DD's freaking out......she has bedbugs

[CathyA]

DD has had so many issues to deal with lately. She just called me in tears, saying she found bedbugs in her bed. I really don't know that much about them. I told her to read up online and possibly get bed-bug resistant covers for her box springs and mattress and pillow. Chemicals are out of the question, but I've read a little about botanicals that might work.
Poor her. She's been under soooooo much stress lately, and now this. There are 2 other girls in her house, and it seems like they should probably have bed bugs too, right?
Any suggestions for treatment?
thanks!

[razz]

Bedbugs are a real pain and hard to remove totally according to all reports in our local press. If she is renting, she needs to tell the landlord whoever that may be as they do spread throughout a building.
Stress that she is the first to discover/recognize them but she is not responsible for them.
She needs some emotional support in dealing with this as well.

[Alan]

Bedbugs are a huge problem in many areas. My brother-in-law's apartment building has become totally infested several times in the last year or so, requiring professional exterminators to come in. The last time, the local health department put up a notice on the building entrance and the post office stopped delivering mail to the address.

My wife takes him to his doctor's appointments once a month, and takes him out to shop for food every two weeks, but won't let him into her car until he changes into clothes and shoes she keeps for him at our house and carries around in a plastic bag. I've suggested we just give him a bus pass but she's afraid he will simply trade it for heroin and not go.

We want to minimize the chances they will hitch a ride home with her.

[jennipurrr]

Bed bugs are COMPLETELY different from dust mites, which is what they make the bed covers for. They must be treated professionally. The landlord should be responsible for this, or else they are going to spread throughout the complex. There is really no way around treating the bed bugs with chemicals. Otherwise they will continue to multiply. They actually bite people and leave nasty welts during the night.

We had them at one of our rentals. It is in a four unit building and one of the other units had them. We had to remove everything made of material (curtains, pillows, bedding, clothing, etc) while the exterminators came. They assessed the unit and luckily they were not in it so we were able to keep our sofa and beds. If they are in your upholstered furniture really it has to be thrown out. Then all of our material items had to be run on the hot cycle of the dryer before we put them back in the unit. And we did not even have the bed bugs in our unit...it was much more in depth for the condos that had them. They are not something to dawdle about, you have to exterminate them otherwise they will just get worse.

As to the other rooms...they could have them, they may not. Our complex had one unit with an infestation that they believe came from traveling internationally. A few of the bugs had made it to the unit above.

[puglogic]

Bedbugs hitched a ride with us from a hotel in Missouri a couple of summers ago. I freaked out too. I couldn't sleep for days....nightmares.....a deep feeling of ICK that followed me everywhere. They are insidious - they suck your blood while you're at your most vulnerable, and they are incredibly resistant to efforts to get rid of them. Horrible on every level. Anyone who has never had to suffer an infestation can never understand.

She should study this site: http://bedbugger.com/faqs/ It has lots of useful information, tips, discussions, etc.

We did this:

Educated ourselves. Fully. MADE SURE WE HAD BEDBUGS. She'll want to be sure she's not seeing something else.
Figured out how we probably brought them into the house (specific luggage) and put it outside in the freezing cold to kill off anything remaining. I think we left it all outside all winter.
Bagged all bed linens, on the spot, in big plastic bags to carry to the laundry room. DON'T drag it through the house. Wash everything in hot water and dry it on high. Don't bring anything back into the room until you've done the rest.
Got EVERYTHING off the floor, into plastic bags on the spot, and ran it through the dryer cycle to kill anything on it. Shoes, clothes, books, everything.
Kept everything off the floor, no more clutter around the bed, ever. Everything I had went into plastic rubbermaid containers after being treated.
Dissected the bed.
Sprinkled diatomaceous earth on all of the seams and corners of the mattress and box spring, then wrapped both in special bedbug-proof zip-up mattress covers (make sure they say so), and then taped the zippers.
Sprayed the entire bed frame down, heavily, with full-strength isopropyl alcohol, noting where we could see bedbug larva. Kill, kill, kill.
Sprayed all seams, cracks, crevices anywhere near the bed with isopropyl alcohol, including walls, furniture, paintings, doors, everything.
Sprinkled diatomaceous earth into all crevices, onto the carpet near the walls/bed, etc.
Painted a fine dusting of diatomaceous earth on the wall nearest the bed.
Reassembled the room and prayed.

It was months before I really felt okay in my own bed again.

I'd suggest, if she can get the landlord to treat the whole apartment, that she forget about her aversion to chemicals and just let them do it. 99% of botanicals won't work one bit on these things...it's all just hype.

[iris lily]

I"ve stopped bringing furniture in from the alley after 20 years of alley shopping due to my fear of bedbugs. Also, I won't buy furniture at the thrift stores.

Any clothing I buy at thrifts goes into hot wash/dry on high heat.

[CathyA]

Thanks everyone,
She's calling the landlady today...........but she said she thinks she's a drug dealer! :(

There was a friend who came back from china a couple months ago and has been sleeping at their house......
Its an entire house, not an apartment complex. We gave her my MIL's sofa and chair. I sure hope they don't have to be thrown out.
She only started feeling them bite a couple days ago, and only saw them last evening. But it looks as though they've been there a little while.......from all their poop on the box springs cover. EEEWWWWW.
Poor DD. She was under so much stress as it was and her room was about her only little oasis from the world.
I agree.........she needs to make sure they're bedbugs, but she's looked up pictures and they're sure acting like them.
Dang.........she had roaches in her last apartment........even though it was really nice.
I've read the bed bugs have nothing to do with housekeeping or hygiene though.

So do you feel that the landlady should be totally financially responsible for getting rid of them? Like I said, it wouldn't surprise me if they were there when they moved in. 2 cats sleep on her bed they belong to the girl who came back from China). I don't think they bother cats, but I'm sure the cats can transport some of the eggs in their fur.

I have read about using the diatomaceous earth to keep them out, once you get rid of them. Damn.
She's coming home for Christmas in 10 days. What should I do to make sure she doesn't bring them here???????????

[CathyA]

Alan.....I PM'd you.

[lhamo]

I think she should get out of that house. It doesn't sound like a good living situation. I doubt the dodgy landlord is going to treat this appropriately, and it will probably drag on for months and months. If she has certain clothing/belongings that are particularly valuable to her, may be worth trying to salvage but personally I would probably just leave with the (thoroughly washed) clothes on my back. I would NOT try to salvage your MIL's old furniture. Not worth the risk, in my book.

FWIW, it is probably more likely that the bedbugs came in on used furniture they got somewhere than that they hitched a ride on someone coming back from China or her cats.

And it has nothing to do with hygiene. NYC has a HUGE bedbug problem, and it affects people of all economic classes. Bedbugs may actually have been the original "Occupy Wall Streeters" :) Sorry, probably not something to joke about. But seriously, read some of the articles in the NYT archive about the NYC bedbug problem.

Good luck in supporting her through this.

lhamo

[CathyA]

Thanks lhamo. But none of the furniture was used. It was used and brought in from the girls who live there from their previous apartments.
Who knows. they just tore one of the other 2 roommates bed apart and there were no signs of them in there. They'll check one more bed and then all the furniture.
It will be very strange if its just in DD's room. I guess one of the cats sleeps with her every night.......so who knows where the bugs came from.
And I just remembered that she brought a big bag of clothes home at Thanksgiving, and I've already gone through them. EEEwwwwww. Time will tell if she shared the bugs with us. She's coming home for Christmas too. I think I'll hose her down out in the yard first. haha

[sweetana3]

They could also be fleas. We had a cat and it was very hard to get rid of the fleas. They bite like bedbugs and are hard to find but big enough to see. Easy to mistake them.

San Francisco had a huge infestation and we got bit at a hotel.

[CathyA]

No, these are bedbugs. I think I'd rather have fleas though.

[CathyA]

I think I said that they found no sign of them in the other girls bed, but still have to check one other girl's bed.
They checked the upholstered furniture and didn't find anything.
She turned her boxsprings over and tore off the covering and couldn't find any bugs.
Sooooooo.........She wants to vacuum her room really well, but one girl only has a bagless vac and I don't think that's a good idea.
So I'm thinking this: If they can't find any bugs in anywhere but DD's room, I wonder if she could hire a pest person to bring their high suction stuff in and just suck the hell out of DD's room? I'm having trouble finding reasonably priced bagged vacs (I'd like a push one) and I'd hate to have her ruin it on these bugs. So I'm thinking hiring someone just to suction her room might be a good idea?
She's going to get good bedbug resistant covers for her bed and pillows. She's going to get some diatomaceous earth.
We'll see if this works.
I did read that they can infest pets. I told DD to get a human hair lice comb and us it on the cats.
Yuk. Yuk. Yuk.

[puglogic]

Vacuuming won't remove the eggs, which adhere quite stubbornly to things. And then hatch. And then there's more bugs.
We used strong (70%) alcohol because (we read) it desiccates even the eggs, not to mention the larvae and the adults, in a most unpleasant way. We found bedbugs in the metal parts of the bed frame, in the wheels, etc. You have to be ridiculously thorough.

I looked like Sigourney Weaver at the end of Aliens when I was done - sweaty, angry, not super-pleasant to be around :)

We used a bagged vac and then pitched the bag right away in a well-sealed plastic bag. And of course used diatomaceous earth, so that helps discourage any survivors in the machine and bag.

[CathyA]

I'm not sure its going to be easy to find a bagged, upright, reasonably priced vacuum. We'll just have to play it all by ear I guess. What a PITA.
Pug, when you say you used alcohol, do you mean to wipe everything down?

[redfox]

I"ve stopped bringing furniture in from the alley after 20 years of alley shopping due to my fear of bedbugs. Also, I won't buy furniture at the thrift stores.

Any clothing I buy at thrifts goes into hot wash/dry on high heat.

Ditto all 'round. And, I have read accounts of them under screws in lamp parts! Yikes... I just brought lamps home from GW... Must check those. Sheesh.

[Zoebird]

it is an extreme process to DIY, but it can be done.

last year, we thought we had bed bugs. turns out we didn't, and in fact, the person who came to check out our place was amazed at just how few bugs of any kind we had. she noted that we keep the place very clean and tidy.

it is a tough process. but, you might be able to get an exterminator to do just her room, yes.

[CathyA]

Zoebird..........had you just mis-identified the bugs?
Last night they checked the other girl's bed and there's nothing. Appears to just be in DD's room. She's buying a really good bed-bug resistent bed linen set today and lay in her bed tonight and wait for them. :( She hasn't seen any of them since the second day, but her mattress and box-springs have been upright against the wall and she hasn't slept in there. I guess they know when there's a heat-producing human in the bed or not. I wonder if she put the bed together and put a heating pad on top for a few hours in the dark and ran in there, she could ambush some of them.
I realize this could be a massive job. DD knows this. she's just trying to catch as many as possible before calling in the professionals.
She was so far behind in her studies when this happened. Now she's missing work and practicing. Damn bugs. I guess in the state she's in, the landlords aren't responsible for this. She called her landlady and the lady told her a few tips, but said that it might cost close to $1,000. We just can't do that.

[lmerullo]

I'm not a landlord, but my thought would be that this is a tenant problem. There is no reason for the landlord to be responsible in this case. If the place was rented furnished, then I could see the LL taking over the responsibility. Here, though, there is no reason for her to step in. There will be no loss if she does nothing.

I would make sure you read all you can re: eradicating the little buggars. I also second the recommendation that you just blast them with chemicals / hire a professional so that the problem does not spread and become bigger / resistant.

[puglogic]

Pug, when you say you used alcohol, do you mean to wipe everything down?

No - that doesn't get into the crevices where they hide and lay eggs. I put it into a spray bottle and sprayed everything. Not a little spritz - really got it into all the cracks.

[CathyA]

Thanks Pug.
Imerullo, I tend to agree with you. It could get outrageously expensive for a landlord. I think roaches are a different matter though.

DD talked to a bed-bug company and they don't vacuum just one room. He said to go ahead and use a bagless vaccuum (since that's all she has), and gave her a bunch of other pointers. We're taking this approach since her room seems to be the only room affected. But dang..........I wonder if those cats are the carriers.
They sleep in her bed all the time.

She's going to vacuum everywhere then put on a "Bed-Protector kit" on her bed (not cheap........about $160) and then sleep in her bed tonight and see what happens.