Bedbugs? | Imamother

amother ↓

Tue, Jul 04 2006, 10:59 am

to my utter horrification, I think ive got bedbugs.
has anyone here ever successfully gotten rid of an infestation in your house?

I need help.

please no one tell me how gross they are, I know that too well already. I just need advice.

Mommy3.5

Tue, Jul 04 2006, 11:21 am

strip your mattresses, and spray, liberally with lysol, then let the mattress air dry. My parents had this problem in the country one year.

BTW, if it doesn't work for you , you might consider calling an exterminator. although it worked great for my parents!

good luck!

happy2beme

Wed, Jul 05 2006, 8:28 am

omg! a manager of apt buildings was just telling me about this!!

Quote:

please no one tell me how gross they are, I know that too well already. I just need advice

.
don't be embarassed, the guy said that u get it from others. if u were at s/o elses house & sat down on their couch & then sit on bed.. (shudder)

according to him, he said must call exterminator & s/x's it takes a few times to get rid of them. he said it takes a few tries bec they can't make the chemicals strong enough in the pesticides.

call an exterminator!!! & g'luck!

chen

Wed, Jul 05 2006, 11:48 am

bedbugs are on the rise ever since they outlawed DDT. they are a social problem but not a health problem the way roaches are, so don't be scared or embarrassed. they can live for a year without eating so they can be lurking even in a house that has been empty for a long time.

lysol will not kill bedbugs. if the mattress is infested, you can wrap it up in black plastic sheeting, seal all the cracks and leave it outside on a hot sunny day. the heat will kill them. be aware that they also hide in cracks in bed frames, floors, behind light switches and wallpaper--pretty much any narrow space.

They are brown to dark brown, flattish and somewhat oval, and look a lot like a flax seed. to see them, stay in the bed with the lights out at night. in the middle of the night, turn on a bright flashlight. a person has to be in the bed b/c they come out in response to the warmth of the body. I guess you could try putting a hot-water bottle in the bed...

if the sleeper has little red puncture marks on his skin, esp. in neat rows, you've got 'em.

↑ amother ↓

Wed, Jul 05 2006, 12:11 pm

OP here- thank you everybody for your replies. I called an exterminator and I'm waiting for a return call. I've been ignoring the bites ive been getting the past few weeks assuming they were something else, until reality sunk in.

bedbugs are so easy to catch its scary. recently we've stayed in a few hotels, we've had tons of guests sleeping over, I live in a building and new neighbors have moved in. so they could have come from anywhere.

the reason why I didnt think they were bedbugs is because I'm the only one who has been getting bitten. no one else has a single bite. but when I called an exterminator, they told me that it is perfectly possible for that to happen, even if you are not the only one sleeping in your bed!

chen is right. bedbugs can live for a year on no food in a mattress. they also infest boxsprings, bedframes, clothing in dressers and closets, cracks in the walls, electrical outlets and phone boxes, picture frames, curtains, and any clutter around the room.

if they are in one mattress, they are probably in every bed in the house, and in the couches too, especially if someone's been sleeping on it.

if you live in an apartment building, they can be in every apartment, because they travel.

so wish me luck.

↑ amother ↓

Thu, Jul 06 2006, 5:27 pm

the exterminator came and left and said- NO BEDBUGS!
Cheers

now I have absolutely no clue what the bumps and bites all over my legs are. the exterminator mentioned that it may be fleas, the kind that you cant see. Confused

↑ amother ↓

Sat, Jul 08 2006, 9:37 pm

I had fleas in my house, at first I was the only one being bitten. I went to a dermatologist (Dr. Freilich, in Brooklyn), thinking he'd be able to tell me what kind of bites I have. I figured he'd be able to recognize whether they're bedbug bites or whatever. As soon as he saw my skin he declared, "Fleas! Go call an exterminator!" I did so promptly and B"H the exterminator has eliminated the fleas on first try! I used Zeitlin 718-382-0280.
By the way, I used to catch them on my nylon pantyhose! Seems they stuck to that! I put one in a bag for the exterminator, he took it to his "lab" and confirmed that it's a flea. Once he knows what it is he is able to target his chemical brew.
Also, at night, by the light of the moon, I'd see tiny particles, the fleas, flitting back and forth across the room, and as soon as I turned on the light I didn't see them! But they bite real nasty! Good luck!

↑ amother

Sun, Jul 09 2006, 9:01 pm

GR, I use Dr. Freilich. He's got two offices, one in downtown Brooklyn and one in Flatbush. He is a mumcha.

Many years ago I had a very itchy rash that did not respond to many different creams. The rash was spreading every day and the itch was agonizing!!!!!! I had been to my local dermatologists, etc. and each dr. gave me a different cream, one claimed I had atopic dermatitis, one claimed I had eczema, another claimed something else.

B"H I went to Dr. Freilich, worth every dollar if insurance doesn't pay! he took one look at my skin and declared, "scabies!", sent me home with a prescription for a cream, and within 12 hours I was feeling sooooo much better.

So when I had these flea bites I went straight to him, and he immediately recognized them as flea bites!

Of course I told the receptionist I'm in great agony and could I please come over and I'll just wait my turn....

May he be the right shaliach for you. I do not have his phone number right now, I'm sure you could find it in the phone book. Post a number you find and I'll tell you if it looks familiar.

Oh, I just remembered, a friend of mine got a rash when she was pregnant with her twin. She too could not find relief nor a proper diagnosis until she went to this doc.

Hatzlacha!