Treat Bed Bugs

I have these horrid bites that are incredibly itchy and red (I can tell they're bites because there appears to be a tiny hole in each), and when I first moved into my new apartment about a month ago, I found this tiny, tick-like, reddish-brown bug in my comforter whilst making my bed. I didn't have the bites then, though, so I didn't think anything of the bug sighting. Anyway, the bites seem to occur mostly on my extremities (arms and legs), but I've gotten them on my back a few times as well. I had thought that it was an allergic reaction to something all this time, but I haven't eaten anything different, used any new soaps/detergents, etc. So now I'm putting two and two together, you might say!

Anyway, I've called my complex's management about it, but they may not be able to get pest control to my place 'til March 29th. Boo! Is there anything I can do in the meantime?

Bedbugs are EVERYWHERE. Try using a disinfectant like Lysol. I have heard it is extremely affective. Also if you have animals it could be fleas. I had that happen once. My cat had fleas and jumped up on my bed and laid there while i was at work. the fleas got into my bed and bit up my ankles. the were very itchy and red and some even swelled up a bit. That to was easily remedied. I vaccuumed the bed. sprayed Lysol all over it and vaccuumed again as well as treat the kitty with some flea medicine.

Perhaps you should let other tenants know how the landlord is handling this situation. Perhaps you aren't the only one with this problem. the 29th is too long for ANYONE to have to wait. i would recommend writing a formal complaint and making copies of it. One for yourself, one for the manager and one for the owner. Let them be aware that you feel this is an issue that you feel needs to be resolved now not a few weeks from now. Good Luck!

I keep having the exterminator in, but the bugs are in my chair. What kind of material can I purchase to get past this problem?

I would really consider throwing the chair out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedbug

The takehome points from the wiki page on them are these:
1.) These things are eating you. Owch and Itch!
2.) You might have some clutter that is keeping them around. Throw some stuff out.
3.) Apparently vacuuming might help.
4.) DDT worked on killing these, but apparently other pesticides don't kill them very well.
5.) Due to them being flat, they can hide really well in the fabric of the upholstery, carpeting, carpet padding, crack between the drywall and baseboard, etc. Apparently they're hard to get rid of.
6.) Often associated with international travel.

I would further suggest you read the following whole section as it provides a lot of advice about controlling bedbug infestations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedbug#Controlling_infestations

Good luck with your problem and I hope you can take care of it before they infest your bed/curtains/etc. (Females lay up to 5 eggs per day, with up to 500 in a lifetime.)

people comes and sprays,will it be effective,does the bedbugs will be eliminated completely.pls respond dear people.

It can be completely effective. . . our apartment building, and our unit, had this problem a few months ago. After one treatment, the problem went away. Make sure that you wash everything in your bedroom though. . . sheets, pillows, comforters, any clothes that you store near your bed, etc. The larvae can live for months without blood (gross, I know), so larvae could hide out and then reemerge months later if you don't get them all at once.

we just discovered that we have bed bugs - ugh! everything that i have read indicates that you must get an exterminator to get rid of the bugs; however, we have newborn and i am very afraid to use pesticides in our apartment for that reason - we spend 24hrs a day here. not to mention, i have a brother with autism so i am very fearful of damage that can happen to a child when they are developing. please help! how can we kill bedbugs without harming my newborn?

There are many internet sites that have information about bedbugs. Thsi is from only one. Get on teh internet and search for them and if it is necessary to hire a professional exterminator, have them tell you what they do to protect your child. They are supposed to be the experts. Make them earn their money.

Given the ideal environment your bed and mattress offer for sleep, what other residents are likely to take up residence in your bedroom and what impact can they have on your health?

Many people suffer from allergies – to pollen, to food, to animal dander, and to dust. Many allergies also stem from dust mites. Dust mites are very small insects that can be found in homes around the world. They are tiny relatives of spiders and ticks that have eight legs, no eyes, and are more or less just a stomach on legs. Dermatophagoides farinae is the scientific name for household dust mites. It’s unpleasant to think about, but dust mites eat the skin that falls off people every day (and night). They eat enough of it to produce twenty or so small pellets of fecal waste. Humans can breath in this waste and it can cause allergic reactions. These reactions in turn can make you feel tired, irritate respiratory function, and lead to a lousy night’s sleep.

There can be millions of dust mites in a single mattress. And dust mite infestation in homes is not uncommon- as many as 44 million American households are thought to have dust mite problems.

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are another unpleasant tenant in bedrooms with unhygienic sleeping conditions. Their name is cute - it even shows up in a nursery rhyme (‘good night, sleep tight…’) but dealing with them is far from cute.

They are small - usually just a fraction of an inch long - and nocturnal, hiding during the day. At night they come out and attach to human beings. They inject a coagulating agent and numbing substance and – not unlike a large mosquito – will suck the blood out of sleeping people. Most of the time people awaken with small itchy welts. Sometimes they can have allergic reactions leaving large hives and severe skin irritation. In extreme cases bed bug bites can cause anaphylactic shock in reaction to the substances they inject while feeding.
Treatment and Prevention.

Bed bug bites usually heal themselves and treatment with ointments (like cortisone) can minimize discomfort. If you have an allergic reaction, see your physician. Similarly, treatment of allergies due to dust mites is often over-the-counter symptom relief from antihistamine.

Once you’ve treated the symptoms, you should move on to eliminating any current infestations and preventing new ones. If you suspect you have bedbugs or dust mites, put your pajamas and bed sheets in the freezer for at least 24 hours. Then wash them in hot water. This should kill any organisms on your clothes and sheets.

Next give your bedroom (and house) a thorough cleaning. For bed bug infestations, consult an insect exterminator.

To prevent future infestations:
Vacuum your home weekly
Don’t eat food in bed
Inspect older, antique or second hand furniture before bringing it into your home
Change your bed linens at least once per week
Eliminate bird and bat residences near your home – bedbugs often live with birds and bats
Caulk cracks and crevices around your home
Make sure your mattress hasn’t turned into a site of infestation

I found them in bed frame, rapidly spreading to photos hanged in walls,
they do die when I spray Raid.

I am trying to find a cheap way to get rid of them, not throwing away my furniture, 'cause I am sure they're clean now but they are few wandering in the room

Bed bugs can be VERY hard to get rid of…so I heartily recommend professional cleaners/ use of industrial insectides/ fumigation.

Our building was infested, and our condo became infested, and they have been a nightmare for me. And I am fastidious. They can infect ANY home…even those of clean freaks, of which I called myself before this happened. Now I'm outright paranoid, sleep deprived…etc. (So get a professional on the problem as soon as possible…the longer you wait, the harder it will be to get rid of these things for good!)

FOR THE RECORD: bed bugs infest VERY clean homes as well as those that are dirty. However, because there is a stigma of dirtiness associated with all bug infestations, a lot of people don't want to come forward…get help, or tell neighbours, which makes risk of transmission that much worse.

Also NOT EVERYONE will develop welts/ reactions to their bites. I am very sensitive, and have a ton of allergies, and the only sign of it for me was ANEMIA. My mum (I'm a university student, and live at home) got a very bad reaction - two people, same home, very different responses.

I've been getting so discouraged trying to erradicate these things without success (the fumigators come tomorrow).

We have had to get rid of a LOT of things. More for my peace of mind, since I do not want to move and infect my new home when I move out for good. (My mum is not as paranoid, but I've read up on these things…they are so hard to fully get away from!)

Anyway…

Some things to help reduce numbers:

-get good vacuum bags and vacuum DAILY…very, very well.

-caulk cracks/ areas that are loose/ open to infestation.

-remove loose wood tiles in the floor, and use an insectide on those areas before relaying. If you can locate a nest, you'll cut down on your chances of getting bitten.

-put vaseline around the end of the bed to trap them. DO NOT LET YOUR FLOORS or sheets touch the floor.

-CHUCK. YOUR MATTRESS. The largest number of them will burrow into the bed mattress. If you cannot afford to get an air mattress as a temporary measure, then coat your mattress in plastic. I would coat it in several sheets, taking great pains to seal off EVERY crevice with moving tape.

-Also, consider chucking luggage. Backpacks etc. should also be carefully examined.

-we have a steam cleaner. It is in use daily. I must clean three plus hours a day now. I am not getting bitten AS MUCH, but I still am very anemic, and my mum is still getting hives/ welts - which shows that a "cheap" do-it-yourself method isn't likely to work…

-consider duct taping vents/ common air vents and turning off ac if you live in an apartment. Also in most countries - if you live in an apartment, it is the boards' responsibility to pay for fumigation etc. However, if you need to chuck your things…you'll be out of pocket for those items.

Bed bug removal can be very costly. We've spent hundreds on bags, cleaners, steam cleaning machines, laundry/ dry cleaning alone - and probably several thousands for the fumigators, because we live in a condo. We store clothes in the freezer - so that we leave the house knowing we aren't taking them with us. I, for one, am paranoid about having anyone over, lest they contract them.

They are becoming epidemic, but like I said…they infect ANY home, not just messy/ dirty ones. However, adopting a "cleanliness is next to godliness" mindset WILL cut down on their numbers.

Also, ONLY the adults, at full maturity, can lay eggs. If you can kill and remove them before the next generation reaches maturity, and if you can continue obsessively cleaning until they are gone…you may just be able to rid yourself of them.

But overlook NOTHING. They can hide everywhere. They prefer dark areas that are soft, or wooden, and close to their victims, but they have been found in TELEVISION sets, in books, in photo frames, in computer bases, in vents…everywhere. This is why fumigation is so necessary, even though costly. But, unless you are a home owner, fumigation should be covered by your board.

EXTREME heat kills them, extreme coldness kills them - but not the eggs, which need to be removed, and covered in insectide. They also can go a year and a half between feedings, which makes them even more nightmareish.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this too. Best of luck with the exterminations!

CHECK with your local fire dept. I think arson is illegal.

I live in a 3 story place in Dorchester, I rent one of the 12 rooms. Recently, we’ve noticed the presence of bedbugs. We spoke to the landlord and he sprayed several rooms with some sort of spray that he bought from the Home Depot.

It’s not working.

I looked up stuff on google and the Boston Inspectional Services flyer I found says that proper extermination should include inspection by a qualified inspector.

Can I make my landlord hire a qualified inspector? Who would pay?

Massachusetts is an extremely tenant friendly state.

Your landlord is legally responsible for paying for the extermination of bedbugs.

You need to call in the local housing inspector and they will force the landlord to take action.

The landlord cannot legally retaliate against you for calling in the housing inspector.

Apparently there’s a division of the Boston Housing Dept. Inspectional Services (ISD) that works as Bed Bug Inspectors. Landlords are responsible for eradicating the problem.

Here’s what they do:

To effectively address bed bug infestations in Boston, ISD endeavors to educate inspectors, property managers, exterminators and the general public on the nature of bed bugs, bed bug prevention and the proper extermination of bed bugs. We endeavor to assist owners, tenants, and pest control operators in exterminating for bed bugs by attending extermination visits, assisting with education & preparation and by sharing our knowledge and experience on best practices.

Bed Bug Inspection Orders:

We require written extermination reports, within 14 days of a notice of violation, and prior to closing a case. Although Bed bug infestations do not get resolved quickly, we endeavor to work with owner’s who have contracted licensed Pest Control Operators, who have treatments programs in place, and who provide written documentation on the treatment programs.
Our Standard bed bug notice of violation also requires that owners inspect all units in the dwelling, and they must treat all horizontally and vertically adjacent units to the infested unit(s).