Since about a week or so ago, I’ve gotten bug bites all over my body. Yesterday, my father woke up with bed bugs ALL OVER THE COUCH. We’ve stripped every bed and couch in this house of its bedding, and have yet to find any bed bugs anywhere except for on the couch. We’ve searched and searched again, and hope not to find any more.

We’ve scrubed and sprayed down the couch with some bug spray that specializes in killing bed bugs, and an exterminator is stopping by tomorrow morning to spray the entire first floor… But how can I do my best to gaurantee that the bugs don’t spread? They don’t seem to be anywhere but on and around the couch, but I really just want to be sure. They’re disgusting little things, and it doesn’t help the matter that I’m deathly afraid of even the most harmless bugs.

So, are there any steps I could take?

Technorati Tags: bed bugs, bedding, bug spray, couch, exterminator, tomorrow morning

OK, I have a bit of a bug phobia, and I have no idea how this could have happened, but I did buy new bedding about 4 months ago, and last Sunday I found 3 bugs that looked like bed bugs under my mattress!!!! Each one was like half the size of a bead, brown and flat. Of course, every piece of bedding went to wash in hot water, double dose of detergent, dryer for 90 minutes each batch, several day project.

Because of my phobia, I use Flea Busters’ Boric acid powder for maintenance cause it is effective in dehydrating bugs and it is safe and I have seen it kill spiders and roaches too. Pest control people say that bed bugs are a special breed and need special fumigating at the tune of 0!!

Does anyone know if Flea Busters Powder will kill a bed bug? I also read diotamecous earth will also kill bed bugs?

I also found a product called Bed Bug Powder, but I cannot find the product ingredient details to compare with Flea Busters to see if they are the same thing.

I read bed bugs have become a huge problem in the U.S., like in hotels…..that is why I have not traveled unless I can stay with family….the only thing I did different was buy a new mattress cover about 4 months ago and that is where I found the bug. It was packaged, but what if it was a return!!!

Since my bed is 8 years old, I am throwing it away, but I don’t know how long to wait before buying a new bed to ensure these things are gone before such an expense…. help!!!!

Help!

Technorati Tags: 4 months, 8 years, bed bug, bed bugs, bedding, bug powder, detergent, double dose, earth, hot water, hotels, last sunday, mattress cover, pest control, phobia, product ingredient, spiders

When I woke up this morning there was a single bug sitting on my comforter next to me. I have no bites or anything. I have been planning a trip that is happening in a few weeks, so have been researching bed bugs in hotels and know what they look like and how to find them and what not… At first I figured it was a tick, but it did not have the legs like a tick and was flat and brown. I immediately looked up pictures and it is in fact a bed bug. I have a brand new bed that i bought before moving into this apartment about 8 months back and the apartments do not have any other bed bug issues. Also, Immediately after finding the bug, I killed it and flushed it down the toilet, then searched around my bed all over in it and around it, Removed my blankets, sheets, and mattress cover, and threw them into a garbage bags and tied it up. I then grabbed all of my laundry and the bags with my bedding stuff and went to the Laundromat. I put all the pillows in the dryer for 40 min and washed and dried everything on hot. I have vacuumed and sprayed bleach all over everything in my room (carpet, mattress, frame, etc..). I have searched my bed thoroughly in all cracks and what not, and see absolutely no signs of them anywhere (no casings, shells, blood spots, bugs… nothing) I have a completely bright white mattress too, so i figure it should be fairly easy to spot them. I think that the one could have been brought in by my friend who goes out of town every week for work and is constantly staying in hotels. He came over and was in my room the night he got back into town (which was Saturday night), and I found the bug the following Tuesday morning. Do you think I have an infestation?????? should i be worried? Im already scared to sleep in my bed now..,
How does an infestation start, then, if there can never be just ONE?
Isnt it quite possible that the bug I found was just one that was carried over from my friend?

Technorati Tags: bed bug, bed bugs, bedding, blankets, bleach, blood spots, carpet, casings, comforter, cracks, garbage bags, laundromat, laundry, mattress cover, pillows, planning a trip, saturday night, shells, tick, tuesday morning

I’ve recently spotted two bed bugs on my bed. I’ve looked at pictures online and am sure that they are bed bugs.
I got a new mattress 10 months ago, wash my bedding and curtains regularly every week, and clean my room (and closet) every week as well, in short, my room is always clean–so its really annoying that I have these bugs lurking in my bedroom, especially since the purpose of my "compulsive" cleaning is to keep my bedroom vermin-free.

How do I get rid of them effectively? I’ve read that sealing my mattress in plastic would kill the bugs (over a period of time), I’m willing to do this but where can I get a plastic big enough to fit my mattress (full size).
Any other suggestions will greatly be appreciated, since I’ve only spotted two so far in about a month’s time, the problem doesn’t seem bad now, regardless, its disgusting and I want to take care of this before it gets bad.

Technorati Tags: 10 months, bed bugs, bedding, curtains, mattress, period of time

ok last year i had bed bugs and i thought i got rid of it with bed bug spray, vacum, and bleaching, but i guess they laid eggs and all that stuff. So i just spray it with the spray again. and im gonna wash all my clothes, bedding, stuffed animals, etc tomorrow. i have a washing machine at home, so will that do the job. i usually just wash and hang it up to dry. and what kind of water should i use. hot or cold??
and should i wash my pillow? i have one of those therapeutic memory foam pillows.

Technorati Tags: animals, Bed Bug Spray, bed bugs, bedding, clothes, eggs, job, memory foam pillows, vacum, washing machine

I have often bought used flannel sheets from Thrift Stores but now am concerned with the bed bug issue. They have arrived in the city in which I live. I want to know if anyone can advise me about how to prevent them. Do I stop buying clothing and bedding from thrift stores? Or can I keep the merchandise in bags in the cold night air overnight killing any? Does heat (from a clothes dryer) or freezing cold kill bed bugs that maybe present? I don’t know if heat or cold kills them.

Technorati Tags: bed bug, bedding, clothes dryer, cold kill, cold night air, flannel sheets, Kill Bed Bugs, thrift stores

So for a few weeks now almost every night I find a single bug crawling around (quite quickly) in my bed always on my sheets. And every night when I find it I capture it in a tissue and stab it through the tissue and it’s blood and crap pops out the I flush it. It’s like the size of a tic I think, and has the appearance of a head lice bug a little bit but is of course much bigger. Ik it’s not bed bugs because for one I’d be waking up with many bites and I don’t think I’ve had any bites. Plus I’m pretty sure bed bugs are too small to see with the naked eye. I’ve tried washing my sheets, blankets, pillows, pillow cases, and the stuffed animals on my bed, I even got completely new bedding and everything and nothings worked and I really am not comfortable with finding a strange bug in my bed every night does anybody know what this might be and know what I can do?!?! I just killed one like 5 minutes ago please help me!! my mom hasn’t known what to do either we’ve been spraying my bed with hair spray that’s the same brand as the shampoo I started using for a while when I was little to get rid o head lice (Paul Mitchell is the brand) I’ve never had lice since btw so if you are readin this and happen to have lice, use that stuff. The store treatments and mayonnaise don’t work. But anyway, please help me

Technorati Tags: appearance, bed bugs, bedding, blankets, btw, crap, hair spray, head lice, little bit, mayonnaise, mom, naked eye, paul mitchell, pillow cases, pillows, shampoo, stab, strange bug, stuffed animals, tic

I’m hoping someone who has dealt with bed bugs before can help me.

Recently within the last few weeks I received some bug bites. These occurred immediately after returning from a trip to the east coast (Washington DC). The bites are located only on my feet, ankles, and there are one or two on my calf, and a cluster of three on my upper thigh. No bites on my upper body. At first I thought it was fleas. While we were gone we had a friend come by and feed our cat and he has a small dog. The dog used my couch blanket as a bed so I was thinking that could be it. A friend of mine looked at my bites and said, "You have bed bugs," saying this because he himself had them a few years back and had to throw out his mattress. Immediately I started panicing. My bites are in sort of a linear pattern of three, but they’re spread pretty far apart. My boyfriend who shares the same bed has no bites. But I’ve heard its not uncommon for the bugs to have one host or people not having allergic reactions to their bites. The first thing I did was spray our luggage with bed bug spray and put it in the garage. I haven’t gotten any new bites since the first ones, a few weeks ago.

My boyfriend and I turned our mattress and boxspring upside down and searched for clues but couldn’t find any. I bought vinyl mattress encasements and we’ve sealed up our mattress and boxspring already just in case, our city has a reported high number of bed bug infestations. I’ve been diligently checking the bedding every day and have no other clues (no obvious feces, eggs, or skin) but the other day I did find a blood stain on my pillowcase about the size of a dime. It wasn’t that dark and washed out very easily. I searched the case and pillow but never found a dead bug. I’ve never bled on my pillowcase before, but I have noticed blood in my ear canal within the last week and my boyfriend is prone to nosebleeds from time to time.

So, I’m pretty worried. I’ve already thrown all of my clothing and linens in the dryer on high heat and have been vacuuming like a fool. At first this eased my mind but then I saw that stupid stain. I figured if I saw any more definitive clues (like cast skins or blood stains or an actual bed bug) I would call my landlord. Now that I’ve seen a stain I’m still skeptical of whether or not I have enough information to determine a bed bug problem. Our landlords aren’t the friendliest, we rent from private owners, and their maintenance staff is useless, they don’t know what they’re doing and don’t speak much English. We really don’t have extra money to hire an outside exterminator.

Have you dealt with bed bugs in the past? Would you say I have enough evidence that I should call my landlord or wait for more clues? I have photos of all of my bites, as well as the blood stain. I’ve heard the earlier you catch a problem, the easier they are to get rid of, just not sure if I even have a problem (besides paranoia). Thanks!
Thanks! Yep, I’ve done literally hours of research on the web on bed bugs, so I’ve been searching and keeping a sharp eye out for clues where they like to hide, I even took apart my wooden dresser and sprayed the cracks just in case I didn’t stay in a hotel, I stayed with my boyfriend’s parents in the basement room (kind of regretting that now) on a sofa bed. I figure if I picked them up during travel it was at the airport. Thanks for the tip on the new clothing, I never would’ve thought to do that and it makes sense. At this rate it seems like within the next ten years everyone will have bed bugs!

Technorati Tags: allergic reactions, ankles, Bed Bug Spray, bed bugs, bedding, blood stain, couch, dead bug, ear canal, east coast, eggs, feces, fleas, infestations, linear pattern, linens, luggage, mattress and boxspring, pillowcase, upper thigh

how do i clean my house and bedding to get rid of these allegens

Technorati Tags: bedding

I brought bed bugs back with my blanket from Amsterdam and they’ve been BITING me Do I need to wash my bedding with special soap? Do I need to wash anything else? I’ve been sleeping on the couch and I don’t get bitten there.

Technorati Tags: amsterdam, bed bugs, bedding, couch, soap

allergy barrier bedding thread count

Technorati Tags: allergy, bedding, thread count

k so whenever I sleep I wake up with my allergy symptoms. Now I know why this is but I was wondering how to sorta get rid of the dust mites. I looked at hypoallergenic bedding but I’m a teenager and all of it that I’ve seen is white so I would rather have something… brighter I guess? Well anyways any help is appreciated,I hate my allergies .

Technorati Tags: allergies, allergy symptoms, bedding, Dust Mites, sleep, teenager

I mean aren’t they visible to the naked eye? I have a futon and I’ve been getting bites but a friend said they might be spider bites.
Yesterday I took the futon cover off to go wash it (along with all the bedding) and before I left I found a spider on the back board and killed it, but then of course today I woke up with a ton of new bites.

Everyone here is saying that if I have bedbugs I’ll have to throw out the mattress, but this was a 0 futon mattress and i want to make sure that I’ve really got to get rid of it before I do – also, this is my bed, don’t have a separate bed.

Technorati Tags: bedbugs, bedding, futon mattress, naked eye, spider bites

i woke up with some bites on my leg thought it was bed bugs.. searched my entire room from the bed to the floor to the wall hangings cannot find a single bug? anyone know whats going on?
I looked in every part of my bed my bedding my floor my carpet and see NOTHING! But the bites dont itch they are just there and i see nothing i am confused should i be worried?

Technorati Tags: bed bugs, bedding, carpet, entire room, wall hangings

I have just recently discovered I have a room that is home to bed bugs. I found tiny bed bug bites all over my body in various places. I want to get rid of these pests at once, not a hit and miss try. My mom has told me to wash all of my sheets, bedding, and my dog’s bedding. and to also vaccuum the entire room. Will this help? ive been informed that JUST washing the sheets and mattress (which she didnt suggest) isnt enough. Please help me!

Technorati Tags: bed bug, bed bugs, bedding, entire room, mattress, mom, pests

I have been having a problem with some unseen bug, which leaves no trace but crawls and bites in the night. I thought it may be small bed bugs, so I sprayed my mattress with a bedding spray. The next day the room reaked of a sickly sweet urine-like smell. I am wondering if anyone knows if perhaps dead bed bugs smell like this???

Technorati Tags: bed bugs, bedding, mattress

My doctor says I need to wash my bedding in 130 F degree water…how do I find out how hot my water gets? My washer doesn’t have knobs for that.

Technorati Tags: bedding, degree water, knobs

I’ve been getting clogged sinuses recently and I’m pretty sure it from the dust mites in my room.

I’ve bought an air filter and covered all my bedding with dust mites covers and that’s helped a lot, but I was wondering if I should deal with my carpet as well?

My room is small, about 10′x12′, and the carpet is thin and only about 5 years old.

I was wondering if it was possible to cover the carpet with linoleum as opposed to taking everything out of my room, ripping up the carpet, then laying the linoleum.

Technorati Tags: air filter, bedding, carpet, Dust Mites, linoleum, sinuses, x12

…really work?

Hey everyone.

Unfortunately, I’ve got a bed bug problem. The weird thing? They’re not hiding in my mattress. My guess is they’re hiding behind a loose molding in my room. Pathetically, I tried RAID. Of all things. Raid. Stupid ol’ raid. Thats right. It didn’t work. Now, all of my bedding is going in the washer/dryer, so that’s been taken care of. I know they can be INSIDE the mattress as well, because I don’t want to take any chances, I am going to get an encasement for my mattress very, very soon. But because the raid did not work, I want to try a bug bomb first, before I call the exterminator; if needed. Do bug bombs work? how do I use it? are there any other alternative ways on getting rid of bed bugs, before I call the exterminator? And I hear there is a type of lotion that kills bed bugs, what you do is put it on your body like a regular moistrizer, and if the bedbugs try to bite you, it will die from the moistrizer. Is it true? Also, how much would it be to call an exterminator? Thanks so much for the help!
Mark, I think you have fleas.

Technorati Tags: bed bug, bedbugs, bedding, bug bomb, bug bombs, bug problem, encasement, exterminator, fleas, getting rid of bed bugs, guess, hey everyone, mattress, molding, washer dryer, weird thing

I have fecal and blood stains on my sheets and pillowcases from bed bugs feasting on me all night. I have washed them and dried them on very high heat which was effective in killing them. But the stains haven’t disappeared. They just get lighter with every time I launder them. Is there a way to remove the leftover stains on my bedding?

Technorati Tags: bed bugs, bedding, blood stains, high heat, pillowcases

What would it take to kill 100% definitively? (on bedding, mattresses, furniture, clothing, et cetera.) Only provide methods that are not harmful to humans and will not destroy the medium the mites are living on. Please give details and documentation! Thanks.

Technorati Tags: bedding, furniture, mattresses, mites

Most of the vegans that post on make claims that they are vegans because they can’t stand to see harm coming to any animals.
1. Do you ever wash your bedding because when you do you are murdering thousands of bed bugs.
2. Do you ever walk across grass because you are probably killing many bugs and worms
3. If you caught head lice would you use medicated shampoo to get rid of them.
In theory your philosophy is great but how do you differentiate between what "aminals" you can kill and what animals you don’t. Do you consider insects animals? If not you are just being hypocritical and drawing the line where it suits you. So if someone else draws the line at lets say mammals only and still eat fish and fowl who are you to comdemn. If they draw the line at humans and still eat beef its just a question of where the line is drawn.
response to smtrautman since he wont allow emails. Since when did insects become micro-organisms? And using "poison on your head to rid yourself of lice is not accidental is mass genocide. I don’t consider myself high and mighty, it is the vegans that try to lecture to me about my choices that feel they are superior. I agree that the conditions that many animals are raised in and the way they are tortured and killed is appalling. Lobby all you want for the more humane treatment of animals, I’m 100% for it but don’t lecture me about my choices. There is a verse from a famous book, think it may be the bible "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Technorati Tags: bed bugs, bedding, bible, choices, drawing the line, fish, grass, head lice, insects, mammals, mass genocide, micro organisms, philosophy, poison, shampoo, treatment of animals, vegans, worms

This morning and yesterday my son woke up with what appear to be insect bites. They itch and are red; one was puffy after he scratched it. He is the only one in the house getting these.

So I took the blankets and sheets off his bed and inspected the bedding, mattress, floor and baseboards around the area. I did find one small insect–very small and not like the pictures I’ve seen of bed bugs. It was maybe 1/8 inch long, elongated and brown in color. That was all I could find. I didn’t see any blood or rusty stains on the sheets.

Ugh. I’m almost vomiting here at the thought that there might be bed bugs or something. To my questions:

Can bed bugs be passed by casual contact? We haven’t been anywhere overnight or had any company. My son did get a used stuffed animal that he took to bed with him! (crap) That was a couple weeks ago. Can he pick them up from the kids at school?

If it was bed bugs, wouldn’t I find them on the mattress or sheets or somewhere around the bed? Like I said, it was just that one and it didn’t appear to be a bed bug.

Something is obviously biting him at night. What else could it be, if not bed bugs? What else should I look for for signs of anything?

So I’m going to wash his bedding and vacuum the room really good. What else should I do? Take him to the doctor? Call an exterminator?

Oh, I seriously have the heebie jeebies! Any thoughts or advice greatly appreciated.
No chickens. We do have a cat that’s strictly an indoor cat. We’ve had him for years and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have fleas, but it’s something to check into. Thanks a lot. I made a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: appointment, baseboards, bed bug, bed bugs, bedding, blankets, chickens, couple weeks, crap, exterminator, fleas, heebie jeebies, indoor cat, insect, mattress, signs, stains, stuffed animal, vacuum

My girlfriend found dead bed bugs after we had been getting bitten at night. She vacuumed, washed the bedding in hot water, dryed bedding in hot dryer, and sprayed isopropyl alcohol on everything in the bedroom. It seemed as if they were gone and then POOF 5 months later here they are again. What can be used to kill them without hurting the dogs or the kids???? Are there any ONE TIME USE products out there?

Technorati Tags: 5 months, alcohol, bed bugs, bedding, dogs, girlfriend, hot water, poof

I discovered bed bugs in our new home about a month ago, I went online and followed plenty of advice; how ever spraying 6 matresses with alcohol, vacumming everything and washing all bedding I am still finding a couple insects every few days.
I have 5 children and take pride in keeping their rooms in perfect condition. We don’t alow clutter in our house so why have we been infested by these horrible insects? What is safe to use around children and their matresses that will kill these bugs permanently?

Technorati Tags: alcohol, alow, bed bugs, bedding, clutter, few days, insects, matresses, pride

Lately I’ve been a coward to sleep on my new mattress and because of those bugs I can’t sleep at night. Is there any other way to kill bed bugs without having to get rid of my new mattress, and plus does sprays like lice bedding or raid kill these types of bugs?

Technorati Tags: bed bugs, bedding, coward, lice, mattress, sleep

We have had bed bugs for about 5 month’s now and we just now could get a bed. cause our old one had holes and stuff well i just killed around bed bug on the new bed and i don’t no what to do my son who’s 5 month’s sleeps on our bed cause we’re still saving up to buy him a crib and i want to get rid of these bug uhhh i can’t stand it so please help me i wash all my bedding in hot water and there still there i don’t don’t no what to do…

Technorati Tags: bed bug, bed bugs, bedding, holes, hot water

I just put my mattress and box spring outside on my deck (it is about 29 – 31 degrees F out right now), while we are washing our sheets and bedding on hot water/high heat dry. We are also vaccuming like crazy. Any bed bugs we may have missed, will the cold kill them? and if so, how long should we leave our stuff out there (an hour, a day, a week?!?!?)

I’ve read a few places that putting your furnitre out in the freezing weather for a "period of time" will help kill begbugs, but what the heck is a period of time???

Serious answers only, please!
But How Long to leave it out?

Technorati Tags: bed bugs, bedding, box spring, furnitre, high heat, hot water, mattress, period of time, weather, what the heck

I have bed bugs. I get multiple bites on my hands almost every night.

I have enclosed the boxspring with a latex cover, but the bites continue. I've sprayed with Home Depot insecticide, which says on the bottle that it kills bedbugs. I've sprayed every inch of my bedroom with this junk, multiple MULTIPLE times, including spraying the mattress. I've also done the routine of washing all bedding in hot water (I do it just about weekly).

I've spent so much money on this, it's ridiculous, from replacing pillows to paying exterminators to buying mattress enclosures. Do I really have to just accept that insects dine on my blood nightly and smear it on my sheets as they depart? Do I have to move and trash all furniture and belongings? Should I go to bed in a beekeeper's suit? What's a guy to do?

Technorati Tags: bed bugs, bedbugs, bedding, beekeeper, belongings, boxspring, exterminators, furniture, home depot, hot water, insecticide, insects, latex, mattress, much money, multiple times, pillows

i just got a new matress and all new bedding, I'm not allergic to anything, but i think dust mites are gross and i want to keep them to a minimum. my bedding is red and black and i used to keep my bed really dirty and literally never cleaned it. How often should i clean it to avoid dust mites and dirt but still keep it colorful?

Technorati Tags: bedding, dirt, Dust Mites, matress