Follow-Up
The exterminator came on Wednesday last week and I think that we've seen the last of bedbugs in this apartment for a long, long time.
Contributing to the quick and painless process this time around was the fact that I caught the signs early and I found a live one right away, after only three bites. I had an exterminator in exactly two weeks after getting the first bite and he was exceptionally thorough. We did all the laundry, even though it was only for three bites. And now it has been nearly a week and a half since I last got any bites.
I'm crossing my fingers that this is it once and for all, but I'm grateful that it didn't get to be as bad as the first time. It says a lot for being informed and getting a professional in to do the job as soon as possible.
One thing we did NOT do, and I want to point this out, because sometimes people panic and make the situation worse: We did not spray any contact killers around the bed. I did not want to drive any bugs deeper into the walls where they'd become more difficult to kill. That meant using myself as bait and possibly getting more bites. But a few more bites and dead bedbugs would be better than getting sporadic bites for the rest of my life. If you're thinking of using contact killers, I strongly recommend asking the advice of a professional before using them to be sure you don't do the cause harm.
Thanks for all your concern and support. I think I'm going to go back into retirement, now. :)
Contributing to the quick and painless process this time around was the fact that I caught the signs early and I found a live one right away, after only three bites. I had an exterminator in exactly two weeks after getting the first bite and he was exceptionally thorough. We did all the laundry, even though it was only for three bites. And now it has been nearly a week and a half since I last got any bites.
I'm crossing my fingers that this is it once and for all, but I'm grateful that it didn't get to be as bad as the first time. It says a lot for being informed and getting a professional in to do the job as soon as possible.
One thing we did NOT do, and I want to point this out, because sometimes people panic and make the situation worse: We did not spray any contact killers around the bed. I did not want to drive any bugs deeper into the walls where they'd become more difficult to kill. That meant using myself as bait and possibly getting more bites. But a few more bites and dead bedbugs would be better than getting sporadic bites for the rest of my life. If you're thinking of using contact killers, I strongly recommend asking the advice of a professional before using them to be sure you don't do the cause harm.
Thanks for all your concern and support. I think I'm going to go back into retirement, now. :)
posted by Caitlin at 3:38 PM
19 Comments:
do you know what company they used?
i live in MA and we contracted bedbugs from a hotel room - that i'm absolutely sure about
so now i'm about to go crazy and unfortunately i didnt read you blog earlier because we used contact killer!!! oh no! we wrapped our mattress and boxspring with plastic to seal any in and last night was the first night my kittie Teddie (who i simply ADORE!) found the first bedbug (which btw convinced my hubbie that i was being chewed on by these guys)
sorry to ramble on and on - please let me know about the company used
thanks a bunch!
naobunni@gmail.com
Hi Caitlin,
Darnit. As I said on the blog tonight, I am really bummed that you have them again, but I am super glad this was handled so swiftly and professionally by your landlord.
I am curious, though: where did you hear that contact killers were bad and would drive bed bugs deeper into the walls?
I know this is true of bombs and of repellents. But my understanding of contact killers, like Kleen Free, 91% isopropyl alcohol, and so on, is that they only kill bed bugs on the spot.
If that's wrong, please fill us in. We have a lot of people using contact kills to kill bugs they see, and so we need to get that information out.
(By the way, I am not a big proponent of contact killers, only because many people wrongly think that is all they need. This idea could not be more wrong, since contact kills will never get the eggs, and so unless the person kills every living bed bug--impossible unless there truly are only a few and they have not laid eggs--they will never get rid of bed bugs.)
Anyway, death to the bed bugs. I hope you are back to your normal life again REALLY soon.
all the best!
nobugs
It's a Queens based company called Rentokil. I don't think they would travel to MA, unfortunately, but any professional exterminator should be able to treat your home for bedbugs.
Nobugs, I actually have no idea. But fear led me not to use it. Maybe a pro would have a better answer and if I'm wrong, I stand corrected.
Thanks for clarifying that, Caitlin!
There are things OTHER than contact kills that you should not use... which is why I am against DIY pest control for the most part. But so far, none of the PCOs on bedbugger.com have expressed this concern about contact kills.
I have had bed bugs too. I have had great success using diatemaceous earth from freshwater organics and it only cost me 17.95.
Hi There
I'm making a documentary about bedbugs in New York City. If you live in Brooklyn or Manhattan and have bedbugs please send me an email at amelodylee[@]mac.com
thanks very much
A'Melody Lee
I picked up some bedbugs from NYC from staying at the good old YMCA in Greenpoint. My infestation lasted about a month and I was misdiagnosed with "rashes" and put on steroids and antibiotics. After a couple hundred dollars wasted, I found the culprit in the evening about to take a bite out of me!
The pest man was helpful. He sprayed the bed and the frame, the whole room, and advised me to wash everything or put in trash bags (double) until washed. After the first treatment, I still got bitten. After the second, I am finally free! All this, a couple hundred dollars, misdiagnosis, and discomfort. All the reason to bring DEET back. No one deserves this!
Hi Caitlin (or anyone)--
I've picked up bedbugs and they're in my apt in Costa Rica. A professional sprayed on 9/25/07, and I found 3 dead bedbugs by the wall. He came in and did a follow up spray on October 5th. I went away this weekend and when I got back (Oct 16th) I found another dead adult carcass in the other room. AND I woke up with 6 new bites on my legs. What do you suggest? It's been 11 days since the last treatment. Should he come in again and/or try a new substance (even though the first one seemed to work?) Thanks for your help.
mneyland@gmail.com
HELP IN BROOKLYN!!!!
We had the exterminator come in about a week ago and we're still getting bit. According to the exterminator they can still bite for up to 2 weeks...This doesn't make sense. If they are biting in 2 weeks, they'll still be biting in 4 weeks. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for creating this blog! Anyone who has suffered from bed bugs knows the social stigma attached, and it is a relief to read other stories that are similar to mine.
I live in Los Angeles and recently found bed bugs in my house. For a second I felt like Queen Elizabeth--how 17th century of me, until I became totally pissed and traumatized by the whole experience. My husband and I are trying Tallman Scientific powder that we bought online and so far three nights without bites!
At this point I am ready to throw out everthing I own and move; it would almost be cheaper. I'll let you and your readers know if the product had any long term definitive results.
Thanks!
Does anyone know if there is any recourse for my husband getting bit from bedbugs all over his body from a hotel stay in L.A. just this week? 11/14/07 He is (was) at a Choice hotel there and they have not offered any kind of apology or anything of the like. He called housekeeping at 2:00 am this morning and she was actually picking them off the wall next to the bed, so there is proof that they are (he checked out) in that room. Wonder if you can take them to court for pain and suffering because he is really suffering!!!
omg htis site fucking sucks.
bedbugs are dumb. like the Assholes who created this site.
Nuff said.
Thanks, um, Asshole. I agree that bedbugs are dumb.
This ia a great site.
Those of you in California should look up www.thermapure.com
They have a few licensee's in the state.
There is a lot of good information out there guys.
Try:
www.thebedbugresource.com
and my site:
www.bakedbedbugs.com
These little critters are very tough to get rid of and most traditional pest control companies really struggle with this problem.
Heat is 100% effective on adult, eggs and larvae when applied correctly and there are no pesticides used.
I am an PCO in southern California (Hearts Pest Management). Let me confirm that there is nothing wrong with contact kill for bed bugs. The problem is not contact kill products. The problem is not doing a complete inspection to find all the bed bug locations and relying on one product. If the writer was able to kill bed bugs without a good inspection and without using a contact kill, I'd say the infestation was very small or the author is talking too soon and the problem will return.
From The GreenExterminator,
I sincerely appreciate your comment regarding possibly speaking too soon? We have an entire series of comments posted on bedbugger.com under "sporiclean a non-toxic treatment". Your statement regarding inspection is the most important that all people need to keep in mind, in order to determine the degree and level of infestation. But, there are many other aspects to the sporiclean product that you may not know? Being 100% non-toxic and non-chemical along with the ability to spray any and all washable surfaces (including mattresses, box springs, furniture, carpeting and clothing) - all safely and highly effectively - goes a far greater distance than any chemical insecticide we've ever encountered. I was a licensed PCO back in 1978 and dealt with some of the industries most toxic solutions you could imagine. Anyway, just as you would multi-visit and crack & crevice treat after the first the first treatment, sporiclean also is used in exactly the same manner. The real difference is in the total destruction of the eggs! No chemical (yet) has performed such a full and continuous complete destruction of the eggs... that's why the industry keeps making more toxic chemicals. The bed bug eggs (1 instars) build an immune resistance to the previous chemical. This (so far) has never occurred with the multi-enzyme formula in sproiclean. Because it is an enzyme "energy" and not a chemical. We highly recommend Diatomaceous Earth (DE) as a favorable dusting residual. The primary points to sporiclean are as follows:
1. Total destruction of all levels of bug infestation (over time) no different than any chemical except it is totally safe and non-toxic which says volumes for the safety of the occupants, pets and environment!
2. You can wash (soak) your bedding, clothes etc. in a sink or bathtub and destroy the bedbugs. You cannot safely do that with toxic chemicals.
3. You can (it has been done on numerous occasions) liberally spray a good quality mattress and destroy the bedbugs and keep the mattress. If the mattress is torn or heavily worn, it should be encased or discarded. People have soaked a mattress in the morning and had slept on it in the evening. Non-toxic approach is always favorable over toxins.
4. Sporiclean also destroys bacteria, mold and cat or dog urine or other offensive odors. You get much more versatility than with any chemical insecticide!
5. No product is 100% guaranteed to totally and completely eliminate bedbugs, due to the very nature of them returning on people or objects or neighbors, family, friends or from going to movie theaters, using public transportation etc., It is all about the most effective and safe product to possibly use on an on-going basis (as required).
6. Most affordable product you can purchase that works.
I suffer from long-term asthma and I’m highly chemically sensitive, sporiclean is the only product we can use for all of our general purpose green cleaning along with destroying bedbugs and other common household insects. It is a much stronger concentrate than any other enzyme product in the market. Take a look at it's uses on the website sporiclean.com I appreciate your comment about contact kill, there is simply much more to the story than that.
I GOT BIT ON THE FACE by the bed bugs :'( only my left side ..my whole jaw structure and my cheeks :'( im so sad..i hate these bugs..i'm buying the 91% alcohol @ duane reade TODAY and getting the inspection soon..hope they go away:'(
I also had bed bugs and was afraid to use contact killers around my kids bed, so my exterminator told me to wask all my linens in hot water and get box spring and mattress covers online from bedbug.com, and that worked to prevent them.
If you just got rid of your bed bugs, I would suggest doing those things also.
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