Get some!
I researched the life cycle, and found out the eggs could take up to 14 days to hatch, so I re-applied the DE yesterday after re-laundering all the bed linens again (what a pain) and so far so good. It’s my understanding the nymphs need to feed soon after hatching or they will die quickly, unlike the adults that can live longer without feeding. Plus, I’m confident I covered all possible pathways with the DE, so the nymphs have to cross it to get to me on the bed. I’m betting they won’t make it!
Moving really isn’t a solution unless you’re going to throw out absolutely everything that’s not launderable - including all electronics because they can hide anywhere there’s a crack. Even then, you would have to be sure that were you’re moving to has been already treated.
I think some people are resistant to using the DE because it’s a little messy looking. I think it’s a good temporary compromise. I figure if anyone looks at it funny, I’ll just say I had an incident with a bottle of talcum powder. The DE looks and feels exactly like talc. “Oops, had a little trouble with the Shower to Shower today!”
I dust mopped the floors the other day before company came over and it looked fine, I just swept it under the bed!
Update:
The exterminator came this morning and sprayed something, I think called Suspend, and sprinkled this power on all the trim. I threw out a crapload of stuff. My roommates are refusing to get rid of the unused computer desk, though. I’m gonna do another load of hot laundry and try to get the last of my stuff washed and dried.
I when to Duane Reade and bought rubbing alcohol and plastic picnic cups. I stuck the cups onto my bed’s legs and poured a little rubbing alcohol into each one. I also vacuumed, trying to avoid the powder and only get the middle of the room. The mattress cover has not yet arrived – I’ll be spending tonight with a friend, and may camp out Sunday night in my roommates’ room.
If I can find that earth stuff, I’ll buy some and sprinkle it around.
i remember reading that the bugs will free fall from a height on the wall if they cannot otherwise reach you, so for peace of mind you might want to position your bed away from everything else until the all-clear.
I remember hearing they will climb the wall, walk along the ceiling, and drop directly onto the bed from directly above :eek:
And if that fails, I hear that they have transporter technology 
Ack! I hadn’t heard anything about that in my recent research, but it’s another reason for the DE along the baseboards and as much of the floor as possible. They only need to walk across it once!
Why do I suspect your floor would look like some Satan worshiper trying to summon his master?
Thanks for the travel tips. Living in a cold place, we’re kind of bug spoiled - I hate the thought of bugs in my house.
All I need is a boatload of candles and it’ll look like a set from Buffy.
Seems to be working, though, and that’s what counts! Dust mopping it all under the bed before company arrives works pretty well, and then just reapply after.
Fun times.
An apartment building I once lived in was infested. We had to throw away my roommate’s bed, my couch, and all the bedding that couldn’t be properly washed. My mattress escaped the infestation at first because I had a metal loft bed. I had to smear the legs of my bed with vaseline, set them in cups of rubbing alcohol, and cover the mattress in vinyl. Still, the second I took the bed apart to move out, they raced in and got through a tiny gap in the zipper of the mattress cover. At this point, the mattress got put in the garbage. We kept all our clothes and fabric in double plastic bags and my roommate, who was now sleeping on an air mattress, was getting bitten every night. Between dealing with the bugs and the rapidly- worsening psyche of my roommate, I was glad to get rid of the apartment when the lease ran out that month.
By some miracle, I didn’t take the bugs to the new house with me. I actually had to move to get rid of them. If you see one, spray it with rubbing alcohol and it will instantly die. The diatomaceous earth will kill them too- and any other bugs. Good luck.
Aaagh! I just found out that a coworker of mine has a big infestation in his apartment! I don’t sit next to him, just somewhat near him, but I have walked out of the building with him a few times. What’re my chances that I got any on my clothes from his?
Also, on Friday evening, I expect to visit a friend who got back last Friday from spending a month “backpacking” across Europe. How “scared” should I be to visit, considering this thread and the above mentioned news having gotten my back up about this?
For future reference: I live in an attached apartment and frankly can’t afford to be throwing away mattresses and furniture and electronics. If this ever happens to me, what’re my best options given these facts?
Oh this thread has given me nightmares. I packed a flashlight on my last trip to NYC and spent 45 minutes in the room bedbug hunting (didn’t turn up anything, the Roosevelt, for reference). On the way back from the airport I was telling my dad about the bedbug infestation in NYC and everyone talking about triaging luggage etc. when you come back from trips.
Yeah, bad move. My parents apparently have nightmares of bedbugs from growing up so they automatically went into panic mode. Apparently they’re a huge problem in India.
My mom ended up greeting us at the door with a can of lysol, refused to let me bring the luggage inside (only my laptop, which my father inspected meticulously), all my clothes ended up in the dryer immediately and even my cosmetics bags etc. were kept in in the garage in sealed plastic bags for 4 days before they’d let me bring them in. Even with all these measures, the two of them spent a couple of days stalking around the house looking for erstwhile bedbugs.
I guess they had to refunish their home in India twice on account of bedbug infestations, so they’re freaky paranoid about it.