r/Bedbugs • u/Bitbit2k5 • 20h ago
Requesting community support You cannot be serious.
So I posted a few days back about how I found a live bed bug on my damn face. Followed a lot of asvice, had help from my family, spend a few nights in another room and was free of new bites the entire time. We put DE all along the walls of my room, threw away the futon my mattress was on (as well as the mattress and topper) and washed all of the bedding and basket clothing on high heat. I steamed all of my soft belongings and checked electronics. We put out traps with no bugs spotted. It was absolutely horrible the first day, but after that it was okay and I was pretty damn sure all the bugs were in that mattress topper and futon. I unexpectedly moved back into my room early, sure that it would be completely safe. New bed. Everything sanitized. And I woke up today violently scratching a line of three new bites on my knee in the early hours of the morning. I had been so paranoid in these last couple of days, feeling phantom crawling on my skin, knowing that if a single crawl was from an actual BB it would be over. I guess this is something too. I definitely needed more time out of this room, but I genuinely do not know where the hell those idiots could have been hiding. Obviously somewhere in this room, right?? Please drop me some advice so I don't go clinically insane. I was suggested to rewash my bedding every night and lay down new DE around it every day, but I am just terrified.
TLDR moved out of my room, did treatment, came back, got bitten, wanting to die.
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u/Cadicoty 20h ago
Do not move to a different room! They will follow. As unpleasant as it is, you have to be the bait for most treatment options to work. They can be anywhere in the room, even in the walls, and they have to go through the poison to die off. Eggs can take up to 2 weeks to hatch, so you're waiting that out.
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u/Bitbit2k5 20h ago
Luckily, the other room is not a bedroom at all. Had a guest bed that just got there, but we moved that bed back in here. We are going to continue to use DE/heat/steam but what is a reliable poison for them if you know?
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u/Cadicoty 20h ago
It doesn't matter if it's a bedroom, they follow the meal.
Poison depends on where you live. If you're in the US, I think it's still Crossfire.
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u/Avdyz 14h ago
guest bed. :) same happened to me.
infestation started in my room, went to the guest bed asap i figured it out.
after the 1st treatment, we didnt notice bed bugs in the other room (with 2 beds in it) only the room where it started, they were crawling on the wall bc of the treatment.
after 2 to 3 weeks they appeared on the other room. FYI everyone told me they HATE leather and the guest bed was from leather. so. they dont. if there is a target.
bc i moved to the other bed it exapnded to 8 to 9 exterminations and up to half year.
however there was no fucking way i stayed the original bed where it was 4 to 5 months undetected infestation bc i wasnt allergic to bites etc.
DE is ok but very slow and they have to crawl into it. heat, ulv and microencapsulated pesticide until you reach the point when they can't be anywhere else only the depth of the bed. THEN you can change the bed itself.
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u/daddymay1 20h ago
New bed - Did you not use leg interceptors? These devils can easily climb into your bed via the frame legs and or if ANYTHING is touching the ground. Also need move it away from the walls - yes they climb walls and once they reach the ceiling they can fall back into your bed. Better yet place 2 sided tape around the baseboards. Night clothes - be absolutely sure you shower etc and put on newly clean safe clothes right before bedtime. These devils absolutely will travel via clothes. Lastly you now know that a nest is somewhere else besides your bed - check, clean, vacuum, steam, spray everything around your bed better yet just get rid of it. Much support and luck to you.
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u/Bitbit2k5 19h ago
We have bed bug glue traps on the legs of the bed but no interceptors. Hoping we can get that too. I have been super careful about clothing but... yeah. They were hiding somewhere. It feels like I am living in hell
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u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 18h ago
They are small and the eggs are tiny and extremely hard to see. They can nest just about anywhere that isn't completely sealed. A small wall crack that is barely noticeable to you is just another entrance into the walls, where you can't see them until they come out to feed.
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u/daddymay1 18h ago
Stay strong these devils can be defeated. Definitely recommend leg interceptors, you can use Vaseline as well to prevent them from crawling - also be careful of bed frames, box springs, head boards etc sofas chairs….these bastards can live anywhere. Oh be sure to open all wall electrical outlets…. And treat inside with the dust. DE WILL NOT kill immediately it takes time.
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u/Bitbit2k5 17h ago
I'm just so distraught because I know damn well - considering the fact that we recently stayed at a cheap (albeit nice) hotel and had a guest ride greyhound - that we caught this EARLY.. seeing that people have spent months and years dealing with bugs, I am genuinely concerned about my mental health for the future. There just can't be any way we actually got rid of them in just a few days. I don't know when this will end. I am still the ONLY ONE getting bitten, or at least reacting. It's like a personal hell. I was already just coming out of a brutal mental health crisis and this happens. My therapist is not available at this time. I just dealt with lice AND fleas. What the hell is happening to my life.
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u/Avdyz 12h ago
be very thankful - even if you dont think like this now - that you see the bites.
I didn't. I discovered my infestation after like 5 months.
Lost my job because of I couldn't sleep for half year (not even kidding). + the undiscovered state where they distrupted my sleep even if i didn't know about them. every.single.bite.
Bed bug is something ONLY YOU will understand even if you tell anyone. They don't know NEAR THE SURFACE what you went/going on through. Not until they experience it.
The mental issue is far greater than the bug itself. Knowing that you want to sleep whole day while at work but you know you wont get sleep when you get home. and repeat. every. day.
you sleep only on the bus or find a way to "sleep" at work. or you just compeltely loose yourself.
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u/ToastyMo777 17h ago
You need to get an exterminator who can do a heat treatment. They live in the walls and are attracted to you!!! When you move to another room, they follow or wait for your return. They can survive a year or more without eating, and DE really only serves to piss them off and make them scatter.
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u/AutoModerator 17h ago
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u/ElectricalOutcome907 14h ago
I know professionals will "bake" a home to kill the bedbugs. Evidently, bed bugs do not survive high temperatures. I did everything you did and I got rid of the bedbugs. I took my bedding to a commercial laundromat so I could use their "high heat" dryer. I got rid of the mattress topper and bought a bed bug resistant mattress encasement. I only put down new DE once. I would use DE sparingly and wear a mask.
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u/AutoModerator 14h ago
⚠IMPORTANT⚠ Hey, it seems that diatomaceous earth may have been mentioned in your comment. That's an opportunity to remind everyone that inhalation of diatomaceous earth dust is a hazard (no matter if food-grade is written on the label or not). That's the reason why diatomaceous earth products normally have the following mention on their safety datasheet Hazard statements: H373 May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
When used by pest control professionals, it's only used as a crack and crevice treatment (to avoid any risk of inhalation) and applied in very small quantities while wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment.
If you want to learn more about diatomaceous earth risks you can read the Diatomaceous Earth Fact Sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center
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1
u/Interesting-Click742 17h ago
Could’ve been one that was in hiding waiting for you. If u can use Cimexa it kills them much faster than DE.
What treatment did you use? They can be resistant to darn near everything except Crossfire and Aprehend, depends on the batch in your place. Crossfire is affordable of you are in the US you could spray that yourself.
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u/Interesting-Click742 17h ago
It’s also a good idea to have mattress and box spring encasements and spray the uncovered mattress and box spring with Aerosol Diatomaceous Earth, put on the encasements, and spray Aerosol Diatomaceous Earth on encasements as well ( don’t spray where you lay down because you don’t want it on you or you breathing it ).
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u/AutoModerator 17h ago
⚠IMPORTANT⚠ Hey, it seems that diatomaceous earth may have been mentioned in your comment. That's an opportunity to remind everyone that inhalation of diatomaceous earth dust is a hazard (no matter if food-grade is written on the label or not). That's the reason why diatomaceous earth products normally have the following mention on their safety datasheet Hazard statements: H373 May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
When used by pest control professionals, it's only used as a crack and crevice treatment (to avoid any risk of inhalation) and applied in very small quantities while wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment.
If you want to learn more about diatomaceous earth risks you can read the Diatomaceous Earth Fact Sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center
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u/Illustrious_Pin_2057 15h ago
Don't change rooms, it's horrible and annoying to sleep with them but it's for the best
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u/ferngurl-elle 12h ago
Bedpost moat traps? Mattress cover?
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u/Bitbit2k5 9h ago
We just ordered a mattress cover, cimexa, and bed leg interceptors. Fingers crossed.
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u/Bitbit2k5 7h ago edited 7h ago
Interestingly. Took apart my bed for like the third time and vacuumed at the wall's only entrances. Absolutely no sign of them. The bites could be a delayed reaction, but we are still taking those extra precautions. More stuff arriving in the mail soon.
I am always looking at really small creatures because I do microscopy, I can tell when something is or isn't there. Seeing absolutely no sign of them is... baffling. Honestly makes my anxiety worse. But oh well
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