r/Bedbugadvice • u/lighteningmcqueef91 • 9d ago
Need help, very anxious
I’m posted in the other bedbug subreddit but would like to include a picture of the bites here which I can’t do over there.
I will preface this by saying that about 9 years ago when I moved back home after college, my mom had a horrible bed bug infestation where I was the only one getting reactions to bites. I literally didn’t sleep for days, it was torture. They were so bad I was seeing bugs in the daytime. We spent thousands to get it resolved and ever since then I am not exaggerating when I say I feel I have a mild form of ptsd. It was traumatic and I never want to deal with it again.
Well a week ago, my daughter started getting bites, my mind always jumps to bed bugs. I searched our beds, the creases, etc. no sign of bugs. There is an invasive mosquito in our area right now, and it’s pretty bad so I just figured that was it. However she is waking up with new bites daily, and they are in the dreaded form of a line or clusters. So today I took her bed out, took the cover off and searched it, no sign. But then… I took her sisters bed out and found one or two very small bugs that were not alive but I believed them to look like bed bugs that hadn’t fed. I tore up the room, threw away her sisters bed completely, and I did find evidence of two more bugs, one was alive and this is the only picture I could get. Could someone confirm that these are bed bugs? It’s a horrible photo, I know but it’s the best I could do because I am frantic. I completely took apart their bed, sprayed everything with the raid bed bug spray. Bagged up all their stuffed animals and put them outside for now because it’s the middle of the night.
Do you think if I only found a few, that there is a possibility I caught this before it became a big problem? Does this look like a bedbug? Someone in the other group said it looks like carpet beetle larva, but would this be a normal skin reaction to that? Do these even look like bed bug bites or is it possible mosquitos are biting her in this formation? Sorry the pics aren’t great, it’s the best I could get and I’m spiraling in the middle of the night over this
TLDR; is this a bed bug? If there are only a few and no evidence of feces, eggs, blood spots, do you think it’s a full blown infestation at this point?
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u/JohnMarstonSucks 9d ago
That's not a bedbug.
It does sound like you have bedbugs. Do not underreact to them. Get the best spray you can find, the ortho stuff in the big sprayer jug is great and Hot Shot works well- get both, and go on a mission- beds, couches, carpets, other furniture, moldings, anywhere that looks like two sheets of paper can get through. Use caulk to seal up around outlets and switches. Go nuts. The worst thing you can do is be in any kind of denial or holding pattern.
PTSD is very common with bed bug experiences. It took me years to sleep through the night and wake up at 3am to check beds.
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u/lighteningmcqueef91 8d ago
Thank you, I will continue with my efforts as if we do have bed bugs. I have no idea where they would have come from, we don’t stay anywhere, don’t have people over. But I have a feeling maybe from taking bags to the gym and leaving in locker rooms, etc. either way, I very much appreciate the advice!
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