Bugs, it had to be bugs.....
Sep. 10th, 2008 02:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grnvixenLittle known fact: Bed bugs are making a comeback and have now been found in everyone of the 50 states. Including our bedroom!!!!
Apparently they were pretty much eradicated at one time here in the US, this was when DDT was used broad-spectrum for just about any household pest and the BB got taken out along with the cockroaches. No more DDT and not much of anything else kills BB so they are making a comeback. Most home infestations occur from picking up used bedding or picking up the BB from a hotel stay, the most probably reason for ours. More hotels are infested than folks realize.
This was one time that my seeming irresitable appeal to anything with 6, or 8, legs, that feeds on bood, came in handy. I was getting bitten and since it seemed like I had new bites every morning when I woke up I started looking into it. With a little luck we have caught ours before they had a chance to really settle in. BB are visible to the naked eye and I only 'saw' about 2-3. The eggs are the big problem, they are very very small and laid in out-of-the way places.
Did a google search and found some natural repellant and a treatment that will eventually eradicate them. Did the *whole* bed area last night; washed *every*thing, steam cleaned the pillows, vacumed both sides of the mattress and box springs, treated same, vacumed all around the bed, walls, window, etc. and treated. We had done a bit of a cleanup several weeks ago when my first suspect for the bites was spiders but this one was more in-depth. Fortunately the dust bunnies had not gone feral (yet) :).
No bites this morning so something worked!
Apparently they were pretty much eradicated at one time here in the US, this was when DDT was used broad-spectrum for just about any household pest and the BB got taken out along with the cockroaches. No more DDT and not much of anything else kills BB so they are making a comeback. Most home infestations occur from picking up used bedding or picking up the BB from a hotel stay, the most probably reason for ours. More hotels are infested than folks realize.
This was one time that my seeming irresitable appeal to anything with 6, or 8, legs, that feeds on bood, came in handy. I was getting bitten and since it seemed like I had new bites every morning when I woke up I started looking into it. With a little luck we have caught ours before they had a chance to really settle in. BB are visible to the naked eye and I only 'saw' about 2-3. The eggs are the big problem, they are very very small and laid in out-of-the way places.
Did a google search and found some natural repellant and a treatment that will eventually eradicate them. Did the *whole* bed area last night; washed *every*thing, steam cleaned the pillows, vacumed both sides of the mattress and box springs, treated same, vacumed all around the bed, walls, window, etc. and treated. We had done a bit of a cleanup several weeks ago when my first suspect for the bites was spiders but this one was more in-depth. Fortunately the dust bunnies had not gone feral (yet) :).
No bites this morning so something worked!
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-10 07:39 pm (UTC)Well what are they????!!!!!
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Date: 2008-09-10 07:47 pm (UTC)This American Life had an episode with an entry on bedbugs in August. Just listening to it creeped me out. I hope you got rid of every last one of the little monsters!!!
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Date: 2008-09-10 07:49 pm (UTC)Himself was an exterminator for a few years; he did lots of hotels, and his worst thing was bedbugs. (And my worst thing too - I didn't want to let him back in the house when he'd been doing them!)
According to the pest-killer industry, the increase in bedbugs is coming from the increase in foreign travellers - apparently in many parts of the world, bedbugs are the norm, and foreign travellers and workers are bringing the little darlings along for the ride.
The bad thing is that the hotel probably won't know they're infested until someone is bitten and complains - as you've noticed, BBs hide really really well, until something nice and warm (you!) brings them out for a snack.
Hope your bug stuff works for you - I'm itching in sympathy....
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Date: 2008-09-10 07:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-10 08:11 pm (UTC)http://www.bed-bug.net/?gclid=CKeBta2ewpUCFQhdswodnnEwQw
The eradication is very similar to the method that worked on the fleas we didn't realize we were getting with the house when we bought it years ago. Still being very carefull as I don't think the dust is that good for the cats to walk through a lot.
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Date: 2008-09-10 08:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-10 08:14 pm (UTC)Sorry about the itch but you know, twins share these things :) :) :).
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Date: 2008-09-10 08:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-10 08:31 pm (UTC)I think tea tree and eucalyptus were also recommended on some websites.
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Date: 2008-09-10 08:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-10 08:40 pm (UTC)And watch out for allergic reactions to the bites - while no diseases, apparently they can "histamine" you half to death....
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Date: 2008-09-10 08:51 pm (UTC)Casserole sounds good, and comes with a free kitten too, right :)?
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Date: 2008-09-10 08:58 pm (UTC)He is truly frightening.
And bedbugs are yet another reason I don't go anywhere any more. At least the only thing that bites you at my house (other than kitteh) is the occasional teeny spider.
Hi everyone!
Date: 2008-09-15 05:52 am (UTC)A problem with forum
Date: 2008-09-20 01:17 am (UTC)Could please someone point me to it.
Thanks,
Drew
Introduce yourself
Date: 2008-09-22 01:15 pm (UTC)Where I can find an introduce yourself thread on the forum?
Thanks,
Nic