Bed Bug Treatment

Comments

1. Derrick says:

   March 11, 2010 at 2:39 pm

   After finding a bug crawling on me in just before dawn it became clear to me that these weird red patches I’ve had on my arms and legs in the past couple weeks must be bedbugs. I caught the blood filled critter and bagged him, researched and confirmed my suspicion.

   I studied up a bit on here and some county extension sites and decided that I needed Diatomaceous Earth and some spray of some sort. I did not disturb where I thought the most likely places they would be but took off to ACE hardware once they opened. I bee lined for the chemical aisle and already had the Diatomaceous Earth in hand when I was approached by a clerk asking what I was wanting to kill.. told him I had the bedbugs. (they are apparently very common in my area) He advised that I did have the right thing in hand and also suggested a bottle of JT Eaton bedbug spray, (label says it lasts for up to 16 weeks)

   There was a huge display of several bedbug choices right as one walked in the door, so I felt a bit better knowing I was not the only one facing this embarrassing situation. I took the spray containing Deltamethrin .03% and the Diatomaceous Earth bottle (Safer Brand) home and formed a game plan.

   I have an upholstered suede headboard from floor to almost ceiling with lots of tufts, buttons and folds so I figured that’s probably a favorite hiding spot. Sure enough, after noticing some poop marks and trails, I was sure of it. I started checking it out and there were about 10 creepers that I caught and bagged. I wanted to make sure the spray killed the suckers so I gave them a dose in the bag and they were all incapacitated immediately and died soon after.

   I then took the vacuum hose and sucked in every crevice in the headboard and then took the bed apart, loaded up the washer on hot and threw in the sheets and mattress cover and bagged the wool blanket. The bed springs of this king bed sit directly on the short tight woven carpet so I figured I would find a bounty there, but did not. The mattress showed no signs of infestation, whew….. I sprayed the headboard, I don’t care if it kills me or not!! I spayed around the bed, under it and inside the box springs. I then caught a couple more adults wandering around in a stuper.

   I vacuumed the entire room at least 12 times over, cracks, crevices, mattress, box springs, headboard EVERYTHING!! I sprayed around all the base, door entries, bathroom and closet. Then I dusted all the door entry ways in case some tried to run out, they would be coated in the dust. I set the box springs and mattress up on edges and let everything dry. Then I laid out lines of the dust and since it only made heavy lines, I took a broom and went back and forth to throw it all in the air— I stuck my face in my shirt since the whole room filled up like smoke. This coated EVERYTHING with the dust, which was my intention.

   I then laid lines along the baseboards and swept it up under all the base, put some in the air returns and also turned on fan on the HVAC unit and pumped some of the dust in there in case they were hiding out in the vent system. Everything I have read and trust me, I read all day, states that this Diatomaceo Earth dust is really effective in long term due to its action of dehydrating the bugs and killing them naturally within a short period. This would include the new hatches as they come along, but I plan on vacuuming it up and re-applying in 2 weeks.

   I don’t care what they say, I am not sleeping in that room for at least a week. I am in the spare bedroom which someone had recently been sleeping in with white sheets and there is not one single sign of a bug anywhere in there. I figure if they are going to come after me in that room, they are going to have to go through A LOT of the dust to get at me so this might actually work in my favor, making them chase me down thus making sure they get a good dose of the dust on the way.

   I am now off to scrub the headboard with hot water and laundry detergent and am going to use a scrubber brush. Will report back with my results. I really appreciate this forum and thank you all for your contributions. I really couldn’t afford to get an exterminator and I feel good about my decision to take this on myself, but couldn’t have managed without help from you all. !! I am in Denver, by the way! Thanks..
2. mel says:

   March 4, 2010 at 8:12 am

   FYI folks:
   Bedbugs do not live only in the beds or mattresses, they hide out, especially during the day, in walls, furniture, carpets, floors, wherever….then they come out to feed in the bed at night.

   If you are trying to get rid of them, throwing out your mattresses and blankets and sheets won’t do it, you have to eradicate them from the entire room.

   good luck!!
3. Roxanne says:

   February 10, 2010 at 9:18 pm

   I have read on several sites that have information on how to get rid of bed bugs that they recommend using diatomaceous earth. It is a natural, inexpensive, non-toxic insecticide. You want to be sure you don’t breath it when you are applying it, and don’t ingest it, but other that that it is very safe. Just dust it on the floor under your bed, on your box springs and on baseboards. You can also dust your mattress & box springs with it and then enclose them in plastic covers that are made for them to reduce allergens.
   I have not used it for bed bugs yet, but I have used it to get rid of aphids on my tomato plants in the summer and it works very well.

   Note: Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth
4. Jessica says:

   February 5, 2010 at 1:11 am

   Hi, before I share my story I’d like to make a suggestion. I haven’t read every last post yet so I don’t know if anyone has already mentioned this but there is this product called “Miraculous Insecticide Chalk” otherwise known as “Chinese Chalk.” It is mainly used to kill cockroaches but its supposed to kill bed bugs also. It used to be sold back in the 70’s but it was banned because children were mistaking it for regular blackboard chalk, swallowing it and having seizures.

   Chinese Chalk looks like regular chalk so if you have children you MUST keep it out of reach. You can order it on Ebay or across seas like I did and it is very inexpensive. I used it for roaches and it was a MIRACLE, got rid of my roaches in ONE night and I haven’t seen one since. It affects insects’ nervous system and basically makes them go crazy and die.

   The directions say that if you’re using it for bed bugs to take your mattress and put it on the floor and draw a circle around it and leave it there for a few days so when they come out they have to walk across it. I would, for extra measure, also draw lines around the rest of the bedroom or whatever area is infested and leave it there for about a month.

   When you draw your lines you have to make sure they are thick so that when the bugs walk across it they will get the chalk dust all over their body. Also, remember not to draw lines in places that children or animals will come into contact with. Clean up is also a breeze, you just use water. I hope this helps some people.

   Now for my story…There are 3 different sites for my job and I have recently become the floater so if someone calls out at any of the sites, I fill in for that person. Well, I had been covering in this particular location since last Thursday. I was there Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, and half of Wednesday. I had been working with one other guy (an old man who refuses to retire), who’s not the cleanliest person in the world. I had been hanging my coat next to his each day I was there.

   Wednesday I saw a bed bug crawling out of the pocket of his jacket and I freaked. I left everything there in the office and went home with the t-shirt on my back. Now I am really paranoid that I may have already brought a bed bug home with me as our jackets were touching each day I was there.

   I haven’t seen a bug or noticed any bites but I fear that my infestation might be in its infancy. For anyone who knows all about bed bugs please tell me what are the chances that I probably brought a couple home with me????

   Thanks

   ———————-
   Hello Jessica,

   I think you’ll be fine with the bed bugs not jumping to your cloths, but if I were you, I’d would not wear you work cloths home and instead bring a clean pair to change into, or sweats, etc. Use a plastic bag to put everything into and seal – you want to isolate your work cloths from home, then when it’s time to clean the work cloths, make sure to wash in hot water – take some time and read the comments here – you find some great ways to make sure you stay bed bug free.

   *** WARNING: DANGER ***

   

   Here is information from the government on Insecticide Chalk that is illegal in the United States! In a nutshell, they say:

   “These products are deceptively dangerous. Children could easily mistake them for common household chalk,” said State Health Officer James Stratton, M.D., M.P.H., “Consumers should avoid them.” “Obviously, making an insecticide look like a toy is dangerous–as well as illegal,” said DPR Chief Deputy Director Jean-Mari Peltier.”

   The products — sold under various trade names including Pretty Baby Chalk, Chinese Chalk, and Miraculous Insecticide Chalk — are hazardous for two reasons. First, they can be and have been mistaken for common household chalk and eaten by children, causing several illnesses. Second, the products are unregistered, and the ingredients and packaging are unregulated. These products are typically manufactured in China and illegally imported. The packages instruct consumers to draw chalk lines on the floor to kill insects that crawl over the pesticide.

   I also found this statement from:
   ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1026725/pdf/westjmed00130-0076a.pdf

   “Miraculous Insecticide Chalk”- An Unregistered Household Insecticide:
   The California Department of Health Services recently has received numerous reports of the sale of an unregistered insecticide for use against cockroaches and ants. This insecticide is prepared as a white stick simulating common blackboard chalk, and lines are drawn where the insects are to be controlled. It is manufactured in China and is not registered with either the US Environmental Protection Agency or the California Department of Food and Agriculture. This product is being sold to the public primarily through flea markets and Chinese import stores, with its use most often being reported in Asian restaurants and migrant labor camps.

   Samples of “Miraculous Insecticide Chalk” submitted by the public have been found to contain 0.71 % of a synthetic pyrethroid compound called deltamethrin. Deltamethrin is mildly toxic, with the most likely toxic manifestations being irritation of the mouth if ingested by a child. Ingesting small amounts-one piece of chalk or less-should require no medical therapy. Ingesting larger amounts should be managed supportively; no antidote is known. Since the product has not gone through the proper regulatory channels, we have no assurance that either active or inert ingredients pose only a minimal health hazard.

   The sale of “Miraculous Insecticide Chalk” is illegal in California, and its use in restaurants is a violation of California’s Health and Safety Code. Use of the product should be reported to local public health officials or local county agricultural commissioners.

   KENNETH W. KIZER, MD, MPH
   Director
   JOHN H. POORBAUGH, PhD
   Senior Public Health Biologist
   Environmental Management Branch
   California Department of Health Services
   714 P Street
   Sacramento, CA 95814

   For those of you reading, please beware of these warnings. Consider using Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth instead – there are a number of comments on this page with more information about this all natural product!
5. Mohamed says:

   January 25, 2010 at 7:45 am

   I use steam cleaner with 1500 watts + vaccum cleaner and it reduces them. Is there any way by which I can detect their places?

   Dear people, please avoid chemicals as much as possible.
6. brenda says:

   January 21, 2010 at 7:53 am

   I have lived in many places, NEVER have I had to deal with these horrible creatures before!

   They tell me my sister brought them to my dads apartment inside her stereo speakers and she had done it before to someone else’s home…shame on her.

   Anyways, I came to stay with dad and to get rid of these things. I bought the Bayer spray from Lowes and spayed and sprayed and sprayed (always use a respirator/face cover, do not breathe in the vapors). It seemed to work some but the temperature in this house is 86 and I cannot use the spray anymore because I cannot take Dad out of the house. The bugs are EVERYWHERE!!!! Its horrible day or night all over! My son had one on his lip when he went to take a drink! My grandson had one on his finger when he was at the table eating!

   ##BTW SPECIAL NOTE: Bed Bugs DO drop from the ceiling and walls ##

   I will go today to get the natural products you have listed and get some storage bags and a steamer. I will let you know how I make out .
7. denise says:

   January 20, 2010 at 4:04 am

   Hello,

   Back in October me and my family move into our new home. well about two weeks later one of my daughters came to me me and said something was biting her, not thinking about bedbugs because she has a infant and she was getting bit we threw out her bed and that was it.

   Well, about two weeks ago i noticed bumps on my arms and they were itching like crazy! I just thought it was from something that i ate. It wasn’t getting better and there were more bite marks. It’s now January 20th 2010 and i couldn’t sleep well so I pulled back the covers and there it was! At first I thought it was a cockroach so i killed it then i saw the blood started checking the covers. Sure enough, there were many more and decided to get on the internet and look up bedbugs, found your site and they match exactly!

   I put all my blankets in the trash, I’m calling my doctor in the morning for treatment and i will be calling the landlord! I think that this house was already infected because the people that lived here before me were very dirty! I am terrified to go to sleep and want to move!
8. Rita says:

   January 4, 2010 at 2:19 am

   Bedbugs, what Horrible, Nasty little monsters they are, we ‘got them’ somehow after moving to a new apartment about 2-3 months after moving in ,we got rid of our matresses and the landlady had a, in my opinion, fly by night guy come, we seen one here nn there for a few months, after we ‘thought’ we were clean, our church got us new matresses, now here we are a couple months later and we have found bedbugs on our new matresses!

   Dear God, this is like a Biblical curse of some kind, we thought we were clear, but now we find out, NO, we are not we still have the little monsters, i have put down Delta Dust after the exterminator was here i thought that would keep us safe, i am going to put some Delta Dust on the box springs under the mattress and use some kind of a spray and check Every DAY for the bugs.

   I don’t know what else to do, the exterminator stole from me while in my apartment, so i don’t want to go back to the landlady because she will call him back and i don’t want that thief back in here again, i am 55 and have Never come across Anything like this creature before.

   I have the greatest amount of sympathy for Everyone that is going through this terrible ordeal, i want to move but am on a limited income so moving is not an option at this time, i hope to somehow get rid of these critters, it is just going to be a matter of time, i hope.
9. ann davison says:

   December 24, 2009 at 6:15 pm

   My house was totaled in a spring storm, I was homeless, had to stay a in transitional housing, in was my first encounter with this problem – BED BUGS! What was the solution, because there were other people sharing this place, I cleaned House, started with bleach, pine-sol, wiped every thing down, then get a gallon of ammonia, either one works, lemon scented or plain, get a funnel, spray bottle, a mask, rubber gloves and go spray every where, it kills them right then!

   Beds, floors, couches, walls, rugs, cracks! Just Open Doors &windows for ventilation! The situation was Bad, I had no money, disabled, but this was what I had to do in order to get to sleep or sit down in this place!

   These bed bugs were eating me alive face, back, legs, arms, it was a nightmare! There is a God and believe me my prayers were answered! after spraying the fist day I could sleep a lot better, but you continue the treatment everyday, until you run them out, Kill Them!! this is also good, for those nasty Water-Bugs, Roaches, spray on your bed, bedding around floors carpeting daily they will die! it is strong smelling but after it clears it has also been disinfected! GOD IS Good! Sweet Dreams!!
10. torie says:

    December 20, 2009 at 9:32 pm

    I just moved into this apartment building in Washington DC, and only been here for seven months and i got all these bite marks on me found out that this was bed bugs never had them in my life so please help me to get ride of them thank you! need to know where to buy the cleaning supply to kill theses pests!
11. marie says:

    December 18, 2009 at 4:16 am

    I work in a hotel, and we have had problems every now and then with bed bug bites but i work at the front desk and don’t go to rooms very often. I have had these bites for months now, It started with a few bites on my legs that itch so much i bruise my skin from scratching.

    I haven’t pursued an answer for what it was but in the last two weeks I have been getting increasing number of bites. One of two new ones a day and I now have about 18 spots some are close by each other but they range from neck to legs. They take weeks to heal and continue to itch. My boyfriend sleeps in the same bed and has no bites.

    I haven’t seen any bugs or eggs or anything, I was wondering if they could live in my car? Does it match bed bug characteristics to bite one bite a day only? Under a magnifying glass it looks like the skin rises almost like a boil or wart and after i have scratched even a little, the top breaks and it looks like the center is a thin scab or blister.

    They are tiny dots smaller then mosquito bites and they bleed easily. It doesn’t seem like bed bugs but i don’t have a clue?
12. Kate says:

    December 11, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    I am pretty sure I was getting bitten by bed bugs, but have never been able to find anything. I did find though that putting Peppermint Oil on the bites helped more than anything else I tried. It relieved the itching for over 24 hours.
13. Catherine Claybone says:

    December 8, 2009 at 11:43 am

    Please provide a quote to my center for the bed bug treatment. The dorms are having a major issue with these pests and we are looking to have the hot treatment done.
14. Keshia Johnson says:

    December 6, 2009 at 1:52 pm

    I’d like to try the DE treatment for bed bugs, but where can I buy the DE Powder from?
15. Lou Range says:

    December 5, 2009 at 4:44 pm

    Why don’t you provide instructions on creating a Bed Bug Barrier so that bed bugs can’t climb up and bite you? Not really a treatment, but something everyone will find useful.
16. Bed Bug Victim says:

    November 30, 2009 at 10:18 am

    Well i said i would return…. Ok so ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL really works on the critters but you have to see them and spray them good because i saw one hiding on our sheets and BAM i showered that vampire with the alcohol and it died immediately…

    DE powder works extremely well and I put it all around where wall and carpet meet as the little critters hide there and under our bed on the carpet and in between mattress and box spring… I also purchased Sterifab and so far bites have been very minimal and far in between… What a relief! Although I think they have moved into my hair..

    I saw a couple of postings that said they can so i did treat my head with lice shampoo and that seems to only be a temporary fix because again my head itches extremely bad and get bites all down my neck so I feel they did get in my hair. So I will look forward to any postings as how to get rid of them in your hair.

    As far as my house goes I think with PERSISTENCE, DAILY follow up and treatment, thorough inspection you can get rid of them. But one thing I can say is fogging doesn’t work and for us the best thing was to throw out our sectional, matress and box spring, no visitors or traveling prior to treatment. I know it seems drastic to throw out your furniture but if that is where you find the abundance of them why not get them out IMMEDIATELY. But make sure to wrap or mark furniture when you dump it so that way you don’t allow someone to bring them into their home.

    Knowledge is power and I thank all the websites and postings that took a major part in us battling the bedbugs. It saved us from having to deal with an exterminator and costing us a whole lot more but one thing i can say is if you are to treat them on your own be ready to fight them on a daily basis and be persistent with treatment… it is extremely tiring and repetitive but if you truly want to get them out of your life you need to do just that.

    So remember ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, Diatamacious EARTH, STERIFAB, and discard of furniture (optional but your best alternative) with persistence and daily treatments this will do the trick.

    Please note wherever in your household you have slept after finding a infestation, any clothes or items that are around or near an infestation and moved be aware you probably moved it to that area as well you should continue to stay in the same location to avoid spreading them to another part of the house but you should still inspect and treat other areas of your household for prevention. I found some newly hatched nymphs in my daughters room hidden in the fur of stuffed animals slowly making way to her bed so they will hide in the least places you would think but they are always near their food source.

    For those postings that are looking for treatment of the bites there truly isn’t one however I was a statistic of allergic reaction to them and I found hydrocortisone was not that effective but this will sound funny but true HOT water seemed to soothe them if you can withstand that and the most effective I found was allergy medicine worked extremely well but I also read that lavender is like a force field to the bed bugs. I did try that and I didn’t get bit but I can’t say for sure if that was the cause but worth a try.

    Good Luck everyone and hope my experience will help others in their Battle.

    O BTW—- if an exterminator tells you you can not do it on your own think about it why would they tell you otherwise they want the business but I can’t stress it enough that if you are going to treat on your own its persistence that counts so if you can’t then an exterminator will be your person.

    I have to warn you though I have done A LOT of research and read A LOT of postings with that said the majority said exterminators don’t work but one exterminator did post that this is true and continued to say when he first got a call he himself didn’t know how to handle them but with more calls he finally figured it out, and, that if done right they shouldn’t have to come back more than 2-3 times due to hatching of eggs but remember if your neighbors are infected you are wasting your time unless they are ridding them themselves the bed bugs will just continue to come back.
17. frantic in az says:

    November 29, 2009 at 8:34 pm

    OMG!! i first noticed bedbugs 3 months ago and have had an exterminator come out 3 times now. did everything they told me to and 2 nights ago moved back into the room with new everything and this morning woke up with 3 tiny bites…really, i cant believe these pests don’t go away!!!!

    what now????
18. brandi says:

    November 28, 2009 at 5:02 am

    I just discovered that I have bed bugs. I’m not sure how long that I have had them. From what I could tell we had both adult and small bugs. There appeared to be maybe approximately 30 to 50 visible on my bed. Have I had them long? I didn’t see them in any other room. Can I keep them from spreading and will it be hard to get rid of them?
19. melitza luna says:

    November 23, 2009 at 7:38 am

    I have been dealing with bug bugs for almost two years now. I have had professional people come and treat for bed bugs but they keep coming back. I live in a duplex and my neighbor won’t get their place done so they keep coming back. I cant afford to pay someone again; is there anything i can do it control them or stop them from coming back?

    Please help, I have a 6 year old son that has bad asthma.
20. susan b says:

    November 20, 2009 at 6:40 pm

    We have been dealing with bed bugs for almost 2 months. At first, we were told my bites were a rash, MRSA etc. It was so frustrating. Finally, I found one crawling on my bed as I was making it one morning and sure enough, Bed Bugs.

    We had to dry on HOT all of our clothes, empty out all drawers/ closet and they sprayed the other day. We have encased our mattress / box springs in BB proof covers. This is costing us over $1000. I am finally able to sleep. They will come back for another treatment in 30 days, and every 30 days for 4 months. I’m told that this is the only way to get rid of them and that you can not do it on your own. The eggs STICK and they multiply quickly….just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

    This is a nightmare and I wish everyone the very best!
21. oscar brown says:

    November 19, 2009 at 9:38 pm

    i went to the movies yesterday and my hand started itching, I’ve been scratching since my hand is swollen and my chest haves red patches. when i got home i noticed my hand and chest was swelling fast i went to take my shirt off and there was a bedbug in my shirt it was small i tried to kill it, it didn’t work so i flushed it in the sink. am worried cause am still swelling what can i do to reduce the swelling with the itching.
22. Timothy Williams says:

    November 16, 2009 at 9:55 am

    Diatamacious earth is the way to go! It’s totally organic, safe for people & animals and the nasty little bugs can’t develop a defense against it…it scrapes the wax coating that coats their bodies…they then die from dehydration.

    You can also kill them by spraying with isopropyl alcohol…but the eggs hatch every day! Move your furniture away from walls and anything that bugs can crawl up, dust heavily with diatamacious earth, cover your mattress and box springs with bed bug covers…remove bed frames and ornate beds, spray with alcohol and store until the problem is gone.

    Buy cheap metal bed frames and coat the legs with petroleum jelly..they can’t cross it…and don’t forget to put DE between the mattress and box springs…your goal is to break their life cycle. BB’s have to feed between molting and before laying eggs. Nymphs are hard to see, but 2nd, 3rd & 4th stage bugs are easier to see…if you see one, you probably have hundreds…it’s war…don’t be shy!

    If you choose chemical’s for bed bug treatment, spray/fog every few days for a few month’s because the eggs are hatching every day and the BB’s will feed on whatever they can, including your pets! Buy pet beds with a separate mattress or pad and sprinkle DE between them.

    What is most disturbing that 3/4 of most people have no reaction to bites, so have NO symptoms! No welts, no itching & no marks…DE is the way to go!

    You’ll have to live with dust everywhere, but that’s much better than the bugs!
23. ash says:

    November 14, 2009 at 5:55 pm

    We first came into contact with the bed bug situation while I was seven months pregnant in a large apartment complex. I had been getting bites for two weeks, and even though I checked multiple times every night- everywhere, could never find a single one. The first night I saw one, we found several- it was like they just decided to make their presence known.

    We had the complex bring out an exterminator, bagged and washed everything, steam cleaned every night(!), and thought we were clear. What we went through was a good week followed by a bad for two months! We then moved to another apartment off the complex, and found them again! We threw away everything, and because we had no furniture moved in with a relative.

    We literally just finished moving the few things we have into my mother’s basement and guess what? She’s found them in her upstairs! It’s a horrible thing to go through- especially over and over again, but we will definitely use all the resources on this website and let you know how it works out… together we can beat them!
24. Ronald Ruppert Jr says:

    November 13, 2009 at 7:47 am

    I read about bug bombs and everyone said it just made the bugs scatter. I then read about Diatomaceous Earth, so I mixed the earth with roach proof and spread the earth all around the perimeter of the room then around the Bed then I set off the bomb. It’s one day later and I’m not finding any bed bugs I think I may have to set off another bomb in two weeks if they left eggs but I’m ready.

    Also, I had to use a hot blow drier to kill the bugs in my hair then shampoo them out.
25. Loopylung says:

    November 2, 2009 at 2:16 am

    I recently moved into an apartment. I bought a new mattress and plastic cover for it day one. I was fine for a while but one night I fell asleep on the couch, woke up at 3 in the morning and went to bed.

    I woke up the next morning covered in massive welts that looked almost like the beginning of chicken pox. I had no idea what they were, and the next day they were worse. After searching around on the internet, I came to the conclusion they were bedbug bites.

    The third day, my hands were so swollen I could not even bend my fingers and they started getting little pus filled lumps. I had to have someone drive me to an ER. They looked at me, laughed, then gave me a steroid shot and a prescription of Prednisone. I started taking it and all the bumps dissipated.

    I cleaned all my bedding, hoping that it would work. Now my Prednisone is out and the bumps are showing up again. I have no idea where they are hiding, because my mattress has always been in a plastic cover.

    I am a poor college student, any ideas?
26. Bed Bug Victim says:

    October 27, 2009 at 11:23 am

    OH and for those of you questioning of a possible bed bug problem don’t waste time for answers just take Precaution and action of a “possible” infestation.

    My local Environmental Health Dept advised it can take up to 6wks before you get bit in numbers and a family of bed bugs so the sooner you treat your home the sooner to rid yourself of a “possible” or “future” issues with these little critters.

    Trust me I originally thought my bites were of mosquitos, then it changed to fleas, after two months one appeared on my arm after i felt a burn which then confirmed the beginning of the end of these critters.
    So take ACTION ASAP!!!!

    Please let your neighbors know or have no visitors while treating or you will just allow these critters other “possible” victims and NONE OF US deserve having to live with these BB’s so why continue the spread EVEN if you “THINK” you might have them tell others…. Also I found my bugs with thorough inspection with flash light and peeling back and looking in little cracks and crevices… but still missed some probably in the outside lining where my carpet and wall meet up…

    GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE COMBATING THESE VERMINS!
    LET OTHERS KNOW WHAT WAS MOST EFFECTIVE FOR YOUR HOME… DON’T BE SHY!!!!!!!!!!!
27. Bed Bug Victim says:

    October 27, 2009 at 10:34 am

    I am currently dealing with these Bed Bugs who are living off me and my children but are sparing my boyfriend. We had been dealing with bites for over two months and one finally appeared to confirmed what we would have never guessed; BED BUGS.
    We rid ourselves of our sectional which was infested, our mattress and boxspring which we found a few in, soaked babies playpen which was also infested in boiling hot water which worked found the nasty critters at bottom of tub. Steamed the floors sprayed with a Home Depot found insecticide (didn’t work) and rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol definitely is a temporary relief.

    Currently ordered 2gal of SteriFab and the Diatomaceous Earth with bulb to disperse the dust and will let you all know if these team of defense against the blood sucking vermins is effective.

    The Home Depot brands and rubbing alcohol cost $33 plus laundry $50.
    Online products 2Gal STerifab, 1bottle of Diatomaceous Earth, and bellow bulb duster $114 plus laundry $50.

    Will return with update, stay tuned!
28. hatebb says:

    October 26, 2009 at 1:37 pm

    Any one know where to get the food grade diatomaceous earth? I live in Michigan. thanks. I can only find it in Ace, which is a non-food-grade big bag.
29. ml says:

    October 22, 2009 at 10:37 am

    I got bed bugs from my apartment-we has a large influx of new tenants. The landlord says it is our problem. It is an old building, and all that is being done is herding them from one apartment to another and back again.

    Right now I’m sleeping on an air mattress. I’m moving to a house and am afraid I will bring them along. Any advice? I’ve bombed and used lawn and garden spray which seems to control them in the apartment, but still get bit up as they get sent back to my apartment.
30. Ruth says:

    October 18, 2009 at 4:27 am

    I was thankful for Keith Gordon’s comments about bedbugs. The place I am living has had quite an influx of bed bugs in several apartments. I have been reading all these different things and heard different things and it gets confusing. I will share his article with the people who run the place. (It is a senior center)
31. MeeShee says:

    October 17, 2009 at 3:27 am

    I live in North Dakota, i think i got them from a stupid hotel i stayed at this summer. I couldn’t find any of the stupid bugs on my mattress or my boxspring (brand new)but i found a bunch of them on one of my gym bags and another camp of the bugs on my bedskirt, so i threw them out

    Here is what i have done so far:

    - Vacuumed my mattress and bed frame
    - Sprayed the heck out of my mattress with rubbing alcohol 90%,
    - sprayed the heck out of my mattress with HOT SHOT bedbug and flea killer
    - sprayed the heck out of my carpet, closet with the hot shot and the alcohol.
    - washed all my bedding in hot water and dried them in the highest temp.
    - i bought three HOT SHOT foggers and set em off before i went to work… (i live in a one bedrm apt )

    i sprayed myself with rubbing alcohol and now i hope the biting stops.

    Any other suggestions i don’t think they are too bad but i know i got them and i am trying to get rid of the bastards before it gets too bad..

    ANY OTHER IDEAS?

    Also… I’ve heard these bugs cant stand too cold or too hot weather… Could i just leave the window and balcony door open?( it gets to -20F and lower in the winter here?
32. Donna says:

    October 16, 2009 at 1:03 pm

    My son just informed me that night before last he slept on a friends couch that they found was infested with bedbugs. Do I need to worry about him bring any of them into my home on the shorts or t-shirt he slept in? He just put the clothes in the hamper when he got home yesterday morning & I am worried about infestation now. Should I be?
33. MissKitten says:

    October 15, 2009 at 11:34 pm

    This is disgusting. I am so freaked out. We have been sleeping on the couch for 5 nights. The exterminator isn’t coming until Tuesday, and that’s just for the inspection. I know we have those sneaky nasty bastards- I want these bed bugs gone! I’m afraid they will come out to the living room, but I cannot sleep in that bed.

    My boyfriend went to the ER THREE TIMES due to boils/blisters/sores. Diagnosed with Cellulitis, MRSA, and shingles. Did I mention he has no insurance? And spent god knows how much and took both antibiotics and antivirals. Several months later, I’m realizing that the bed bugs affect him far worse than myself. They are like a cross between a mosquito and flea bite for me.

    However the mental part is making me crazy. I’ve suspected bed bugs for a while, and pushed it out of my head. Then, we were lying in bed, I felt so creepy-crawlie, and saw something move beside my face. I pushed down and blood spurted. Got up, told my boyfriend to change clothes, and we went to the couch. I still avoided calling my landlord for a few days, just trying to process and absorb it… Did I mention I am an adult who is struggling with severe adult add (unmediated/untreated). I am the queen of clutter. I’m not DIRTY, but I have piles of clothes, piles of books, papers, ect… I keep the living area tidy but my room is all over the place.

    I’ve got some ideas on how to treat the bed bugs, trying to figure out if I should buy a mini steam thing or a mini vacuum. I have 2 rugs, one in the bedroom (where they are) that I could throw away and not care, and one in the living room that is fairly expensive and Turkish.

    Before I realized what was going on, I was ALREADY pushed to the point of basket case. Everything in my life is snowballing, my finances are out of control, I can’t afford to live on my salary, and I CANNOT afford this. Emotionally either. I truly am a HOT MESS right now.

    Regardless, I don’t have a choice. The blessing is that I am forced to clean. But I don’t want to be in my bedroom. I am so grossed out by those f***ers.

    Did I mention I have a miniature cat? She is a 3lb runt and full grown. She is also truly psychotic. I cannot put her in a kennel… when I took her to the vet she turned ferrel. Is this bed bug extermination going to poison her?

    Nice to read other peoples stories, takes a little of the shame away. But it’s an epidemic. Sometime over summer the city paper had a front page article about them… too bad it wasn’t informative, but about one dudes story (Baltimore.)

    Just thinking about bed bugs makes me want to throw up.

    Wish me luck. When I go in to bag up clothes (throw away, wash, and cannot wash), what should I do if I find eggs or their nesting place? I don’t have a vacuum or a steamer… although was thinking of returning something to Walmart and getting a mini vacumn. I am so broke i don’t even have change to cash in for gas.

    Sigh… Ick…. This SUCKS!
34. Jim says:

    October 12, 2009 at 9:04 am

    Hey DD,

    Can you call the city or county and check for complaints of bed bugs? If there are no complaints, perhaps now would be a good time to file one so that the next person has something to show the landlord. Note that the landlord may contact your previous landlord to see you had issues as well.

    Have you searched Google for history of bedbugs with your landlord / address?

    Local pest control companies can also be helpful – when asking for a extermination quote, ask them if they have had to treat your address in the past. They may give up the information voluntarily.

    It is very rare that the landlord will take responsibility for the bed bugs!

    Good luck and keep us up to date!
35. DD says:

    October 11, 2009 at 10:20 pm

    I’ve lived in my apartment a little over 3 months and recently discovered that i have bedbugs in two bedrooms. I know that bedbugs are a traveling bug, but I don’t think we bought them into the apartment. I feel that it is a pre-existing condition. I reported the problem to the apartment manager and they said I’m responsible for the treatment. Is there anyway I can prove that we are not the cause of this problem. I know this may sound ignorant but i lived at my previous residence for 7 years and never had a bedbug infestation. I’ve called several pest control businesses and they said I would have a hard time proving that we were not the cause. We have several nest in our walls and it’s just hard for me to believe it was us.
36. Bugged out says:

    October 11, 2009 at 7:22 pm

    Waging war is what I’m doing.

    I have a nephew staying with me and he brought bedbugs with him. I have only seen them in my daughters room, which he was using for 3 weeks. Now he is staying in my basement apartment, so I’m sure he has introduced them there too.

    Over the last two days I have been throwing out everything that I don’t need. This is a lesson in living with less, for sure.

    I have purchased vinyl bed covers as well as dust mite/allergen covers, new metal be frames that will serve as boxsprings( throwing away my old boxsprings). I will be spraying Pro B1 Home and apartment insecticide (propoxur 1%) as well as dusting with Pro Ant and Roach Pyrodust (Pyrethrins 0.2%, Piperony butoxide 1.0%).

    All laundry will be done at one time at the laundromat and double bagged. Anything that we don’t need over the winter will go in the garage.

    Every corner, crack, crevice and surface of my 3 level, 3 bedroom house will be treated.

    It’s been difficult convincing my 11 year old that the books have to go away. I found a dead bb on one of her pieces of art!

    Nothing is coming back in this house (from the garage storage) for 18 months without a very careful inspection. I hope that our cold temps will kill them over the winter although from what I read that doesn’t seem likely.

    This is a battle I plan on winning, although I know it’s going to be a long course.

    I wish all of you battling this, the best of luck in eradicating them.

    Toronto, Canada
37. Patsy says:

    October 10, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    Hi,

    I have just moved into an apartment complex and within two weeks I had my first bite. I had pest control come since I thought it may be from ants I had around my window. Within the next week I got so many bites, but I then thought they were flea bites. I had them come back and spray again and it still continued.

    I did find small black thin dead bugs in my bed and some brown bugs that I now think are bed bugs. I think I have both since I found two different looking bugs. The management is doing the pest control, but I have been treated 4 times, not for bed bugs but for fleas. I did show samples of the dead bugs to the guy but he never indicated that they were bed bugs. In fact he said they were not.

    I now have new samples and I am certain I also have bed bugs because one is very large and some have left spots and larvae looking material. This is my first time with this and I am freaked. I live in Florida. The apartment had new carpet installed before I moved in and they think it came from that or from the truck the carpet came in. Has anyone had this problem with new carpet?

    Thanks so much for all the posts. They are helpful.
38. Philippe says:

    October 6, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    I have been dealing with this problem for about a month and a half now. Though I keep hearing all of you talk about how you can see the bugs, I have only seen two bugs during this time.

    The thing that is bothering me is not the bites, but the feeling of them crawling on me at night. It is really ruining my life considering I am a full time student and have to work to support myself.

    The bites aren’t bad, as a matter of fact, they seemed to be just like mosquito bites. I threw away my bed, and that worked for 2-3 days then they were back. I bombed my apartment 3 times, washed all my clothes in hot water countless times, cleaned my apt top to bottom, ect, ect.

    Bought the BB powder, and it seemed to work but I feel sick in the morning after breathing it in… Anyone else have this problem? God this is really ruining my social/love life as well… A nightmare!

    I talked to my landlord and they are willing to pay the exterminator, lets hope this works….

    What can I do???
39. maggie anne says:

    October 5, 2009 at 7:59 am

    Aaron had mentioned that it was a good idea to put furniture out in the sun in plastic bags— be careful with this if you live in an infested apartment complex: the bugs aren’t just inside! Be sure that the plastic bags are completely sealed so more bugs can’t hitch a ride back to your apartment and DON’T bring the bags inside with you.
40. melissa says:

    October 1, 2009 at 9:31 am

    We have been seeing bed bugs on the ceiling. Has anyone else seen this?
41. tmarie in Denver says:

    September 22, 2009 at 2:16 am

    Amen Sister! I feel the same about the plague. These things must be of the Devil. They come out at night, suck your blood, go back to their nest and crap then their babies eat that. From hell I tell you. Crazy like a bed bug?

    These little monsters are eating me as i type this. My husband thinks i am crazy. This is my 2nd go around in about 3 weeks. Hugh welts and tracks that look like a constellation. Will try dusting them. The alcohol spray. I feel as if I’ll never really get rid of them.

    This site has been really informative; maybe they will inherit the earth!!!
42. amron says:

    September 19, 2009 at 1:14 am

    I’m amazed at the damage these insidious creatures can inflict in such a short period of time. My son was bitten 400 times in a two night feeding frenzy by the bed bugs that came with a used bed. My husband and daughter had no visible bites, and I was bitten 60 times.

    We’ve had the exterminator in twice, and I’m praying that the pests are gone. We’re not even living at home because my son’s reaction was so bad that he had to take prednisone. It is interesting that some people have huge itchy welts, and others have no reaction whatsoever.

    I am not a pesticide user indoors and even garden organically, but I’ve made an exception for these little buggers. It’s really like a plague from the ten commandments days–I pray that God will free me from the pestilence.
43. Lisa says:

    September 16, 2009 at 2:51 am

    I read about the cold treatment with CO2 but I’d like to suggest another way that CO2 could be used.

    A technique used by some to store grain and keep it from being infested by bugs whose eggs were present already is to place the grain in a bucket, put a chunk of dry ice on top, loosely place the lid on top, wait for the CO2 to sublime and then snap the lid on the bucket.

    The CO2 is heavier than the air and so displaces it out of the bucket and bugs cannot survive because there’s no oxygen. You’d still want to leave it in the container with the air tight lid for several days. It could also be done with bags rather than buckets but it might be trickier as it would need to be in a walled container to support it while the CO2 was sublimating.

    If you close the lid from the start pressure will build and it may pop off. Very large buckets with tight lids are available for under $20 at home brewery stores.

    Note: If the lid is too tight, it may explode due to the increase in pressure, so make sure that the lid is tight, but not so tight it won’t pop off under pressure!

    This method would be useful for things that can’t go through the wash easily or items that water will damage such as stuffed animals, pillows, books, dry clean only items…

    1 pound of dry ice is supposed to fill 8.3 cubic feet.

    More useful- 1/4 pound will fill a five gallon bucket.
44. MK says:

    September 15, 2009 at 1:08 am

    I live in NYC and bed bugs are an epidemic here. We currently have an infestation in out small studio apartment. We had pest control do an inspection and they could not find anything. I put the mattress and box spring inside dust mite covers, and while peeling back the cloth on the box spring I noticed one. The next day I saw one on the side the side of the bed sheet, and then found another on the bathroom wall.

    The Sleep Easy spray only seems to aggravate them more, and I usually wake up with multiple bites on my neck face and arms. I have resorted to sleeping in long socks and long pajamas tucked into the socks to keep them from biting my legs. I sleep with the lights on, and sleep lightly in hopes of catching them, but they are extremely clever at hiding and not being seen.

    The specimens that I did find looked like flax seeds. Same size and color. I noticed that they can flatten their bodies out, almost to the thickness of a sheet of 20 pound paper, in order to access tight spaces like cracks and crevices.

    I have been bitten close to 100 times, and this really starts to take an emotional toll, making me afraid to go to sleep, and or afraid to go home. I am unemployed and live on a fixed budget and cannot afford an exterminator, or afford to buy a new bed. We are trying to move and find a new apartment but we cannot afford the current housing market here in NYC. These bed bugs really are a living nightmare.

    My next step is to try and put the legs of the bed in plastic containers and fill them with water. I have also heard that sticking double sided tape onto the bed frame can help in catching them when they crawl onto the bed. My one fear is that will just simply crawl onto the ceiling and drop down onto me though. These bed bugs seem highly evolved and very intelligent. I really think that the government should intervene and create some sort of program to eradicate them for good.
45. Sewgirl Judy says:

    September 12, 2009 at 2:25 pm

    Dear xyz,

    We found a bedbug near the suitcase that my husband took to Boston with him. I panicked, looked on the internet until I found a site that let me identify them with certainty. Had to use a 10x magnifier to do so and count the hairs on the bug’s head shield, but sure enough it was a bed bug.

    : ( Got to thinking, Diatomaceous Earth!! Yep just like the suggestion left by Leanna, except I wore a dust mask and only put the stuff around the perimeter of the box springs (under the mattress) and around the legs of the bed for each bed in the house.

    Have NEVER been bitten or seen sign of another bed bug. The stuff I got was agricultural from an organic farmer in the area, you can probably get it from the farm feed store, or elevator, or check the internet for local organic farmers.

    Hope this works for you.
46. Aaron says:

    September 6, 2009 at 3:18 am

    Before you have furniture in the mattress covers or in plastic be sure to go to your local dollar store and buy 90% rubbing alcohol and spray your furniture with it. Then set your furniture in the sun for 24 to 48 hours. Note that you don’t want to spray near flames and some plastics and finished items may be damaged by this… Fabric should be fine!
47. sarah says:

    September 2, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    I’ve had bed bugs for 6 months and can not get rid of them I’ve tried everything except an exterminator. Don’t know for sure, but may have came though the floor from the neighbors house. Is it the landlords job to get rid of them?

    I am sick and tired of these blasted bugs!
48. Anna says:

    September 2, 2009 at 9:08 am

    I found bed bugs in the apartment. I have complained them about these bugs. Will the owners take care of these? And, I am upset mentally because of these bed bugs, because i can hardly get any sleep at nights. Can i transfer to another apartment. Is it a good idea to do it?
49. Judy says:

    August 29, 2009 at 2:55 pm

    I recently stayed one night at a local hotel & have what I believe to be BB bites. No one else that stayed in the room has any symptoms. How can I be sure that I haven’t brought any of them home with me? I don’t see any, but want to be sure. What should I do with my luggage? I read about freezing things. Do you actually put stuff in the regular freezer along with your food?
50. xyz says:

    August 27, 2009 at 8:21 pm

    I saw 2 bed bugs in my bed….i recently moved into a new apartment…did not see them since 3 months …were in my previous place…..

    I just have my bed and table and clothes,,,,,seems they keep following me…my apt complex is getting an exterminator tomorrow…
    can i get rid of the …should i throw away the bed….?
    I washed all my clothes and bedsheets…..
    since house is empty with barely any furniture….do you thing the bugs may be gone in one shot?
51. Jim says:

    August 26, 2009 at 7:19 pm

    
    I was at Home Depot looking for some degreaser when I came across this bed bug spray by Sprayway.

    Of course, I couldn’t let it pass and had to take a picture. Each can of bug spray was $6.48 and claims that you will have a good night’s sleep without being bitten by bed bugs.

    Here is what they state:

    A spotless home? Bed Bugs used to be associated with unclean dwellings, NO LONGER TRUE! The population of the little “bloodsuckers” is increasing each year. With drastic increase in travel, your suitcase could be transporting them home. You don’t know who stayed at the hotel you were at last week, last month, or last summer!

    Don’t sleep with the enemy and don’t let the bed bugs bite, use GOOD NIGHT! GOOD NIGHT is registered with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

    and here is the State Right to Know section:

    FEDERAL:
    Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA):
    Exempt.
    STATE RIGHT-TO-KNOW:
    Pennsylvania/New Jersey Right-To-Know (Chemical and CAS No.):
    Deionized Water 7732-18-5
    Petroleum Distillate 64742-47-8
    N-Octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide 113-48-4
    d-Phenothrin 26002-80-2
    Liquefied petroleum gas mixture (68476-86-8)
    Propane 74-98-6
    n-Butane 106-97-8
    Isobutane 75-28-5
    CANADA:
    Domestic Substances List:
    Ingredients of this product are not listed: d-Phenothrin
    Non-Domestic Substances list:
    Ingredients of this product are not listed: d-Phenothrin

    Seems safe and not a bad idea to prevent bed bugs from hitching a ride home with you, however, I doubt this bug spray will kill the population.
52. kat says:

    August 19, 2009 at 12:53 pm

    I think I have a bed bug problem, it is very embarrassing to acknowledge it or even to ask the store person to help you diagnose the ‘bedbug’ problem.

    It has been months since I have a good night sleep, yet my fiance persisted that it is all in my head. He says he’s okay most of the time, only occasional bites here and there, and explains that it might be due to mosquito bites of hot summer months. I have had not had a good sleep in three months, and i am disturbed with these so-called ‘invisible’ mosquitoes. I swear i can feel the crawling under my mattress at night time, and I can’t stand it anymore. I know it is bed bugs though I have no evidence or any dead insects on my mattress that is visible to human eyes. Despite the fact,

    I am taking the drastic measures. It will take a while until I can get my hands on the online-ordered products to prevent bed bugs. My question is, “Is it okay if I use the flea killer powder for my mattress now until I can get the proper material?” It says on the label that it will kill ticks, fleas, lice, ants, and roaches. “Any products anybody can recommend?”
53. margaret says:

    August 14, 2009 at 12:16 am

    I bought diatomaceous earth at Lowes
54. Mylin says:

    July 29, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    I would like to know if you have any suggestions. I am moving out in my current condo. My roommate happens to have bedbugs in her room and I am sure that they have traveled to my room but since I have had experience from these creatures, I have been lucky to not have it in my room.

    I will be moving to a new place and will not be bringing any of my furniture and bed. I will only be bringing my clothes, books, luggage and kitchen appliances. I would like to know if you have any suggestions to prevent me from bringing these bad creatures to my new place since I will be buying a new bed and furniture. Please advise.

    Thank you.
55. bilbob says:

    July 25, 2009 at 3:30 pm

    My opinion is, if you have a couch in an infested apartment, get rid of it. If you have a wooden bed frame- get rid of it and buy a metal bed frame. Get a new mattress and box spring. With the metal bed frame- get a pack of fly paper, unravel one, wrap each bed frame leg with fly paper, make sure it doesn’t curl back up- you need to check this daily. Fly paper was designed to catch all sorts of flies large and very tiny, it will catch and hold the bed bugs. Place the fly paper several inches above the base of the frame, make sure you don’t bump into it and replace every 6 months to one year- the glue starts to lose its stickiness about that time. I’m Bed bug bite free for two years and probably bug free in my apartment too. The only real way to get rid of them is to starve them out. It takes time but it’s worth it. Also check your purse, backpack and day packs on a daily basis and wash often if possible- that’s how they often get into apartments- we carry them in. Good Luck to All!!
56. Mer says:

    July 19, 2009 at 9:01 pm

    I’ve had four different exterminators treat for bedbugs over the past year. In all my experience, this is what I can tell you:

    1 – Hire a GOOD exterminator. He should come wearing serious protective clothing and a mask. If he doesn’t have that, send him home and call someone else. The exterminator should do the following:

    * A thorough inspection of the mattress, bed, headboard and all wood in the room, including furniture, floorboards, baseboards, outlets and light switches.

    * Spray all the wood in the room with a mixture of a growth regulator (IGR) and a Pyrethroid, such as Suspend SC. Make sure you get all the cracks and crevices. Allow the room to air out and dry.

    * Spray the mattress, boxspring, bed frame, and also any living room furniture you have (as the bugs travel with you and infest elsewhere).

    * Once dry, dust the cracks and crevices of the room in a light (very light) dusting of diatomaceous earth. Get a simple manual duster to spray the area with. Be careful to get the organic kind, not the crystalizing kind that his highly dangerous and cancer-causing. (I had an exterminator that used the later kind, which got all over my skin and face, and caused my skin to peel and a sunburn sensation for two weeks afterwards!)

    Note that you can do all of this yourself, but it’s best to have an experienced exterminator do it for your first round of exterminations, which should be a minimum of 3 over the course of 6 weeks. (This is because there is absolutely no pesticide that can kill an egg. Eggs hatch in 7-10 days, at which point a new round of exterminations will be necessary to kill the bugs.)

    2 – Sanitize your place. This is very time consuming, but you must be diligent in your effort.

    * Wash and dry all of your clothes and any linens, bedding, curtains or other fabric in HOT water and HIGH heat. The dryer heat must reach a minimum of 120 degrees (140 is better). I dry my clothes twice in this heat, just to be safe. Immediately after the dryer is finished, fold the clothes and put them directly into a sealed plastic bag. Keep all your clothes in plastic bags until after the first round of exterminations, although I recommend waiting until after the second round to really re-settle into your wardrobe and closet. (Make sure your wardrobe is treated as well during the extermination.)

    * Anything that can’t be laundered, you can put in a black plastic bag and sit in the sun on a very (VERY) hot day. Again, you want the temperature to reach 120 degrees for an extended period of time.

    * Encase your treated mattress and boxspring in a bedbug-sealed mattress cover. These are essentially dustmite covers, but with a special sealed zipper closure to make sure nothing can escape. This does two things – it prevents any surviving bugs from getting out, and thereby allows you to starve them to death, and helps protect your mattress from future infestations. They generally run about $100.

    * As bedbugs can live in nearly any wood or warm place, they have been known to breed in furniture, books and other clutter. Go through everything with a close eye. Clean up any eggs or bugs you may see, again throwing them out immediately in a sealed bag. Anything that you can’t examine closely to be sure it’s safe, put into a sealed bin (I prefer clear ones so I can see what’s inside!). Keep those items sealed for AT LEAST 18 MONTHS! Bedbugs can survive without feeding for up to 18 months. If one little guy escaped the pesticides and found his way into one of your books or other items, he can start the infestation all over again.

    * Once a week, be sure to sweep up the diatomaceous earth and any dead bugs and throw them out in a sealed bag. Then re-apply the diatomaceous earth in a thin layer. Repeat this process until all the bugs are gone. Also repeat the liquid process every 4-6 weeks, either by yourself or via an exterminator.

    I, personally, find that the best way to treat the bedbug problem is through preventative care.

    ~ Avoid clutter.
    ~ If you wake up with a bite that you didn’t have the night before, you should be wary and examine the problem immediately!
    ~ Do preventative treatments regularly throughout the year. Just as most city buildings have monthly exterminations, you should do a monthly treatment of the IGR and Pyrethrins, as well as regular crevice treatments of diatomaceous earth. Also, spray in the walls when possible. (This can be done by turning off your breakers, removing the light and outlet covers, and spraying into the openings. Or you can drill small holes into the walls, spray through the holes, then patch them up.)

    Most importantly, though, EDUCATE YOURSELF. The more you know about the bugs and their habits, the more power you have to fight them! And don’t listen to what the exterminators tell you – do your own research. I’ve had at least three exterminators that told me variously – “No bug can live for more than a few months without food,” “If the bug’s living in the wall, then you’ve got bigger problems,” and “Don’t worry – this pesticide will penetrate the walls and will kill any eggs out there.” All of those are FALSE. Bedbugs live up to 18 months without food, they DO live in the walls frequently, and there is no pesticide that can kill an egg!

    The good news is that if you educate yourself, follow the instructions above to a T, and are diligent about this, you can overcome the bugs!
57. Ayen says:

    July 14, 2009 at 10:16 pm

    im sick and tired of it. how can i get rid of it. somebody help me please!
58. aye says:

    July 14, 2009 at 10:14 pm

    Hi,
    I have been experiencing bed bugs for months now and still trying to find a way on how to get rid of them. They seem to grow in numbers each day. Is it true that alcohol could eliminate them?
59. Tashi says:

    July 14, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    For months I have been waking up with massive welts, painful, warm, and itches like crazy. Nothing seemed to help the itching, the pharmacy suggested cortisone but that did nothing for me. It was so hard to function, I spent all day itching all over, so uncomfortable. For the longest time my husband and I thought I was having allergic reactions to something because he didn’t share the same symptoms.

    We finally decided to go to the doctor because I was having a hard time sleeping and doing day to day stuff because of all the itching. The doctor was puzzled he had no clue what was wrong with me, he said I feel so sorry for you I have never seen this before, so he ordered blood tests, that was about $2000 worth of blood work, but nothing came back out of the ordinary except that I had a blood inflammation, so he suggested I see a dermatologist.

    Right when we were getting ready to make an appointment, my husband saw a little bug on the wall next to the outlet, neither of us knew what it was so i went online and started researching and since my welts always appear in the mornings I thought well I must be getting these bites at nights, so I looked up bedbugs and a chill just went over my body when I found the picture of the very bug we had in the container.

    After reading up about them we started to search everywhere, we didn’t find a lot on the mattress and there was not a lot of signs they were on the mattress so we figured they must be living somewhere else, like in the wall. We bombed the room, we strayed the bed with t-tree oil, we washed everything in hot water, and that took care of them for about a week or so then, we started getting bit again (my husband bites ate just red marks on his back, previously we thought they were just hair bumps). I started sleeping in the sofa trying to avoid them, when I do sleep in the the bed, I wake up every couple hours checking the bed, I even started wearing insect repellent to bed.

    The inspect repellent helped, then last night I decided well not to wear any, and I work up itching all over so I took a flashlight and check the bed trying not to wake my husband, and I found 3 fat ones, I immediately put the repellent on.

    We are now planning to move, but our landlord told us we need to give one month’s notice or pay August’s rent. So we are thinking well we have medical record, blood work, evidence in a container, not to mention the many scars I have all over my body from the bites, welts, and itching ( I don’t even dress the way I use to I have to be fully covered before leaving the house), which means this is a real emergency that we have to move, so if they give us a hard time, we are going to report them to health department.

    My mother-in-law was saying considering how much money we have been spending over the past months because of these bedbugs, the landlord should pay over moving costs, that would be nice, but doubt they will go for it, doesn’t even sound as if they want to give us our deposit back.

    Bottom line, I really feel for all of you, because I know what it is living in fear, waking up throughout the night checking the bed, I literally don’t want to fall asleep because of fear of been bitten.

    That’s my story and hopefully when i move it will be the end of it. We have a new bed, but we not taking any chances, we plan on getting rid of the bed and sofa, all the bedding, mats, anything they could live in, and searching everything else before moving, and washing all the clothes. We do not want to take these things to our next apartment.
60. sleeplessinnyc says:

    July 6, 2009 at 1:03 am

    I moved into a gorgeous place last summer and my roommates told me the day I was moving in that they were spraying for bedbugs. (Thank You!! What wonderful people!) I was devastated because I had saved so much money to move. I make 30K in NYC… its tough. Our apartment cost 2300 a month split between three people.

    The landlord sprayed twice, two weeks apart to try and get all the eggs. They were back 3 months later. The worst part was I kept all my packed stuff in boxes, and then in plastic bags and didn’t open them until after the second spraying had been done. Bought the bed covers, diatomaceous earth… etc.

    The second time, when they came back we sprayed again and I caulked the spaces between the floorboards and walls and every crevice of the apartment. That seemed to help in two of the bedrooms because my roommates didn’t have anymore problems. I did though because I hadn’t noticed my bedcover had ripped. Blast!!!!!

    This time around I made the landlord remove the outlet covers and light switches when he sprayed. That was the only other place they could be because we emptied the bedrooms. I spray the floors down with 70% isopropanol every couple days and I plan on filling cracks in the outlets with insulation foam after the second spraying.

    I also bought two mattress covers, and put them both over the mattress in opposite directions (zippers) in case the outer one rips. At first I bought the 90$ allergy luxe one, but the bedbugs I found last had been living on the cloth like outer surface of the cover and on the metal (yes! metal) bedframe. Go with the plastic kind. I think they work better because they are slippery and hard to climb.

    I now put my clothes in large plastic bins immediately after I come back from the laundry mat. I also wash my blankets every week religiously. This has helped as well because they have no place to hide. I threw out every piece of furniture and now just have a bed and kitchen table. I am going to wait another year before I buy any furniture. It is just too difficult to get them out when they have places to hide.

    There really is no point in moving because if they are in my stuff I will just be taking my problems to another building of people. When they are gone or when I’ve saved up enough money (which ever comes first) is when I will make a clean break. I have decided to only bring my clothes the next time I move.

    It has been a year and they are slowly being eradicated. They have come back slower and I rarely wake up with bites now. We sprayed three times (twice each time two weeks apart). Be prepared to have a lot of patience and not get lazy about cleaning. Get down on your hands and knees and scrub the floorboards with a brush.

    At this point it has become a blessing to be poor and not have any possessions. Imagine that.

    Good luck to anyone who has this problem. If they don’t come back this time consider this my road map to bedbug success. I will post again in six months if they are gone.
61. Lois says:

    June 29, 2009 at 2:28 am

    I live in an 3 story apartment building and recently found out the the first floor tenents have bed bugs. Unfortunately they had received a used living room set already occupied unknown to them. It’s been approx. 5-6 weeks now.

    We’ve had a professional in twice now once for the building and found nothing. 2nd time to inspect the apartment and found the critters in the childrens beds. The building will be professionally done but I was wondering if there was anything I could do now to prevent getting the little buggers?

    I do have pets and I have grandchildren that come visit so chemicals are really not an option. The building is old but the apartment themselves have been remodel. However I have the old wood floors with some gaps between the planks. Also, Do you have any idea of what the preparation will be for me for them to come in and exterminate? I’m painting my bedroom and really don’t have a lot of space to be tearing this place apart.
62. tansy says:

    June 21, 2009 at 3:11 pm

    hi there! i am confused! why? I am living in Spain, and the other night, i slept in a bed, in a cave (temp about 15 deg C), and my body was being bitten regularly all over (except for face and exposed arm) by something. i looked, and could see nothing …. it was semi dark, but i could see nothing on the bed and bed linen the next day, nor could i smell anything unusual.

    I put the mattress and bed linen outside in the hot sun for a few hours, thinking this would kill them, though i haven´t been back there to sleep yet. i´m basically very confused because, though i was bitten many times, i have no red or raised or itchy bite marks on me! this seems to contrast with others experiences of being bitten.

    What were they if not bed bugs? certainly not mosquito, which i experience a reaction to, and would have been bit the parts of me outside the bed. they felt as if they were fleas, the way they jumped around my body …. so no pain, and no evidence of bites ..-.. well lucky me, but i don´t want to sleep back there until i’ve treated the place with the silica dioxide. can someone give me some advice, were these bed bugs or something else. thanks
63. Melissa says:

    June 19, 2009 at 5:47 pm

    I recently found several bites on both of my arms. I thought it was an allergy to a cat I just adopted (it started a week or two after I got the cat). I found a bed bug 3 weeks later on my light colored sheets.

    I completely stripped the bed, and all clothing and curtains from the room. I purchased some bed bug spray, but notices that even a direct spray would not kill them. I used two full bottles of the spray any way. I finally resolved to spraying Raid for flying insects (it mentions bed bugs on the label), it kills on contact.

    The treatments seem to be working so far, although I was concerned that I have found a couple live bugs since the treatment, but feel better after reading here that it can take up to 30 days to kill them all.

    I have also discovered that my infestation was not on my matress (after a very close inspection (not to mention zippered mattress covers for box springs and mattress) but appears to be at the crease between my wall and ceiling above the head of my bed. I stand up a couple of times a day, and inspect the wall. Thankfully, I haven’t been seeing them lately, and the treatment was almost 2 weeks ago.

    An FYI for the bites, when I thought it was an allergy, I started wearing a long sleeve shirt to cover my arms, it helped. I then read where they seem to only attack exposed skin. I started wearing gym pants with socks covering my feet and hem of the pants, and the long sleeve shirt. I used my so called “battle armor” while waiting for the treatment to take hold. I had no additional bites while wearing my gear..lol.

    Good luck all on this hard won battle!
64. Carmen says:

    June 19, 2009 at 5:37 pm

    I can’t find the Diatomaceous Earth in any pet store , someone can help me and give more ideas,,, I live in Pennsylvania!! thanks
65. Carmen says:

    June 15, 2009 at 7:29 pm

    I buy a set of mattress reconstructed and i bring bedbugs home with them. I call a company call vikings and they charge me $600 for 3 rooms ,, i threw away the mattress … But now they are in other rooms. There very ugly and nasty. Any help please!!!
66. Ryan White says:

    June 12, 2009 at 10:47 am

    I t is a terrible and embarrassing situation, my life has not been the same since the invasion of the bed bugs! I thought that they were just a fairy tale I did not know they were the real thing. I have not had a good night rest in about eight months. I did not even know that they were in the house.

    One early fall day I noticed that my daughter’s arm had a lot of bug bites on it. I thought they were mosquito bites from playing outside. She kept scratching and itching and I also was doing a lot of itching at night while trying to sleep. I asked myself what’s really going on, just like everybody else; I started lifting up mattresses and there they were.

    It’s a $181.00 to exterminate the house and $75.00 every two weeks. Who has that kind of money laying around in these tough economic times? I live in Ohio and they are closing up companies left and right! I am going to Home Depot! Is it really something out there that kills these bugs?

    Hi Ryan,

    There is, check out our bed bug treatment section for details.

    Best regards,

    Jim
67. bugwar says:

    June 10, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    I discovered BB about 2 weeks ago, i am positive we got them from my mother-in-laws house who has them and cant get rid of them because they are not treating them, they just keep throwing out some of the furniture now the bugs have move downstairs.

    I was sleeping getting ready to get up fo work, i turned on the light but laid back down well when i opened my eyes, it was as if a bug was looking at me although it was very very tiny but red and i jumped and moved the pillow and looked closely and picked it up with a piece of paper and flushed it in the toilet then looking again, another one and another one flushed again.

    Thinking okay, this cant be, heck no! I picked up the pillow where i was laying my head and several more i thought oh my god no please no, i lifted the sheet and walked around the whole bed looking closely, i see nothing, so i said let me make sure looking again closely lifting the mattress; something said check by the head board because i have a huge bed and head board to where once you set the bed it cant be moved. Ii didn’t see anything still, i checked in between and everything until i lifted the mattress tag, lo and behold there they were in a group very tiny, I panicked.

    Right then, i used all my force to push and move my bed that i never move to see behind it, nothing back there but i did see dark spots but not real sure because some wood is spotted. Now I’m upset, my husband doesn’t even move the bed, (and when he noticed he said did you move this i said yes. I’m real upset because we spent so much money and it took us so long to purchase this bed, blasted bed bugs).

    I rolled everything up trying to be careful and not spread them, sheets, pillows, comforters curtains everything and set it out for trash. My husband and I then carried the mattress out with the infected side up that we could see carefully, we showered and went to work knowing we have a war when we get home.

    I searched the internet for more information on bed bug treatment and after work we went to home depot and bought some home indoor insect killer for bedbugs and sprayed everything, baseboards, my very very expensive bed frame, cracks, screws, everything.

    The next day we bought a gallon of Bonide for bedbugs. i took every piece of clothing out my closet and saw one early stage of bed bugs on a pair of pants, okay fine, right there i sorted what i would keep and throw the rest away, bagged everything threw out and the rest i bagged for cleaning. I washed them in hot water dried on super hot and bagged them while my husband used the whole gallon on a 12×10 bedroom taking the bottom bed frame 3×4 wood off and spraying them and in the closet.

    We also searched the other 2 rooms and mattress finding nothing and I was sure i wouldn’t because those mattresses and bed frames were just bought in March and April and we put mattress covers on them and just painted one of the rooms as well so i knew they were okay, but check to be sure.

    I even threw out curtains and shades, the desk, the broken TV leaving the bedroom bare except my expensive bed frame that i want to keep, my bedpost pretty much stands 7 1/2 ft tall, my husband took the top of the bedpost down which he thinks they may have crawled up there because it is wood.

    Every night since, we check to see if we see any more bed and in the morning only saw a few. One bug on the post, wall, closet and 2 dead ones, so far the bed bug treatment seems to work.

    Friday we vacuumed really good then arranged to have it cleaned but later decided to take up the carpet upstairs carefully rolling it up taking it to the trash then spraying, we did not want to take any chances since it was in that one room.

    We think we found the host on the mattress before taking it out because that was the only place they were in, one area, but i knew probably they were at the other end as well. we tend to think we got most of them, it was not that bad or many maybe we caught them before it got so bad, no bites or anything.

    Question about bed bug treatment: what can i get to truely kill bedbugs? I don’t want it to reach the other rooms. How long will it take for them to be gone and spraying. I don’t have money to afford the professionals. I don’t plan on moving back in there until i know they are gone. I even planned to set a tester to see if they are still there by laying some sort of pad down to see if they attack it.

    I’ve heard people use a hot steamer, drione dust. Will the drione dust really work and how do i apply it to my bed frame, and can i mop the floor with any thing to kill them as they crawl. we are now sleeping in the spare room that has not been used , we just furnished it. we did not move anything into the room just our bodies that we cleaned before moving in there and as i said we washed everything, really my clothes were the only thing ever in there and those have been cleaned or thrown out and now I’m living out of a bag.

    Should i go over the whole upstairs with the drione dust even the other rooms and bathroom. one mattress still has the plastic on it and mattress cover. We even bleached down the garage. that was a lot of work and we are still not done. Sometimes i am scared to go to sleep and i always think they are on me even though i know they are not.

    what do i do next.?
    BUGWAR…..
68. Darrie says:

    June 9, 2009 at 7:11 pm

    U R not ALONE! Bed bugs are popping up all over and they aggravate us all. I am so paranoid and every time my hair tickles my neck I throw a fit. The worst part, I have an infant son to worry about. So far he hasn’t been bitten.

    I inspect him all the time and so far we’ve been very fortunate. But enough is enough I’m not going to wait until he has a trail of bumps. I will be getting that “D… earth” stuff tomorrow! I’ll be back to tell u how it went.

    Thanks for the advice!

    Hi Darrie,

    Please let us know what happens AND make sure to double check this you are buying the right stuff and that it is not harmful to infants, etc. Many visitors post it is safe, but make 100% sure :)

    Best regards,

    Jim
69. David says:

    June 9, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    I know someone who manages a large hotel. They have no bed bugs, but all the other hotels in their area constantly battle them.

    What do they do differently?

    They go down to Mexico and buy ddt. They spray the rooms with ddt, and then call in an exterminator to cover the trail. ddt is illegal. He said its harmless to humans but horrible for birds – but since they use it only indoors….

    Is there anything at actually works and is legal?
70. Mike says:

    June 8, 2009 at 12:13 am

    After living with bedbugs for over a year and combing the internet to find some way to get rid of them the only thing that remained constant was the professional (and expensive) treatments. My problem may not have been a full blown infestation (compared to things I had seen on TV) but was still pretty bad.

    My girlfriend and I woke up every morning with lines of bumps up and down our arms, legs, back, and neck. I had even taken to setting my alarm for predawn hours so I could turn on the light and catch them on the walls and squish them. Of course I took to vacuuming the room, especially the bed area and bed its self quite extensively making sure to take the canister out to the dumpster away from the apartment.

    I was trying to save enough money to have a professional treatment, but in the meantime tried everything I could to diminish their numbers.

    One day in the grocery store (Giant or Safeway, I forget which) in the pet aisle I came across a flea/tick powder and thought “what the hell, can’t hurt”, so I picked it up. I was amazed that within a matter of days the number decreased dramatically and within a week they were gone! Thinking this may have been a temporary fix I have waited several months to post this just in case it didn’t last. Well, I am proud to say that for 4 months now we have been bedbug free!

    So, anyone with a bedbug problem I strongly suggest this powder called Nature’s Guardian made by Sergeant’s. Do a through vacuuming of the area and bed and then apply the powder along the baseboards and sprinkle under the bed and between the mattress and box spring. Also be sure to change your sheets just before applying and be sure your old ones are washed just in case there are any bugs hiding in there.

    I HAVE BEEN BEDBUG FREE FOR 4 MONTHS NOW AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT. I don’t work for the company or stand to make any profit or anything. I’m just someone who knows what it’s like to live with bedbugs and wants to help others so that they don’t have to go through what I did.

    NOTE:There are a number of sites posting some very scary information about sergeants nature’s guardian and I can’t verify the accuracy, but do your research before using it around your pets – having said that, it seems that the ingredients include Isopropyl myristate.

     

    Isopropyl myristate is used as a pesticide free treatment against head lice; it erodes the other layer of the head lice exoskeleton and causes them to become dehydrated and die.

     

    This sounds exactly like the effect Diatomaceous Earth has on bed bugs, which is not associated with one company, is chemical free, all natural and can be picked up at just about and pet or feed and supply store.

     

    Just a heads up on the product and an alternative use for bed bugs.
71. Money says:

    June 2, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    Man these things suck. I cant see them, I cant hear them, but these little bastards keep biting. I am going to buy the mattress covers and that dimetrious earth stuff and go to town. If it works I promise I will come back and post again. If not I am going to come back and tell all of you how wrong you are.

    Love from Texas Ya’ll.
72. tracey says:

    May 23, 2009 at 11:47 am

    up until yesterday i had not thought about bed bugs.. yesterday morning i noticed two small welts on my arm, then again yesterday as i lay on my bed i get some more of the same welts. last night i could not sleep and each time i got up i had more but never saw the bug nor felt the bite.

    I got up and removed the sheets off the bed and i did see a bug on my mattress but he didn’t look like the pictures I’ve seen out here. My question is now what do i do. i just got laid-off and can’t afford to hire someone to come in, is there something i can try to stop this problem before it gets bigger?
73. Melanie says:

    May 15, 2009 at 2:47 pm

    This question is for Keith Gordon or anyone else that knows; We live in a house, we are tenants. We have had bedbugs and did a lot of the things that have been said. There is a one bedroom and a bachelor downstairs used for storage. Can bedbugs go down there and make or start a nest when no one ever goes in those apartments and come back up to feed (feed on us) ? does harborage mean nesting?
    I’m sorry if my English is not that good, i’m french
74. Suzanne says:

    April 16, 2009 at 6:01 pm

    Our friend had bed bugs in his car. He said this is about the 3rd time in 4 years. He took everything out, vacuumed, then treated it with cedar oil spray from the pet department at Walmart. It took several treatments (cars have a lot of hiding places) but the bugs are gone. He didn’t really like the smell, but he didn’t like the bugs either.

    “Diatomaceous Earth” seems to work wonders on everything!

    Cockroches, fleas, dust mites. It is very gentle and you can even put it on your pet. Cedar oil for pets is safe on animal, & people. I like the cedar smell. Please don’t be afraid of these little bugs … they will go away if treated. If the bites really bother you, talk to a doctor. Stay calm, treat your home and your bites and you should be just fine.
75. Dan says:

    March 27, 2009 at 3:53 am

    First of I had no idea about bed bugs! I started breaking out in hives about 3 months ago. i did wake up once or twice to use the restroom over the course of the last month or so and had a bug on me but assumed it was because my window was open. Well needless to say I couldn’t understand what is going on, I’ve gone to the allergist and everything.

    Tonight, just about an hour ago, I had what i thought was my worst “allergic” reaction to date…It was SEVERE. I got up and then as I was going back to bed…WOW…there was no less than a half dozen of these buggers on my mattress, I went on to inspect further and its a full on infestation! My mattress is 6 years old and its a top notch 20 year mattress..very expensive and comfortable? Can I keep it??? I need to resolve this tomorrow, I live in San Diego, so I’m hoping i can find someone that has good experience in removing these.

    Hi Dan,

    You can save the mattress by treating it, then enclosing it a dust free mattress cover; it has to zip up and cover the entire mattress. It will take time for the bed bugs to die but it can be saved. If it’s that bad with the mattress, then you’ll find bed bugs in the rest of the room as well. When you do your search, let us know what you find out and if you can, PLEASE, take some pictures and share with us so that others can better understand.

    Thanks!

    Jim
76. GRETA WILLIAMS says:

    March 26, 2009 at 3:59 pm

    I have surfed the internet for two days regarding bed bugs. I live in an apartment, which has very high turnover and recently found a bite on my arm, which became inflamed and swollen. I went to the emergency room due to the itching and swelling where the doctor said he cannot diagnose the problem and referred me to a pharmacy for cortisone etc. cream.

    I was sitting on my couch, around 6:30 and felt something on my leg. I had socks on covering my pull ups and as I looked down and there was a little bug. I swiped it and it tried to get away, but I killed it. Bed bugs do not only bite at night, this was in broad daylight! Besides this I kept lights on in my home for days, because they say they bite while we are sleeping, this was not the case in my experience and so i wanted the experts to know what my happened here.

    Thanks!
77. Jonathan says:

    March 24, 2009 at 9:54 pm

    I work at a large apartment complex where we have had four cases of bed bugs in some of the apartments. These were not just normal cases. When we entered the units they were on the walls and in the corners of the walls behind the electrical outlet plates.

    Bed bugs were even found behind the blind brackets. What I am trying to say is they were hiding in the smallest places. We had to remove everything in the rooms and pull back the carpet. We treated with pesticides (Suspend SC liquid and dusted every crevice we could find with Delata dust. There was a 100% success even in the occupied units. The key is to not to bomb the little bugs it drives them into places where they can hide from the gas.
78. Pat says:

    March 23, 2009 at 11:08 pm

    So i had a situation where i had bedbugs living inside of my mattress. I have no clue how they got there but as I checked other beds in my home i found 2 more infected beds where they were living. Automatically I threw out the infected beds and ordered new ones. That all happened at least 3 or 4 months ago.

    I have now been sleeping in my new bed but I’m finding that there coming back. Is it a possibility that getting rid of the infected mattress and boxsprings wasn’t just the solution to my issue? Would it be smart for me just to call an exterminator because i don’t want to wait too long and have 3 brand new beds become infested with these creepy crawlers again. I also noticed that somehow they get under my sheets?

    I’m personally not an insect person and it creeps me out to the point where every night before I go to sleep i take off my comforter just to check for those damn bed intruders….If anyone can please get back to me quickly on this because THIS NEEDS TO STOP…I hate having to wake up and see blood on my sheets which I don’t know if its either mine or there’s because i have figured out that sometimes i’ve squashed a couple turning in my sleep…SO Please, any help with bed bug treatment would be greatly appreciated!
79. Val says:

    March 20, 2009 at 7:54 pm

    Hi………I am developing a phobia of bed bugs, even though I don’t currently have any. I just ordered new bed covers, and my husband travels once a month. We try our best to put his clothes right away in the dryer, and I spray his luggage.

    I am now so scared, I am becoming afraid of buses, cabs, restaurants, etc….this is all I think about. Can anyone tell me something positive (I live in NYC!!!!!), like, the majority of people do not get this? We have millions of people here.

    I would like to ask Keith Gordon if I could speak to him via e-mail or phone, or right here, as to prevention methods, if he would be so kind….or anyone else who can tell me SOMETHING positive!!! I am scared to death of getting this……

    Thank you!!!
80. andy says:

    March 18, 2009 at 4:30 pm

    I think Many people has misse what Mr.Keith Gordon said.

    I did pass my license as an exterminator for NJ but never started a business; but i can tell you that a proper management program should easily get rid of the bugs.

    I got them on my property; beds you can get zipper covers in Walmart for less than $30 for queen size, they are dust mites covers, as well as go to home depot they do have a great spray safe for beds called goodnite sleep; and treat the mattress with steam first. After the steam treatment, put it inside the pillow and spray it with the insecticide before you close the zipper; just steam the room and then apply the spray; give it 30 days and spray again it should get rid of them; you will have a good sleep from the first night.

    A good steamer is any that can reach 180 f and have 35 psi. I had used a McCulloch mc125 and was not to expensive, less than a $100 dollars.
    Just be very careful with the spray and always make sure of reading the labels (where it says caution) and follow instructions it will work.

    as Keith said it is not too hard to deal with bed bugs; read his comments.
81. Rebecca says:

    March 17, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    Hi,

    I noticed bed bugs in my studio 3 years ago when I woke up with what seemed mosquito bites and then thought it was a spider bite I cleaned my sleeping area and didn’t find anything and then my neighbor complained her daughter had bites and my mother in law was the one that told me they were bed bugs.

    I threw my mattress away because I kept spraying it with Raid and they just did not seem to go away, I moved to a 2 bedroom in the same complex and the same night I moved I had a bed bug on my new bed and was so disappointed because I had threw most of my furniture including sofas, beds and had washed all my clothes.

    I now keep waking up with bites every other day and plan on getting one of those products I read from the comments “Diatomaceous Earth” I personally think the complex I live in was where I got infested from, I plan to move soon and disinfect everything and throw most of my furniture away and hope they don’t follow me to my new place!
82. kari says:

    February 23, 2009 at 11:16 pm

    Hey guys, I just wanted to say that our house has been infested to and right now we are having a hard time with pest control.

    I thought that if we get the beds out we would be good. we don’t have a bad case of it but well enough to where we just don’t want them. So we have found more eggs and treating for bed bugs in every room.

    So far I have heard getting some chemical and spraying works and that dehydrating them works. Well, let’s hope so because I cant take these nasty things anymore!

    I just don’t understand? Our house is always clean.

    Well, I’m praying this bed bug treatment really works!
83. Janina Kraus says:

    February 17, 2009 at 2:28 pm

    I discovered my BB problem in Early January. Seems I inherited it from my recent next door neighbor whom after 5 months has moved again. Obviously, though he blunted denied it, he has been transferring it all over the city.

    His bed was adjacent to mine, and only divided by a wall. They came through the floorboards or outlets. I have had an exterminator in to treat all furniture, baseboards etc. with pyrethoid and have since discarded the bed, moved to the coach which he previously treated and 2 weeks later I have re-treated with a bottle of the same which he left me as well as treated around every floorboard, outlet and pipes (kitchen and bath), under all furniture and sporadically through out the carpeting and floors with Mother earth/DE.

    It has only been 2 more weeks since, and I have noticed a marked improvement. By the way, I took a few days off work, and on my hands an knees, brushed all carpets and picked up eggs (though I don’t know if they were spent) and steam cleaned most of the carpeting.

    Hoping this will eradicate the situation and murder the bed bugs once and for all!

    Please let me know if you think I have done enough. I too am terrified to sleep at night!

    Janina (Mississauga/Ontario)
84. Krista says:

    February 17, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    Hello Kristen…

    You can also go to your local department store, find the section that sells bug killer and look for ChemFree Insectigone. This stuff is silicone dioxide (present as Diatomamaceous Earth). This stuff is safe for pets. I have first hand experience with it due to an ant invasion last year and than bed bugs this year! The only bad thing about DE is I find it clogs your vacuum cleaner.
85. Paul says:

    February 10, 2009 at 3:01 pm

    Hello Kristen,

    Try ‘food grade’ diatomaceous earth which is EPA approved against indoor and outdoor crawling insects and is also FDA approved for internal and external use and has a rating of Food Chemical Codex Grade.
86. Kristen says:

    February 10, 2009 at 1:35 pm

    I am wondering if that diatomaceous earth is safe around pets. I know you say its natural but I want to be sure. Will flea powder do the same thing or does it have to be diatomaceous earth?

    I have never dealt with this before. I am very frustrated by the fact that I have bites all over my body seemingly overnight. I got a mattress cover and vacuumed… do I also need to treat my curtains? This is so frustrating. I can’t afford an exterminator.
87. Kelligh says:

    February 9, 2009 at 2:17 pm

    I cannot get rid of these dang little bugs! i am on a tight budget and all of the things that i have seen to kill bedbugs cost a lot! Please tell me what i can do to get rid of them!
88. Maria says:

    February 4, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    We found bed bugs in my son’s room, we treated his room and now we have them in the master bedroom. We are going to treat the entire house, which means to pack and bag everything!!!

    We have hardwood floor and we have been told that the bed bugs could be living in some of the cracks in the floor. It was suggested to us that we should do the floors to cover every single crack, meaning, hiring a flooring company to put a clear coat on the floors all over the house. This represents a monumental job, not to mention how expensive that would be.

    Are we really at risk to get them back if we don’t do the floors?
89. Keith Gordon says:

    January 28, 2009 at 11:31 pm

    After writing my last comment I went back and read some of the other comments. I don’t want to insult anyone, I just want to get the truth out about bed bugs. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to sell you anything (unless you live in Iowa. He He!). It just bothers me about how much misinformation is out there. I’m here to help. Most home owners are misinformed and even quite a few professionals could use some education. I have spent a large part of the last 5 years studying this subject and, I am somewhat of an expert. I don’t want to brag but I know exactly what I am talking about and, my treatments have never failed. I have achieved 100% control in 100% of my accounts.

    1. Many of you have paid large amounts of money for a professional treatment. When we first started getting calls for bed bugs we charged quite a bit too because we didn’t yet know how little we could get away with and still get control. Now that we have learned that they are very easy to get rid of we have dropped our prices a ton. I can treat an apartment for $250 – $450. A house may be a bit more. It depends on how many beds and pieces of furniture we have to treat. Many companies have not lowered their prices yet because they have not learned that bed bug infestations are often very localized. Bed bugs just don’t spread all over the place unless you ignore them for months or fail to do a proper treatment. Most of the time we find 2 or 3 small harborages and that’s it.

    2. If you had a professional treat 3 times, I would bet that he did it correctly but you didn’t allow 30 days for all the eggs to hatch. Nothing on Earth will make the eggs hatch other than time. It is also not true that eggs can be killed with insecticides. If you are told that an insecticide will kill the eggs too, you are being lied to. Steam will kill the eggs but insecticides won’t When you hear about eggs being killed, what they are talking about is insect growth regulators (IGR’s). They do not kill eggs. They keep insects from growing to a mature size. Thus, they will not be able to reproduce. The eggs will hatch no mater what we do (other than steam heat) and, you will see live bed bugs for 30 days. A few days after they are exposed to the products, they will die. There is no way around this. You did not waste your money on the treatment. The only reason your glue traps worked is because the treatment finally worked. I bet if you look at your traps there is nothing in them. I would also like to say that if you were told to rip up your carpet, this guy had no business being in the pest control business. They do not live under carpet. They quite often will get under the very edge of the carpet (which can be very easily treated) but, they do not ever crawl clear under it. I take back what I said earlier. He may not have done the job properly. All he needed to know is that you would see them for at least 30 days. He is incompetent but, it sounds like his treatment finally worked. Like I said, they are easy to get rid of. Even an incompetent technician should be able to get them stopped.

    3. It is true that cold is not as effective as heat. You would need to keep the house at sub-zero temps for a week or 2. The fact that you have not seen any since you opened your windows tells me that you must have thrown out whatever they were living on, performed some sort of treatment that finally worked (remember the 30 day rule) or you only transported a few male bed bugs (and no females) into your home. That happens all the time. If 1 or 2 males crawl into your suitcase, and you take them home, the problem will take care of itself. As for steam, if you were successful at steam treating every harborage, you would notice instant results. Steam is effective but if you miss one single egg or pregnant female, you will need to have a residual insecticide in key locations to kill what you missed. I use steam sometimes and it is effective but, it is not a silver bullet.

    4. Glue traps under the bed legs will not work if the bugs are already living on your bed. In addition, if your sheets ever touch the ground they can crawl right on to the bed. I also agree that they can drop off the ceiling. This alone will not be effective. Glue traps as part of an integrated pest management program will help but alone they will not stop the problem. Think of it this way. Bed bugs that are not living on the bed are going to keep reproducing wherever their harborage is located. They will just keep getting worse. Eventually one female will find her way into the bed. It is a bad idea to use these as a stand alone control device.

    5. The person that said they found bed bugs on the head board and threw the head board away may have solved his/her problem just by getting rid of the harborage. Remember, these things don’t just run all over the place. The find a nice little crack or crevice that is close to a blood meal and they move in. Once this harborage is established they only leave their harborage to feed. Bed bugs do not always live on beds and furniture but, many times they do. If that is the case, all you have to do is get rid of whatever they are living on. If you want to keep it, all you have to do is treat it. It’s just that simple.

    I could go on and on but I think what I have given you should be helpful.
90. Keith Gordon says:

    January 28, 2009 at 10:14 pm

    The Truth About Bed Bugs From A Pro

    I have been in pest control for 16 years. 5 years ago we started to get calls for bed bugs. I have performed over 300 treatments and have found that they are not very hard to get rid of at all. Most companies will tell you that you need to have multiple treatments done. This is not true at all. 80% of the jobs I have done require only one treatment. 99% of them are stopped by the second treatment and, I have never, ever had to treat more than 4 times (that only happened once).

    The fact of the matter is, if you find and treat every single bed bug harborage on the first attempt, you will have killed every single bug in the house. That’s just a fact. In fact, many times there is only one harborage. The key is to not miss anything. But, even if you do miss some, if you treat properly, you can still get rid of them. It’s just not that big of a deal.

    Any insecticide will kill a bed bug very easily. They are not that resistant to insecticides. When I have to go back a second time it is because I missed something or the customer did not allow 30 days for it to work. You must allow 30 days for nature to take it’s coarse. You have to let the eggs hatch and let the new bed bugs get exposed.

    The last thing you want to do is change your behavior. Don’t sleep on the couch. They will just go dormant or move to the couch. If they move we hope that they will get into the product but, that does not always work. Just keep sleeping in your bed. I know that doesn’t sound good but, you will get much quicker results if you do.

    I have never failed and I never will. If you are worried about the products we use, don’t be. When they are used according to the EPA label standards, there are no potential health risks. These products are designed for this purpose and affect the insect in ways that can only harm the insect. They have an internal make up that is different from that of mammals. The chemistries take advantage of those differences and thus are void in the human system. Besides, we don’t treat the entire mattress. We only treat the crevices that they live in.

    Modern insecticides are largely misunderstood. They get a bad rap from the old, outdated, products that we have not used for decades. You have nothing to worry about. Bed bugs are much easier to get rid of than German Roaches. I do it every single day. It’s no big deal.

    Good Luck!
91. Krista says:

    January 27, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    Just a comment, when I went to the exterminator to buy the insecticide to kill the bed bugs, they told me that cold will not kill bed bugs. That like most other bugs, bed bugs will just go into a hibernation state and once it warms up, they will be on the prowl again. They said that the only thing that will kill them beside chemicals is extreme heat…high setting on a dryer…for 40 minutes.

    Also, bed bug barriers on the bottom of your bed legs will not always work as bed bugs have been known to crawl up the wall and fall on their prey if they cannot get up the bed.
92. Wndey says:

    January 18, 2009 at 6:09 pm

    Hello,

    I live in 4 plex and have found 3 bed bugs in my bed. I found them behind my headboard and have put that in the trash.

    I’m araid to buy a new bed and have no idea how I got the bugs in the first place. I’m stressing out here and hope to find a solution on your site. I’m so afraid that I can’t even sleep at night!

    Thanks
93. Evan says:

    January 18, 2009 at 11:18 am

    I returned home from traveling recently and brought bed bugs home with me. It was a nightmare! No matter what i did i could not get rid of them. After getting the pest controller back 3 times he that they were probably under the carpet and it needed to be ripped up which was going to cost me a lot of money.

    Then I came across a low cost bed bug barrier that fit onto the bed legs with a special glue that traps Bed Bugs. The glue lasts over 1 year so will protect from any eggs that hatch later no. There were no chemicals needed and was so much cheaper than using a pest controllers. I simply moved my bed away from the wall, applied Bed Bug Barriers and have never been bitten since.

    Thank you!
94. Janice says:

    January 16, 2009 at 1:58 pm

    I have just returned from Mexico. I have 3 bites. One on my jawline, one on my collarbone and one under my armpit. They are red, with a raised center and tiny white center. They are incredibly painful, but NOT in the least itchy……I read that if you have multiple bites, it is NOT a spider, but rather it is likely bedbugs….has anyone ever heard of bedbug bites that do not itch, but instead are just intensely painful?
95. Jim says:

    January 15, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    Hello Matt,

    To kill the bed bugs in your home by turning the heat off, you would have to get the house down to about 5F for a day and if the infestation is heavy, you’re going to need a few days at -5F. Just turning off the heat and an outside temperature of 0F doesn’t mean the inside of the house will be 0. Insulation, length of time, size and more are all factors you need to consider.

    I’m guessing you live in a very cold area?

    Best regards,

    Jim.
96. Matt says:

    January 15, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    I was able to vacate my house with the heat off during a cold night and freeze my infestation out. I saved hundreds on an exterminator with this technique!
97. Alexander says:

    January 11, 2009 at 3:31 am

    The only way to keep bed bugs from infesting your home is to avoid buying second hand furniture, books, clothing, etc… be informed of your friends and family who are infected so that you may protect yourselves and your home.

    Do not over crowd your home with items, clutter is their hide out. Room to room carpeting is a no, no. Bed bugs can breed in the fabrics of your carpets, especially where there is an opening where they can hide underneath. When cleaning your home, don’t do it half way.

    Make sure you use citrus or citronella cleansing solutions mixed with rubbing alcohol, but make sure you do not mix chemicals which might harm you in process. Keep it natural as possible. And yes, use Diatomaceous Earth in all corners, cracks and openings in your home. Make sure you use it on your carpets, under your bed, around your bed, anywhere there is a hiding place. Even in your closets and drawers.

    Check for blood spots and wash your fabrics as suggested according to the label of your fabric. And keep checking for signs of them anywhere you look, and spray some of that powder on them and their eggs.

    Keep the temperature of your home on the cooler side, for these bugs thrive in warm temperatures. In winter time, leave your windows open and your air conditioning or heating off to freeze the bugs to death, if you can afford to.

    All the best
98. Meagan Boykin says:

    January 6, 2009 at 10:39 pm

    I am pregnant and just found bed bugs in my bed. I live in an apartment and I need to know what I can do to get rid of them? Are the owners responsible to getting rid of these?
99. Kiran says:

    December 27, 2008 at 2:39 pm

    I just bought a new mattress and a bed set. Bed Bugs appear a lot and I tried to use a spray to kill them. I was panicked and did not know what to do as this is the first time in dealing with pest control. It started from the new set and then to master bedroom and other rooms.

    Singapore only sells the dust mite protectors for mattresses with rubber bands and not with a zipper. Do you sell it? Please let me what can I do to prevent the bed bugs.

    Thanks and much appreciated.
100. Bob Henry says:

     November 12, 2008 at 7:04 am

     I recently moved into a subsidized housing unit and made the mistake of leaving my bed flat on the floor, without the legs; there is no infestation, but they are lurking. One easy method of preventing bed bugs from climbing onto your bed is to put a plastic Tupperware container under each leg of the bed; as of yet no bug has climbed the smooth plastic and over the lip of the container. If you have further doubts as to whether they can climb over the containers, fill them with water.
101. Jim says:

     October 29, 2008 at 3:42 pm

     Hi Jeni,

     They say insecticides with “d-Phenothrin” as an active ingredient are most effective on bedbugs, but make sure the product is made for ‘household’ use or you could end up damaging the items you spray it on!

     No matter what the product says, always use care when around children and the elderly, especially people who are immunocompromised or sensitive to products such as these.

     When heavy infestation, you probably won’t get rid of all the bed bugs at first and will have to hit them again in 10-14 days. Also, be aware that pest control companies are the best bet at dealing with heavy infestation of bed bugs. Failed attempts at do-it-yourself pest control means that bed bugs have that much more time to multiply.

     Note: The general consensus are that insecticide sprays are not the effective. Unless it specifically states that it’s safe to use on your mattress, don’t use it. If the product does not guarantee it safe and danger free for humans, then I’d stay away from it!

     Best regards,

     Jim.
102. jeni says:

     October 29, 2008 at 10:23 am

     will a home fogger kill them
103. mohammed says:

     October 27, 2008 at 8:57 am

     The way I get rid of bed bugs is to use any spray that has alcohol content and find it kill’s them instantly. Start by spraying the bugs slowly since the pressure may move them and then try to cover them with the liquid.