It is said that bedbugs are not a health hazard and they can't transmit disease. But I believe they are talking about a bedbug transmitting disease from injecting saliva into your skin during the initial stages of feeding on your blood.
After a bedbug has finished feeding (about fifteen minutes), it is engorged with human blood. The slightest pressure will cause the bug to burst open and spray blood in all directions. Picture of a bedbug that popped and was partially filled with blood can be found at http://www.badbedbugs.com/bed-bug-bites/
Now, imagine that you are unfortunate enough to stay at an infested hotel. During the night, a bed bug full of blood from last night's victim crawls near your face; you roll over and the pressure pops the bug and exposes you to human blood.
If the blood was from an infected person, where does that leave you?
You can minimize your risk of exposure by making sure to use the Bedbug Checklist found at BadBedBugs.com. When you check the room out, make SURE to wear disposable medical gloves to prevent exposure.
Caution goes a long way – make the time to check your room for bed bugs before spending the night!
My boyfriend lost his job and we got evicted and ended up in a local motel. He finally found another job and we try to save money to get another place to live but paying on the room weekly, its like we never get ahead. My two granddaughters ages 3 and 5 live with us.
At first the 3yr old had bites all over her. I took her to see her regular doctor who determined that they were bug bites and prescribed a steroid cream. I have a dog so we thought it was flea’s. Three months later and after alot of flea baths and flea powder and having to launder everything over and over, we all four had lots of bites.
My boyfriend still thought it was fleas. I wasn’t sure so one night I stayed up and investigated. I captured 50 bedbugs within 30 minutes! I found myself unable to sleep night after night. I reported it to the local health department, they called the motel and they denied they had them. Then the motel did nothing and night after night we suffer. It has finally got to the point that my life is a living nightmare.
I am looking for an affordable place to live, we can’t just leave because I have car problems, its cold and we have no where to go. I am so disgusted and overwhelmed and feel like crying, my skin itches so bad that it burns. We have all had respiratory problems since we came here. The children caught a viral infection I think caused by these insects.
The lists goes on and on so yes these insects are a health hazard and the CDC needs to declare them so!
Below is an email written to my lawyer about the nightmare my family is currently experiencing. We moved into an infested building less than 90 days ago. We have practically none of our personal belongings at our new place. It is a terrible way to live.
Update on my situation:
We are never wanting to go back to VG. Items we have taken and treated are possibly unsafe, yesterday my 16 yr old found new bites on her legs. While I am unsure if this could have possibly happened Wednesday when putting our dinette set on the truck for heat treatment or if it is something we brought to our new home I am extremely freaked out. If we brought it there could only be a few bugs not an infestation…OMG!
We spread Diatomaceous earth all over our new town-home last night. On all carpeted surfaces and every crack and crevices. This is very effective to prevent infestation and rid of any lingering bugs we missed with the precautions we took. Mike, we only brought 2 truck beds full of items and those were thoroughly heated. I am at a complete loss living in these conditions and making the sacrifices we are in order to run from the bugs. In addition, we are going back to the laundry mat to reheat all the things we did on Sunday. I am broke.
Right now both me and my daughter are an emotional wreck. Last night when I got home from work and saw her new bites I wept after asking her to tell me what was on her mind and why she looked so sad. She said “Mom, I can live with the bites I am becoming used to them, but where are we going to live? Do we have to move again, if so I don’t think I can handle that”. I assured her that we would get through this and that it was a temporary set back, however, I am not sure if that is true. How much more can we be set back? We are living like people in poverty with nothing and no hope of ever retrieving our clothes and personal belongings. I work in a professional environment and as a woman I need my shoes, and clothes. I have one pair of sandals and three changes of clothes for work. Our closets are empty due to not being able to bring ANYTHING else from the old apt. I simply can’t take any more chances.
The kids are isolated from a social life. There aren’t kids coming around anymore. I am not allowing them to go to other peoples houses for visits in fear that we may take it to some unsuspecting person’s house. This whole summer has been a nightmare for our whole family.
I am forwarding pictures of our current living conditions for our records. I will forward pics of how we have been forced to use our truck as a heat chamber as a last hope of taking those two truck beds of items out on Sunday and Monday. My old apartment is a mess, not filth just completely out of order due to this whole mess. I don’t want to step one more foot into the place ever again.
APT. Management update:
I still have not spoke to apt management since last Tuesday. Not sure what the next bullet will be that comes my way, however, I’m sure it will be an eviction after not paying rent for 30 days and still having our belongings in the apartment.
Attorney can you please advise me on your plan of action regarding this case, I need hope of some kind to help me get through these next several weeks.
well what if you have to take Loratadine for these bites just so you don’t get sick?????????
How do you get rid of the bed bug scar after they bite you and it leave that make my dauther is 8 and she have so many little marks all over her legs and arms
Our apt in Somersworth Nh has bedbugs on the 1st floor. We moved into this apt without knowing any knowledge of this. Fortunately we have not come across any problem until they “sprayed” the building and this morning I found one! I’m very upset!!
My friend just moved into an apartment less than a week ago and has found two live and several dead bed bugs. When she asked the landlord to give her his name after telling him she found bed bugs he started screaming at her and saying that she brought them in and is trying to mess him over.
She has only been there 5 days and has found the dead bugs throughout the house! We live in Texas where tenant rights are not as strong as places like San Francisco and New York. Any advice on how to prove that she did not bring the bugs into the house? Is there a chance of her getting out of this lease and getting any of her money back?
Also- She has written him a certified letter with request for return signature. Unfortunately he only gives a P.O. Box address and will most likely not respond.
Bed Bugs are a serious thing and do pose a health hazard! I don’t blindly listen to scientists and researchers who ALWAYS try to comfort people with their lies! Firstly, if you or your child has eczema, the constant scratching and irritation can, and in most childhood cases, make eczema worse, and leave lifetime scarring. And if the bedbugs are filled with blood from another individual, then my gosh… let’s use some common sense people! It is blood that hasn’t made contact with the air, it is like a needle with a syringe. The blood is sucked up through that tiny needle and placed in that syringe. Think of the bedbugs body as a little syringe holding blood from another person. Disgusting!
I travel a lot and was shocked to learn that the average hotel mattress is replaced every eight years, during those eight years on average two thousand people will have slept in that bed!
i have been reading all the comments from every one. if you are living in nyc. you can call on the city to force your landlords to help you guys with ur bed bug infestations. its really horrible that your landlords aren’t willing to exterminate ur homes. just call 311 an tell them u have infestations in ur residence an they will help u. all other states. ur landlord answers to some an they make sure that apartment buildings don’t have certain violations an that is one. just like rodents. I’ve had them. i called 311 an told them my landlord wouldn’t help me an get those blood suckers out of my apt. an they made him do it. i don’t know how but it worked. exterminating ur apt for bed bugs is really expensive. an it takes more then one treatment. but try an do all you can to get help. good luck
You know Patty, you can always submit your apartment to the hotel bedbug section of this site and find out if there are any other complaints. Also, once you mention the complex, it’s on record and the next person that moves in will have this to help them. Just a suggestion if you like.
Jim
i am 43 years old, never in my life have i ever seen a bedbug in my house until 3 months ago, we just moved into this apt because we were homeless, my husband woke up one night showing me a bug that was biting him, i thought, oh a beetle or something right, until i looked it up online, i was horrified to find out it was a bed bug, so, i asked a neighbor if she has them, she said , oh yah, this place was infected by them, but there in the process of getting rid of them.
I was stunned to hear that the lady that used to live in my apt, left, well she said ran out because of the many many bed bugs in my apt, omg!! i couldn’t believe what i was hearing, my apt was the most infested apt in the building !! now i feel like i was lied to by these people that rented me this apt, they of course are not going to tell me this, but there in a lot of trouble, i have so many bites on me, i cant even go to work for fear someone will get what ever bed bug is on me, is there pics on here to show me what they look like, i want to make sure its bedbugs! thank you
i am going through the same situation as tara except my 9yr old is the one getting bites all over. I found bed bugs in his bed and threw it away, he is now sleeping in my room.
I have a newborn as well and i’m scared the bud bugs will come to my bedroom now where me my husband and my 2 kids are sleeping. I have no money to get my apt exterminated so i bought a bomb for bugs and bombed the apartment. Will they spread to my room where we are all sleeping now?
What do i do..i just moved in a month ago and i have the landlord from hell cause he does not want to help out my situation and do anything about the infestation. He said that maybe i brought them which is a lie cause i never had them in my last apt…PLEASE HELP US WHAT DO I DO NOW?
I moved into my apartment 2 weeks ago and found it infested with bed bugs. Now the landlord wont let me out of my lease and is making accusations I brought them with me. I never seen a bed bug until I moved here ans have over 100 bites on my body. I have 3 children which arent getting bit just me, of course I would rather it be me than my children. I dont know what to do or how to get out of this situation. PLEASE HELP.