Those poor people. We had bed bugs in our house once, and I still have nightmares about getting bit up. It's horrifying not feeling safe in your own bed. The worst part is that once they put out the treatment you have to stay home, no packing up and going to the hotel, because you have to be the bait to lure those evil suckers out so that they all die.
Post by Velar Fricative on Aug 20, 2014 10:03:10 GMT -5
That's what my arms looked like when we had bed bugs in our apartment. I was also five months pregnant. It was the worst. I have become an expert on treating bed bugs now, unfortunately. My advice is always the following:
1) Dip into your life savings if you have to and do not scrimp on extermination services. You want the best people for the job here. 2) Follow all of their advice to a T. Do not take shortcuts. We did more than they advised us to do (like put everything we possibly own that could attract the bugs in the dryers for an hour each time to kill anything in there). 3) Put everything you have that can't go into dryers into contractor bags with a thingie of Hot Shot in it and keep the bags sealed for 7 days and not a minute less.
And it all worked. No bed bugs after their follow-up visits or since then.
I do live in NYC but we are almost positive we got them from our hotel stay in Atlanta. Aren't you glad we never got a chance to meet up that weekend, iammalcolmx? ;-) Now we are very very cautious at hotels and check everything and follow the prevention suggestions every time.
Anyway, you know what was the worst thing? The exterminator came on a Wednesday to investigate. They clearly found hints of bedbugs in our mattress. Because we needed to do all the prepwork they advised us to do before they could start the treatments, they couldn't start treatments until the following Monday. When we asked where we should sleep until then, they recommended we still sleep on our beds to avoid spreading the bugs to the couches or wherever. OMFG. You guys, I barely slept those 5 days knowing there were bugs under me, and while I never actually saw them on me, I was still getting more bites. And I discovered that I was getting far more bites than DH was because I was pregnant, so my blood volume was increased and they could smell it. OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG.
I don't know why I'm writing all of this out. NEVER FORGET.
The worst part is that once they put out the treatment you have to stay home, no packing up and going to the hotel, because you have to be the bait to lure those evil suckers out so that they all die.
Those poor people. We had bed bugs in our house once, and I still have nightmares about getting bit up. It's horrifying not feeling safe in your own bed. The worst part is that once they put out the treatment you have to stay home, no packing up and going to the hotel, because you have to be the bait to lure those evil suckers out so that they all die.
Excuse me while I go shudder and twitch randomly.
Right! I feel like that's why the spread can get out of control. People are advised to stay home but they don't want to, and then that shit continues to spread. People, it's important to be martyrs for the great cause here!
I must be completely desensitized. Growing up in the Caribbean means you always have random rashes and itches. I remember weeks of suffering from sea lice. So I'm less than sympathetic than your reality TV person,
That's what my arms looked like when we had bed bugs in our apartment. I was also five months pregnant. It was the worst. I have become an expert on treating bed bugs now, unfortunately. My advice is always the following:
1) Dip into your life savings if you have to and do not scrimp on extermination services. You want the best people for the job here. 2) Follow all of their advice to a T. Do not take shortcuts. We did more than they advised us to do (like put everything we possibly own that could attract the bugs in the dryers for an hour each time to kill anything in there). 3) Put everything you have that can't go into dryers into contractor bags with a thingie of Hot Shot in it and keep the bags sealed for 7 days and not a minute less.
And it all worked. No bed bugs after their follow-up visits or since then.
I do live in NYC but we are almost positive we got them from our hotel stay in Atlanta. Aren't you glad we never got a chance to meet up that weekend, iammalcolmx? ;-) Now we are very very cautious at hotels and check everything and follow the prevention suggestions every time.
Anyway, you know what was the worst thing? The exterminator came on a Wednesday to investigate. They clearly found hints of bedbugs in our mattress. Because we needed to do all the prepwork they advised us to do before they could start the treatments, they couldn't start treatments until the following Monday. When we asked where we should sleep until then, they recommended we still sleep on our beds to avoid spreading the bugs to the couches or wherever. OMFG. You guys, I barely slept those 5 days knowing there were bugs under me, and while I never actually saw them on me, I was still getting more bites. And I discovered that I was getting far more bites than DH was because I was pregnant, so my blood volume was increased and they could smell it. OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG.
I don't know why I'm writing all of this out. NEVER FORGET.
I was also pg when it happened, I feel your pain. DH brought them home from one of the hotels he stayed at for a conference. It was awful, there is no sleep. Can't sleep, bugs will eat me. Can't sleep, bugs will eat me. And ditto all the advice. Do not cut corners, those suckers are evil and crafty. EVERYTHING gets put in the dryer, or in a black plastic trash bag then out to the car to bake for a full 5-6 hours. EVERYTHING YOU OWN.
I am quite convinced that some day we will all have them but learn to live with them through things like mattress protectors, etc..
Treatment is expensive as hell and they can just come back if outbreaks elsewhere get bad enough. womp womp
I'm extremely paranoid about bed bugs and it stresses me out that my husband isn't, particularly because I know he isn't checking hotels for them when he is there without me.
Yet another reason to just wait until the movie comes out on DVD and borrow it from the library.
We got bedbugs from the hospital when Caleb was born. It took 5 weeks before we realized what was wrong, though, because they were only biting me. They stayed mostly in the mattress, the rocking chair and finally got into the co-sleeper. But they only bit me.