Oh no please help me re: bed bugs

I have 3 kids under 3 so I need full time help. Round the clock, 7 days a week. So on the weekends for the past few months I have had one lady work Fri - Sun and she is very nice.
Recently I went through an agency and found a live in for M-F. She started by me about 3 weeks ago.
She left on Fri and the weekend lady came. And then on Monday evening the other lady came back to my house. I have a basement where my kids play and we keep toys, but there is also a room and bathroom for the live in to sleep.

On Wednesday, Thanksgiving eve, at 415 PM, she approached me and said she thinks I have bugs in the basement. I figured ants but she said no bed bugs. She said she felt like she was getting bitten as she slept. I, of course, freaked out. I have an extremely hectic and busy household with 3 young children and this was a nightmare. I called my exterminator who said he was closing now till Monday. He did give me a number of someone who has a dog to check my house to see if it is indeed bed bugs or maybe (hopefully) just spiders. I called and they guy came in 30 minutes. He checked my whole house and the one and only place found to have bed bugs was the bed where my live in sleeps.
I asked her to pack all her clothes and leave (nicely) and then I spent the next feww hours claling tons of exterminators and getting the office is closed. WHY WHY WHY did she wait till 415 to tell me killed me since telling me at 8 AM would have helped so much more. But I did finally reach someone very nice, whose website says he specialized in bed bugs, who said he would come over at 1030 PM at night.
He told me he would spray a chemical all over my house and that we cannot be home for 2 hours after. He said he comes back in 14-21 days to spray it again. He said it sounds like it should be contained to the one room in the basement so that is good.
I woke all 3 of my babies up and took them to my parents house. It was so sad to have to wake sleeping babies. We slept there and came back to the house today.
I am so freaked out. The exterminator told me to avoid the basement for 24 hours but I do not even want to go there again ever! But I have too....I want to get rid of the mattress and the bed even though he told me it isn't necesaary unless the problem persists. I do not want to wait for it to CH"V persist, I want to stop it now.
I am so worried about my babies.
I hate that I needed to put a chemical in my house but he told me once it is dry it is not harmful but my kids should always wear slippers or sicks around the house.
Please....some positive responses....I am so upset.
Why did Hashem test us with this.
And last night my eldest had 102. My father said Hashem gives us what we can handle. I felt near breakdown. But I guess Hashem thinks I can handle this. Please Hashem don't let the bugs spread. Please make them dead now and please make my babies and me and my husband safe. My little innocent babies who this babysitter held my kids all day without telling me she had bed bugs. My poor little kids. Please let this be over and behind us.

Amein ! And may you see revealed good fin this story... Good Luck!!

Silver Member Joined: Apr 03 2011 Posts: 618

Good Luck!
So happy for you that you were able to go to your parents close by!

Active Poster Joined: Apr 26 2007 Posts: 70

As a precaution I would cover all the bed with a bed bug cover. Good Luck I hope they are truly gone. I dealt with them and I would not wish them on my worst enemy.

Active Poster Joined: Feb 21 2011 Posts: 68

As someone who had bedbugs myself, I can understand where you are coming from. However, just know that bedbugs are not harmful, they are very difficult to get rid of and they bite, but there is no reason to be afraid for your children.

OP here
Screamed in rage this morning at DH. He let my kid go to the basement and bring up shoes from there. And some other stuff. I am so scared of them spreading CH"V.

Silver Member Joined: May 15 2009 Posts: 570

Silver Member Joined: May 15 2009 Posts: 570

op please do not worry about your kids, they will be fine. open all the windows in the basement so the chemical can air out.
and I would have the exterminator check the rest of your house also just to be sure that you don't have it upstairs. because we thought we only had it in one room, but when he came to spray he said they were in the other bedroom as well.
also, buy bedbug-proof mattress covers to prevent it from happening again.

Senior Member Joined: Nov 14 2007 Posts: 116

I so understand you.
we found bed bugs in one bed 4 weeks ago. when I called my landlord and said I think we have bed bugs. if anybody else complained he said NO. he lied to me. my next door neighbor got them 2 month ago. WHY in the world didnt he let us know right then so we should be aware?
we left the house right away. we were by mu husband rov for one week and by Hachnasas orchim for another week . bed bugs had CHANGE OUR LIFE. everywhere we go we check for bed bugs. we imagine we keep on seeing it. this all thing made me sick to my stomak. we packed the whole house . everything was cleaned just to make sure from the all apartment. we still live out of bags becouse we know its still going on in our building. we had a guy come and spray for 3 times. he says its all clean but I am too scared to continue living here. I want to move! our Shalom bais had its up and lots of down thanks to the bed bugs. my kids are going crazy as well from this all thing.
keep on being strong. what keeps me going is thinking about the frogs in mitzraim it was everywhere. BH the bed bugs was just on one bed