Hello everyone. I am facing something which I am learning is becoming a huge epidemic and it is freaking me out. I saw it on Dr. Oz a few weeks back, but didn't know much about it. The breakdown is that I have bed bugs. I have been told they can from anywhere: hotels, public transportation to and from work, and I utilitize both of these. I have only seen them in my bed, and I have not slept in my bed in the last day, but I don't see them now. I have read they are nocturnal. I have done searches and there is alot of advice given. I would like to ask for advice from anyone who has been in this situation or iss going thru this situation, or knows of someone and what has been done that has truly worked. I need to know what I need to do to truly deal with this and not do things out of fear or a waste of time. Any advice will be so greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.
I want to thank everyone for their support and advice. I am going to get on all of this right away! One very important thing I want to ask if as far as the plastic encasement of the mattresses, do they have to zip up. Every place I have called only completely covers, but they do not zip. For those who got the plastic encasement do yours zip, and if not..are they doing the job you need to which is suffocating the heck out of those critters? lol . I just want to make sure I do everthing correctly and not waste my money if I need to do something else. Please let me know and I will keep you all updated on everything. I am eternally grateful for this site and for all of the compassionate people who have given their advice and support. :-)
I have seen shows how to get rid of bed bugs, and you will probably need an exteriminator. There are extremely hard to get rid of. I would start taking my bed apart and actually find where they are hiding. Usually in the mattress or head boards. On shows they actually fumigated the house.
Please hire a professional to treat this problem. Not only to do the actual identification, but really treat your home in a good way. Interview several and make sure you read the fine print. Find a reputable local company through the BBB if you can.
You sure have my sympathy, and I hope I'll never have to face this problem. I'm not sure from your request if you've been bitten or have only seen tiny insects in your bed, but either way, I'd like to pass along a few ideas you might try:
Several moms on this site have found that vanilla extract repels mosquitos, and it's safe and non-toxic. You might try spritzing yourself and loved ones before bed with vanilla, and see if it makes a difference.
There's also a very effective natural, non-toxic product called Neem Oil that I use in my garden to discourage insects and caterpillars. It kills the appetite of the invaders, and they just stop attacking. It's safe enough that in India it's been used for centuries as a tooth cleanser. The only complaint I've heard about it is that some people don't like the scent of it.
Good luck. I sure hope you find a solution.
I stayed somewhere that we found had bedbugs. On our return home, we washed everything in hot water and sprayed the bedding with some sort of lice/bedbug type spray. They were not already in our home so we were just cleaning everything we brought back from the trip. Hope this is helpful.
I know nothing about actually having them... but I saw a program on Discovery Health where the person got bed bugs in their house from a hotel. Professionals brought in their beagles and stiffed the bugs out and killed them. You might look into professionals who have trained dogs to find where they are hiding so they can be killed.
Hi U., Hate to tell you, but you need a new mattress. You are really going to have to hire an exterminator as well. These little buggers are much worse then fleas. They can go longer with out eating and have an even more evolved life cycle. Best of luck.
Two words: Professional Exterminator
I have been battling bed bugs for a while now. What does work for me is this:
Plastic incasement for the matress and box spring
New pillows
Hot shot Flea and Bed bug killer spray
Vaccuming every day ( bedframe, around and under the bed) and then dump the dust out in the garbage can outside rightaway.
Washing everything, sheets,pillow covers, pj's, comforter, in hot water (at least 120 degrees)
I have not had a bite in over a week but from what I read they can come back so I keep doing my cleaning and spraying for another 5-6 weeks to make sure they have gone.
Good luck.
I saw a tv special on this problem (maybe 60 minutes?) a couple of years ago. They are really hard to get rid of. They can hide in the mattress, in the carpet, in the cracks of your bed frame...basically anywhere. I would pull the bed away from the wall and clean everything in and around there really well. I think encasing the mattress in a plastic cover can't hurt. Probably need to do all of these things plus hire an exterminator. But, these bugs can carry some illnesses, so please make an appointment to see your doctor too to make sure you are okay.
My college roommate dealt with this. Her mother advised her to get a plastic sheet to cover the mattress. I think this somehow suffocated the bugs - err, I really don't know how it worked, but it did.
get a new matress and throw out your bedding if u cant bleach it!
Although I've never had them, my kids have had lice and if you don't take the right steps to eliminate them completely, they will be back or shared!! I heard an exterminator talk about bed bugs. I suggest you contact one that is reputable and knows what he is doing. My referral is Tom Carrano of C&C Pest Control and his number is ###-###-####. I'm sure he will be glad to answer your questions.
C.
You will need an exterminator for this. They are really hard to get rid of. I don't know which area you live in, but Dewey Pest Control is a company I recommend.
Are you sure you saw bed bugs? If you have pets, they could be fleas. Perhaps ants or some other small insect. I wouldn't panic until I was sure that bed bugs are what you saw. If you only saw them once, relax and wait to see if you see them again. Check your pets and treat them for fleas. Look for ants or other insects that you can see in the day time.
We are over run with ants and nats right now.
Look up bed bugs in the Internet and become more familiar with their habits and how to be rid of them if that is what you have. They multiply rapidly and I would expect that you'd still see them on your bed. Did you lift the mattress pad off in the dark and look at your mattress?
I'd sleep in my bed and see if they bother me before assuming that they are bed bugs.
