Bed Bugs!

[AlexMichaels]

This is driving me insane.. ok so back in January I started noticing I had what looked like mosquito bites everywhere, so I went to the ER and they told me scabies, I bought the script and to no avail.. well here I'm trying everything to get rid of scabies, then I see this girl at work who has the same marks I do.. well She said they tried treatment for scabies too and it didn't work.. I can't afford to go to the dr more so I'm doing things online to get rid of scabies.. well fast forward a bit I see her again, and I ask her what it was.. and it was Bed BUGS!! and sure enough that's what I have.. OMG it's driving me nuts.. because I KNOW I got them from work, I'm wondering if I got them from this girl because she sat with me one time when they were still in training class.. she said she found out her mother in law had them before she moved in, so that would make sense who got them.. I've got the diatomecous earth *however you spell it* everywhere and I've got sprays.. the lice spray works.. apparently I'm highly allergic to them, because most of the time people don't even know.. even though I think I've gotten rid of them for the most part.. Do any of you know any not expensive ways to make sure they are GONE??

 

it just completely grosses me out.. It's not like my house is filthy, but apparently your amount of cleanliness really doesn't matter..  

[carribbeangrl01]

Um they are super hard to get rid of. Best way is bag bedding and clothing in black plastic bags. Throw them outside for few days in the sun. Then after about 2-3 days throughly wash stuff. In the meantime you can treat inside with bed bug spray. You have to get everything out of the room to treat. The pros use i think a chemical and or heat treatment. Those little buggars dont like heat at all

[AlexMichaels]

Yeah I've heard about heat too.. I want to get a steamer, but I'm gonna have to wait until the end of the month to get something like that.. The biggest problem is I don't even know how bad we had them..  But I didn't know about putting stuff outside for a couple days in bags.. I'll try that..

[Elijahsmama]

We got them on vacation last year. Believe me it was a beautiful resort. My sister and her family got it the worst they were severely allergic and covered in bites. Thankfully we were able to move to another condo and washed everything there but it was a nightmare. My sister kept everything in the suitcase inside garbage bags fr several weeks after the vacation was over. She was so afraid of them coming back.

Wash everything in really hot water. Vacuum everything and clean the vacuum when done. Simple cheap alcohol also kills them, spray everything. Especially the seems of the matress. Steam works great too. Don't wait too long because they are extremely to easy spread and breed like crazy. You don't want other friends and family to get them.

[AlexMichaels]

apparently I've already had them since January.. that's when I started getting bites, and went to the ER.. I've also heard that they spread fast.. so I have no idea how bad they are..  

 

I have been using alcohol too.. I put it all over the beds a couple days ago.. lol 

Edited June 11, 2013 by Lilpuppy

[Elijahsmama]

You can buy cheap tests buggy beds from Home Depot. 24.97. I saw them on shark tank. You can it them around and see how bad you infestation is. Then you can figure out what to treat. If yu have had the since January you might need to ge an exterminator.

[feather]

hi Beth, I truly feel for you  sorry to hear of your buggy problem, have battled scabies & poison oak before, it's brutal...

a few ideas that may help:

 

for your bites- pure lavender oil, tea tree oil directly on bites

mattresses & pillows, stuffed animals, rugs- replace them, or 92 degree direct sun for several hours

beddings- HOT water wash then HOT dry for 20 min...

if you want to try natural remedies to rid and prevent, a few essential oils you could add to your alcohol use:

            30 drops in 1/2 oz of any of these:   eucalyptus, cedar, lemongrass, peppermint- spray mattress regularly, also place sprayed cotton balls in trouble areas

 

cedar chips (from pet stores, tractor supply) under rugs, mattress, under sofas & chair cushions... no pests or parasites like cedar!

 

keeping home cool & DRY- bedbugs, mites, mosquitos, etc thrive in humid conditions

 

    hope things get better soon for you

[GrumpysWife]

How about a steam cleaner. Steam usually kills everything. I never had them tho, so not sure.

[Miss Bea]

Well, I think this is a sign of the times. When we were little, we never had things like this. I got head lice at the clinic from an infested person hugging me. I was in my sixties, and head lice! Then, I had to bring home Nix, ( our last name) to my husband. He is Native American, and hair down to the middle of his back. He took it in stride. From then on, my lice combs became part of my morning routine. Until the paranoia wore off. And I let people hug me again.

Bed bugs. Did not even think about them. District convention. Those nasty critters. You sort of want to be preemptive, because, when the deed is done, hard to get rid of them. If I escaped this year, I will plastic bag my things next, well, the assembly in November. I know they are on the west coast, but I think they started on the east coast. Probably took a fancy airplane to get here!

You have my sympathies, but I may need yours a bit later, so, I will not be all smug. Cannot imagine.

[pinkpopcorn]

I found several sites.

 

http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/naturopathic-recommendations-for-bed-bugs

 

http://mycleaningproducts.com/bedbugbully/?gclid=CJv058GT3LcCFVNp7AodOC8ATA

 

http://www.naturasil.com/naturasil-kill-bed-bugs-24-oz/?gclid=CJybmomU3LcCFVJp7AodeGgAYg

 

http://gizmodo.com/5994284/theres-an-all+natural-bed-bug-cure-that-actually-works

 

My Mom and I went to Las Vegas last year. We had researched and discovered that bed bugs hate Oregano. We sprinkled our luggage with the herb before we left. That way in case other's luggage had the bugs they would not want to get into our bags. We checked our hotel room beds for any signs. Nothing. I kept my luggage on the metal wrack. I liked the smell of our luggage. I am part Italian!  

[tekmantwo]

I have heard that burning sulpher in your house kills them but be advised, it will also kill everything else in the house too....you included...

 

Do some research on that before you use it---it is very dangerous! ...I have no first hand experience, just heard it from a friend..

[JudyO]

One of my clients had bed bugs last year. She wasn't as allergic as her teenage daughter. She didn't know how she got the bugs, but she lives in public housing and they wanted to charge her $600 for their cost to get an exterminator. They said the bugs even get in the walls. But they love furniture, so she had to get rid of all her furniture and then the exterminator came (there is no local company that treats for bed bugs, and the nearest qualified company is abouit 75 miles away) and then she had to get new furniture.

 

The housing authority says that she probably brought in the bugs by shopping at goodwill or salvation army thrift stores, as this client is known to do that.

 

I like to shop at Goodwill sometimes, too. So I'm hoping that doesn't happen. What a nightmare!

[Allabord4Jah]

There's so many good idea in here, here's one more.  Get CEDAR.  I have Cedar Oil (in a spray bottle)  or you can get a can of it. Its not cheap, but you can either spray some of it on those cedar boards, or paint them with the cedar oil from the can (spray or paint outside, wait a couple of hours to go in the wood).  I got the cedar boards (red arouma) at Home Depot. Before you spray or paint the cedar oil on it, its suggested you sand, the boards just what u need.   I have one in my room and one board in my bathroom.  I use it to muffle the smell of my neighbor's cigerette smoke.  It makes my room smell good, and  when traveling, I have advised the friends to get those sachels or smaller cedar boards and put them in their suitcases, stick one or two in their hotel closets.  If the maid doesn't bother what you have in the hotel dresser, then stick one or two in there.  Put one or two (small size) boards inbetween the mattress.  It will rid the room of bedbugs, and other tiny critters that you don't want to wake up and find on your covers!  By the way, if you have snakes around your home, instead of using those stinky moth balls (plain) use the cedar kind.  They hate it!   Sliter like the dickens!!!   

[GrumpysWife]

What a good idea! Bravo Lisa.......

[Allabord4Jah]

I know about those slittering snakes, I had them below my window last year.  The home association put down those nasty moth balls, I got sick as all get go!   The snakes still came, but killed off the needed bugs on the bushes below and birds!   I went out on my porch and threw chips of cedar down there, like a little row of flowers.  The snakes stopped coming, they went next door (the next door people were the ones who put the stinky moth balls under my windows), the next day, I saw they had picked up those moth balls and had put down Cedar!   Now when I take a litlte walk around my home, I can smell easy...cedar aroma all around!  

[Allabord4Jah]

Judy, thanks for reminding me about furniture at Good Will or some other store like it.  Its true, you have to look at it carefully, not closely, or one or a million will jump on you!  Once you get one, the entire family packs up and moves in on you!  You become one big steak to them!   

 

Years ago, I was invited to play cards at some lady's house.   We all worked together at the business.  She had a small get-to-gather at her house.   It was summer time, and I had heard that her house wasn't up to par, particularly there could be some roaches running amock.   So I took some percautions.  I smelled like Raid, but I didn't care.   While there, we sat around her dinning room table, and I didn't notice any roaches running around.  So I got thirsty and I asked her if I could go to her frig and get something to drink.  She said yes, and as I was stepping into the kitchen, she yelled, and get yourself some ice.   So cautiously I went into her kitchen, I looked for a clean glass in her cupboard. I found a couple.  I opened the frig and saw a new bottle of Gatoraid.  I yelled out "hey can I have some gathoraid."  She said yes.   So before I opened it and poured some out, I wanted some ice in my glass.  So I opened the freezer door, and I heard this tiny little voice yell out "Shut that door, can't you see we're sking in here, your melting our ice!"   What the!!!  I opened it again, and there mountains of roaches all in ski parka's.  They were sledding down ice slopes, and one was on a ski lift ( I think it was a frozen pea lift). I shut the door, I put down the glass, and put the gathoraid back in the frig.   Needless to say, I never went back to that house, and I didn' t bring anyone home with me except myself. 

[GrumpysWife]

Good thinking.

[AlexMichaels]

There's so many good idea in here, here's one more.  Get CEDAR.  I have Cedar Oil (in a spray bottle)  or you can get a can of it. Its not cheap, but you can either spray some of it on those cedar boards, or paint them with the cedar oil from the can (spray or paint outside, wait a couple of hours to go in the wood).  I got the cedar boards (red arouma) at Home Depot. Before you spray or paint the cedar oil on it, its suggested you sand, the boards just what u need.   I have one in my room and one board in my bathroom.  I use it to muffle the smell of my neighbor's cigerette smoke.  It makes my room smell good, and  when traveling, I have advised the friends to get those sachels or smaller cedar boards and put them in their suitcases, stick one or two in their hotel closets.  If the maid doesn't bother what you have in the hotel dresser, then stick one or two in there.  Put one or two (small size) boards inbetween the mattress.  It will rid the room of bedbugs, and other tiny critters that you don't want to wake up and find on your covers!  By the way, if you have snakes around your home, instead of using those stinky moth balls (plain) use the cedar kind.  They hate it!   Sliter like the dickens!!!   

 that's cool about the cedar, I know alot of things don't like it, But I did not know that you can get it in an oil, so I will look for that! I'll check for the cedar moth balls too.. I bought some to keep snakes away before spring,, ooommg even though put them outside it all smelled like old people.. (no offense to anyone.. that's how my grandmother used to smell)  but it didn't help I saw a snake on my front porch a week or two ago.. it was a harmless snake but still .. scary.. 

[AlexMichaels]

I was gonna say I don't think I've gotten rid of them completely but I haven't had any new bites a couple weeks since I put that diatomecous earth stuff down, and sprayed everything in my room.. I was going to buy one of those hand held steamers this week, but I will have to wait till after the convention since they aren't very cheap.. but I will steam every square inch of my house if I have to.. 

 

Unfortunately I cannot afford to get rid of all of our furniture, so the steam will have to do .. but if they aren't dead yet they will be that's fore sure.. I am going to try the cedar though. Thanks for all of the suggestions.. I think I'm gonna put oregano in my luggage this weekend too.. lol 

[pinkpopcorn]

Let us know how things work out! Oregano all around! 

[LindaL.]

Beth, I really feel for you! And I hope you're winning the battle!

 

Here's an article in the Awake: http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201212/bedbugs-bite/

[DLM]

My son had an infestation of carpenter ants and he used  diatomaceous earth and got rid of them. I looked it up on internet and found out that it will kill bed bugs and all kinds of creeping things. It is a white chalky powder and you just sprinkle it around where the bugs are and it kills them. It took care of his ants!   And it is safe enough to eat!!!

Edited June 28, 2013 by Chena345

[Joey]

I hap carpenter ants and I got rid of them with Tide detergent.That was after spending $120.00 to an exterminator and still kept getting them.A sister told me to use Tide.

Now bedbugs I don't know about but my husband is the facilities manager of 3 local library and they have a real bedbug problem from people taking books home,reading them in bed,the bedbugs get in the books...they have to wash all the book drop bags after they are empties and have spray that kills them on contact...Lotta work.