Bed Bugs

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
London
Posts: 722
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:50 am

Bed Bugs

Post by London »

Not a pleasant topic but 4 bed bugs were found in my daughters room today. My wife is freaked out. We had a service come in and search the house ($250). They said they only found them (dead) in my daughters room and on a chair that she likes in the living room. Obviously we are going to take care of the problem but I'm looking for a little advice on price.

We have an enormous house and usually vendors see that and raise prices accordingly. I don't know if that's the case here or not.

The price for two rooms is $1,100. Or the whole house for $2,800. 60 day warranty.

We can get more quotes but I feel time is of the essence and each person charges to "sweep" the house for bugs.

Seems high to me but I have no point of reference. I'm in a VHCOL area in NJ. Your thoughts are appreciated.
livesoft
Posts: 86075
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:00 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by livesoft »

Personally, I think you are paying because of fear. I'd do-it-yourself first for under $100.

Can you figure out how bed bugs got into the house in the first place?
Wiki This signature message sponsored by sscritic: Learn to fish.
Topic Author
London
Posts: 722
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:50 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by London »

livesoft wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 8:04 pm Personally, I think you are paying because of fear. I'd do-it-yourself first for under $100.

Can you figure out how bed bugs got into the house in the first place?
I'm only using a professional to make my wife happy. Agreed that emotion is playing a part. I'm not considering the whole house number. I should have been clear that I'm only including it for reference.
User avatar
Blueskies123
Posts: 737
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2014 6:18 pm
Location: South Florida

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by Blueskies123 »

Google can show you how to get rid of bed bugs.
If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging
kjvmartin
Posts: 1482
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 7:57 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by kjvmartin »

I am sorry to tell you that this is serious and expensive to fix.

Bed bugs are very costly to eradicate. If can see them, you have a problem. The rates you have been quoted seem reasonable.

Our apartment neighbor once took in her homeless son. He brought them from the shelter to her apartment and they were feasting on that elderly woman for years till she went to the hospital for a week. They had to branch out. They started showing up near the shared wall of our unit, so we notified the landlord. We had to vacate the entire floor and next floor up for a full day of heat treatment which cost the landlord thousands and thousands of dollars. They came back with the sniffer dog several times and found no signs of them in the building.

You need to understand their behavior to understand why they're so tricky to fully remove. You may have a group of them in the seam of your mattress, but when one gets pregnant it will travel far away - perhaps another room, up a wall, in the frame of a picture or an electrical socket. They gestate away from the herd and come back later to lay the eggs. So go ahead and throw out your mattress or treat a certain area, there's a good chance you'll have them back in a few weeks.

You may have had them for years, if you're not allergic to the bite, and not known. My advice - get a professional with a dog to find if you have an infestation somewhere. Then treat the whole house with heat if you do.

kjvm
User avatar
Pajamas
Posts: 6015
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:32 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by Pajamas »

Better $3,000 today than having to move out of your house and have everything in it treated or destroyed. Be careful, read up, don't go buy a bug bomb and set it off thinking that will take care of them.

Problem is figuring out where they came from. Often the kids at school hang their coats in the same closet and spread them that way. Or your daughter slept over or had a friend sleep over.

At a minimum you need to get bed-bug proof mattress and pillow encasements for your daughter's bedroom, have her room and the living room treated.

The bed bugs can hide just about anywhere and live for a long time without feeding.

Too bad she doesn't have a simple case of head lice.

Good luck.

https://bedbugger.com/how-to-get-rid-of ... -bug-faqs/
Topic Author
London
Posts: 722
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:50 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by London »

kjvmartin wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 8:26 pm I am sorry to tell you that this is serious and expensive to fix.

Bed bugs are very costly to eradicate. If can see them, you have a problem. The rates you have been quoted seem reasonable.

Our apartment neighbor once took in her homeless son. He brought them from the shelter to her apartment and they were feasting on that elderly woman for years till she went to the hospital for a week. They had to branch out. They started showing up near the shared wall of our unit, so we notified the landlord. We had to vacate the entire floor and next floor up for a full day of heat treatment which cost the landlord thousands and thousands of dollars. They came back with the sniffer dog several times and found no signs of them in the building.

You need to understand their behavior to understand why they're so tricky to fully remove. You may have a group of them in the seam of your mattress, but when one gets pregnant it will travel far away - perhaps another room, up a wall, in the frame of a picture or an electrical socket. They gestate away from the herd and come back later to lay the eggs. So go ahead and throw out your mattress or treat a certain area, there's a good chance you'll have them back in a few weeks.

You may have had them for years, if you're not allergic to the bite, and not known. My advice - get a professional with a dog to find if you have an infestation somewhere. Then treat the whole house with heat if you do.

kjvm
Thanks for the thorough post. FYI, We did have the dog come in.
barnaclebob
Posts: 5586
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:54 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by barnaclebob »

As a positive note to this story. I'm 99% sure I had some bed bug bites while living with my in laws for a year. Itchy stereotypical breakfast lunch and dinner bites in a couple places. Checked all cracks of the mattress and never saw any signs of them. The bites only happened a couple times then stopped...

I was probably lucky, maybe you will be too with removing them.
Last edited by barnaclebob on Mon May 14, 2018 9:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Pigeon
Posts: 311
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2017 7:50 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by Pigeon »

You also may never know where they came from. They have been found in public buildings, dressing rooms at stores, government offices, buses, etc.

I would pay the professional to get them taken care of asap.
Nicolas
Posts: 4923
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 7:41 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by Nicolas »

Pigeon wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 8:56 pm You also may never know where they came from. They have been found in public buildings, dressing rooms at stores, government offices, buses, etc.

I would pay the professional to get them taken care of asap.
Even movie theaters and public libraries have been infested.
PFInterest
Posts: 2684
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 11:25 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by PFInterest »

London wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 7:55 pm Not a pleasant topic but 4 bed bugs were found in my daughters room today. My wife is freaked out. We had a service come in and search the house ($250). They said they only found them (dead) in my daughters room and on a chair that she likes in the living room. Obviously we are going to take care of the problem but I'm looking for a little advice on price.

We have an enormous house and usually vendors see that and raise prices accordingly. I don't know if that's the case here or not.

The price for two rooms is $1,100. Or the whole house for $2,800. 60 day warranty.

We can get more quotes but I feel time is of the essence and each person charges to "sweep" the house for bugs.

Seems high to me but I have no point of reference. I'm in a VHCOL area in NJ. Your thoughts are appreciated.
Not dangerous so you have time.
Get quotes from a few companies.
And there are way way more than 4.
User avatar
oldzey
Posts: 1743
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:38 pm
Location: Land of Lincoln

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by oldzey »

I've lived in apartments for about 30 years.

First of all, Bed Bugs are tough little boogers - they're very, very difficult to get rid of. You have my sympathies.

However, I've dealt with Bed Bugs myself twice and won, without going bankrupt.

Here is an excellent link to a Do-It-Yourself site: https://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/bed-bugs.htm

For starters, I'd recommend their Residential Pro Bed Bug Kit: https://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/ ... g-products

I'd also recommend Climbup Bedbug Insect Interceptors and Nuvan ProStrips.

I got rid of the bedbugs, but I still spray about every two months, which kills all insects, including bedbugs. The CimeXa Insecticide Dust and Cyonara 9.7 Insecticide are the two main weapons in my arsenal.

Just for the record, I do not have any business interest in this company. However, they have twice sold me products that worked and keep working.

Here's a couple of their DIY videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpcZUgR1S3U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZADTzVMC3po

Good luck!
"The broker said the stock was 'poised to move.' Silly me, I thought he meant up." ― Randy Thurman
ThreeBears
Posts: 169
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 10:13 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by ThreeBears »

I manage a multi-unit building that had a significant bedbug infestation. It cost $10,000 to get rid of them.

I would ignore the advice of anyone who has not personally faced bedbugs.

I would also be very careful about doing a do-it-yourself.

For the prices quoted, I would just pay it and hire an expert, assuming you trust the company.

From my research, there are only two ways to kill bedbugs.

1. Heat. Most exterminators will bring in heaters that raise the temperature of impacted rooms. They cook the rooms and the heat ultimately kills the bedbugs.

2. Corrosive power. The most common is cymexa. I think it is also the most effective. Some people also use diatomaceous earth. I think it works, but some say it doesn't work as well.

I would REALLY not use any sort of bug bomb. Bedbugs are very strong. They can smell the poison and scatter.

I think most people who attempt to do it themselves use some crappy bug-bomb poison and ultimately and up making the problem worse. Bedbugs naturally linger near beds and couches. But, poison can make them scatter in every direction and make them even harder to kill with heat and corrosive powder.

There is significant risk of doing this one on your own.

Good luck.

PS - I would do whole house. I would negotiate on trying to extend the length of the warranty (instead of on the price).
ThreeBears
Posts: 169
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 10:13 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by ThreeBears »

barnaclebob wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 8:54 pm Itchy stereotypical breakfast lunch and dinner bites in a couple places. .
I could be wrong, but it sounds like you are confusing ticks with bedbugs. . . bedbugs do not just go away.
Topic Author
London
Posts: 722
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:50 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by London »

OP here. Just to put a bow on this thread, I haggled down to $700 and went with the professional. Hopefully they can stop this issue in its tracks.
User avatar
unclescrooge
Posts: 6265
Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:00 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by unclescrooge »

If you are already paying for pest control, would this not be covered?

My in-laws had a carpet beetle invasion and the pest control company came out. They identified the bugs, sprayer and it was covered under their annual contract.
TRC
Posts: 1969
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 4:38 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by TRC »

A long time ago I owned a multi-family that had a BAD flea problem after a renter departed. I set off some of those flea smoke bombs and it solved the problem. Not sure if they do the same for bed bugs, but it might be something to look into.
User avatar
munemaker
Posts: 4338
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:14 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by munemaker »

unclescrooge wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 5:45 am If you are already paying for pest control, would this not be covered?

My in-laws had a carpet beetle invasion and the pest control company came out. They identified the bugs, sprayer and it was covered under their annual contract.
This is a lot more serious and expensive than routine pest control.
westie
Posts: 601
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:00 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by westie »

Two concerns here, getting rid of the bugs and relieving your wife's fears. Pay a professional to do it, maybe get another estimate before you schedule it.
User avatar
oldzey
Posts: 1743
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:38 pm
Location: Land of Lincoln

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by oldzey »

oldzey wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 11:19 pm I've lived in apartments for about 30 years.

First of all, Bed Bugs are tough little boogers - they're very, very difficult to get rid of. You have my sympathies.

However, I've dealt with Bed Bugs myself twice and won, without going bankrupt.

Here is an excellent link to a Do-It-Yourself site: https://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/bed-bugs.htm

For starters, I'd recommend their Residential Pro Bed Bug Kit: https://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/ ... g-products

I'd also recommend Climbup Bedbug Insect Interceptors and Nuvan ProStrips.

I got rid of the bedbugs, but I still spray about every two months, which kills all insects, including bedbugs. The CimeXa Insecticide Dust and Cyonara 9.7 Insecticide are the two main weapons in my arsenal.

Just for the record, I do not have any business interest in this company. However, they have twice sold me products that worked and keep working.

Here's a couple of their DIY videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpcZUgR1S3U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZADTzVMC3po

Good luck!
Just a followup to those who might want to try doing it themselves before hiring a professional.

1. You need to follow the steps in the videos - those guys know what they're talking about.

2. For me, it was probably easier than most because I don't have many possessions, but eliminating clutter is key. You need to eliminate hiding places for bedbugs. I placed everything in airtight storage bins with NuVan ProStrips (like shown in the videos) to kill any bedbugs hiding in my personal items, like my alarm clock. I even found a bedbug hiding in my old-school headphone earmuffs. I took all my laundry to the laundromat and then kept my wardrobe in my car until the bedbugs were gone - that is definitely tricky to do, but effective.

3. The Cimexa dust (along with a potent insecticide) is key to controlling the bedbugs, because you put it in their hiding places. The dust keeps working over a long period of time, drying out and killing the bedbugs where they hide. Use it liberally. Start by going around the perimeter of the room, applying it to the areas between the floor trim and the floor, or the space between the carpet and the trim. Remember the 95/5 rule as mentioned in the video. 95% of bedbugs will be found within 5 feet of the location where they feed on humans (usually your bed). Put the dust in every crack and crevice you can find. I even removed all the outlet and switch covers and dusted the electrical boxes. Alternatively, there are sprays that you can use to get into the cracks and crevices of your furniture/bedframes. Do not use a bug bomb!

4. You absolutely need bed bug interceptors under the legs of your bedframe to stop any bedbugs from entering your bed and snacking on you in the middle of the night (they come out from 3-6am). You also need to make sure that your bedding is not touching the floor. This also puts your mind at ease, because it is a monitor of how effective your treatments are (and it will stop them from biting you).

5. If you travel, you should consider spraying your luggage with an anti-bedbug spray or use NuVan ProStrips. I've had two experiences with bedbugs, the latest occurred when I returned from Las Vegas - I'm almost positive that some bedbugs hitched a ride back with me. The other time (a few years ago), my landlord provided me with a "new" bed. Little did I know that he obtained the mattress from a motel that had bedbugs and had put the mattresses out on the curb. My point - beware of hotels. I know some hotel managers and they all say that bedbugs are everywhere - the key is how well they deal with them.

Know that you can get rid of bedbugs yourself, but it takes more know-how than dealing with regular pests. Keep in mind that I live in apartments, and if I had a home, I might consider using professionals. Hope this information is useful to those Bogleheads who are trying to save a little money in the process of eradicating bedbugs from their home.
Last edited by oldzey on Thu May 17, 2018 9:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
"The broker said the stock was 'poised to move.' Silly me, I thought he meant up." ― Randy Thurman
User avatar
MossySF
Posts: 2361
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:51 pm
Contact:

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by MossySF »

I had the beg bugs before. The professionals are hit and miss. They can spray and spray and if they don't get them all, they come out again.

The best way is to protect the beds making sure the mattresses and beddings are completely clean. Fly-trap tape on and bedbug killer power around the legs. Sleeping in your protected beds entices the bugs out every night and if they can't feed, they slowly die from hunger. If they aren't enticed out, they just "hibernate" and can stay around forever.
knightrider
Posts: 1225
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2014 11:20 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by knightrider »

My advice is to avoid professionals . They are mostly fear-mongers who charge a lot, use lots of dangerous chemicals and don't guarantee getting rid of every single bug..

I had them too and googled tons of sites to figure out how to get rid of them . The best way is actually quite simple. It involves building a plastic shield around each bed you sleep in. It is not a fully enclosed . It has to drape over it so the edges don't touch the ground. See:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNp3vCT1Dm0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wy-ry66A7U
knightrider
Posts: 1225
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2014 11:20 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by knightrider »

MossySF wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 9:09 am Fly-trap tape on and bedbug killer power around the legs. Sleeping in your protected beds entices the bugs out every night and if they can't feed, they slowly die from hunger. If they aren't enticed out, they just "hibernate" and can stay around forever.
Just this alone won't do it. The bugs left in the bed will just keep biting you and multiply.
knightrider
Posts: 1225
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2014 11:20 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by knightrider »

oldzey wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 8:59 am 3. The Cimexa dust (along with a potent insecticide) is key to controlling the bedbugs, because you put it in their hiding places. The dust keeps working over a long period of time, drying out and killing the bedbugs where they hide.
This won't work since there is no way you can put it in every nook and cranny where the bugs hide. It's hit or miss. See my post above about the bed bug shield..
barnaclebob
Posts: 5586
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:54 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by barnaclebob »

ThreeBears wrote: Wed May 16, 2018 10:47 pm
barnaclebob wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 8:54 pm Itchy stereotypical breakfast lunch and dinner bites in a couple places. .
I could be wrong, but it sounds like you are confusing ticks with bedbugs. . . bedbugs do not just go away.
It definitely wasn't ticks as we don't have them in this area and I've had plenty of ticks from growing up in Missouri. There aren't many biting insects in general here. Maybe it was a single bug that had no way to reproduce, who knows.
User avatar
oldzey
Posts: 1743
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:38 pm
Location: Land of Lincoln

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by oldzey »

knightrider wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 9:29 am
oldzey wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 8:59 am 3. The Cimexa dust (along with a potent insecticide) is key to controlling the bedbugs, because you put it in their hiding places. The dust keeps working over a long period of time, drying out and killing the bedbugs where they hide.
This won't work since there is no way you can put it in every nook and cranny where the bugs hide. It's hit or miss. See my post above about the bed bug shield..
You are correct - it's more of an integrative approach. I would say from my experience the things that count are:

1. Identify where the bedbugs are. The bedpost strips/interceptors give you a good idea of how many there are (like flypaper).
2. Destroy the bedbugs hiding places (eliminate clutter and/or fumigate the clutter).
3. Apply dust and insecticides everywhere - every crack and crevice. Nothing is off limits.
4. Monitor the bedpost strips/interceptors. Yes, you are using yourself as bait to lure bedbugs out of their hiding places late at night. As they come out at night, they will travel across the dust, which will eventually kill the bedbugs that aren't stuck on the strips or captured in the traps.
5. Keep bedding off the floor and the bed away from the wall.
6. Keep clothes in airtight containers (or your car) until all bedbugs are gone.
7. If you want to hang clothes, make sure you have interceptors/fly strips on the clothes rack.
8. Remember that it takes a couple months to completely get rid of bedbugs. They are tough and need to starve and dry out, and that takes a while.
9. Once they're gone, don't drop your guard. Keep monitoring for new activity - especially if you live in an apartment complex.
10. Speaking of complexes - can you can tell I've dealt with bedbugs before? :P
Last edited by oldzey on Thu May 17, 2018 9:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
"The broker said the stock was 'poised to move.' Silly me, I thought he meant up." ― Randy Thurman
User avatar
SmileyFace
Posts: 9184
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:11 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by SmileyFace »

Why not call a couple more places and tell them how many square feet the rooms are; how many square feet your house is - and get a couple more quotes over the phone?
You can then see what price is reasonable.
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by abuss368 »

I would simply go the napalm route! That will take care of them.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
AnonJohn
Posts: 367
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 2:45 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by AnonJohn »

Lots of good advice here. VERY frustratingly, I get an attack about every 1.5 years, living in a row house with bugs coming through the walls from neighbors. Heat treating is expensive but effective. I subscribe to the integrative approach, including:

1. Using professionals (dogs, sprays, cymexa, one heat treatment)
2. Interceptors
3. Vaccuuming and decluttering
4. When bites are seen, promptly cycling everything near or in the bed through the drier for 30+ minutes on at least medium high.

The shield idea is interesting. Don't know what to make of it but may try it - thanks!

For a cool $1.6 M you can buy a magnetically suspended bed: https://dornob.com/for-real-1-6-million ... ts-on-air/

If anybody knows where you can get silicone-gasketed large, latching plastic storage tubs please let me know!

Re: napalm. I wouldn't count the bastards out.
User avatar
Cyclesafe
Posts: 1474
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2014 12:03 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by Cyclesafe »

I have followed the recommendations from doyourownpestcontrol and doityourselfpestcontrol and have precisely followed the directions on the labels of the pesticides I have purchased from them. They both provide products that simply aren't available at consumer retail stores, but marketed only to "professionals". Now some of the latter have state administered "pest control applicator licenses", but I've noticed on several occasions that the "professionals" tend to take shortcuts to make their jobs easier or less costly to the detriment (safety, efficacy of treatment) of the homeowner.

Invest in rubber gloves, a plastic jumpsuit, booties, and a face shield for over-the-top manic "abundance of caution" and do this work yourself. Your kids will have great fun hosing you off (from a distance) when you are done. There is no reason to pay a professional who will, on one hand, splash around the same chemicals indiscriminately or on the other hand spray ineffective but feel-good products that don't work. In both cases, they will charge as much as your fear will allow.

Regarding bedbugs, one shouldn't rely on residual pesticides to kill ongoing infestations. It is far better to change your habits to minimize the chance of getting them in the first place.

1) When entering a hotel room, place your luggage in the bathtub.
2) Untuck the sheets and examine the mattress seams for any brown bits of anything. Then do the same around the bed such as around side tables, head boards, and picture frames. With practice, this will take only a couple a minutes.
3) If you see any brown bits of anything take your luggage out of the bathtub and back to the front desk where you demand another room.

You'll probably get an upgrade even if you turn out to be wrong about the bedbugs.
"Plans are useless; planning is indispensable.” (Dwight Eisenhower) | "Man plans, God laughs" (Yiddish proverb)
knightrider
Posts: 1225
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2014 11:20 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by knightrider »

AnonJohn wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 11:00 am The shield idea is interesting. Don't know what to make of it but may try it - thanks!

For a cool $1.6 M you can buy a magnetically suspended bed: https://dornob.com/for-real-1-6-million ... ts-on-air/
The shield is better than the magnetic bed. With the magnetic bed they could still live in the bed ( picked up from clothing or fall from a ceiling ).. With the shield they are either above or below it. If below it, they starve and die from exhaustion from trying to bite you but can't. They are not smart enough to crawl around the shield . And even if they could, they would likely fall off the edge of the shield while trying the 180 degree turn . If they are above the shield, then they are in the sheets. In that case just throw the sheets in the dryer on high heat to kill them...

See this great site for all the info. on the shield method:

https://julesnoise.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/50/
User avatar
MossySF
Posts: 2361
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:51 pm
Contact:

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by MossySF »

knightrider wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 9:27 am
MossySF wrote: Thu May 17, 2018 9:09 am Fly-trap tape on and bedbug killer power around the legs. Sleeping in your protected beds entices the bugs out every night and if they can't feed, they slowly die from hunger. If they aren't enticed out, they just "hibernate" and can stay around forever.
Just this alone won't do it. The bugs left in the bed will just keep biting you and multiply.
I did say you have to make sure the bed is clean first. You can buy a zipper bag that covers the mattress completely so any bugs in the mattress cannot come out. The bed covers/sheets/pillows obviously have to be washed. A few washing machine cycles will kill them.
atomicrc11
Posts: 236
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 7:51 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by atomicrc11 »

Also had this problem when living in an apartment and I can attest to the mattress shield. I put my mattress in one and left it on for a year. After that time, the bugs will have died and you can then take it off and use your mattress as you were before. It is far less expensive than buying a new one and is the only way to safely eradicate the bugs from a mattress.
User avatar
Pajamas
Posts: 6015
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:32 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by Pajamas »

atomicrc11 wrote: Fri May 18, 2018 11:38 am Also had this problem when living in an apartment and I can attest to the mattress shield. I put my mattress in one and left it on for a year. After that time, the bugs will have died and you can then take it off and use your mattress as you were before. It is far less expensive than buying a new one and is the only way to safely eradicate the bugs from a mattress.
It's best to simply leave the mattress shield on indefinitely. Most will also provide protection against dust mites. I use one for prevention because I live in an apartment building. There have been several instances of bed bugs and I had to have my apartment inspected. They can spread not just from adjacent apartments but up and down and across corridors. When an apartment has bed bugs, all surrounding apartments are inspected until they are found to be bed bug free so that the entire infestation can be treated.

You and several other posters seem to imply that if the mattress is isolated with an encasement or with plastic that it will solve the bed bug problem. That is not true. Bed bugs can live in other places including wooden bed frames, upholstered furniture, and similar. They can be transmitted in offices, hospitals, theaters, storage facilities, coat closets and check rooms, laundromats and dry cleaners, public transportation, etc., not just from bed to bed or person to bed or apartment to apartment or from staying in hotels. Buying a new mattress or furniture that is delivered on a truck that is used to pick up old mattresses as well can also cause an infestation. I would even be concerned about moving trucks. New York City now requires all discarded mattresses to be sealed in plastic even if they are left on the street for collection as garbage.

Someone also said washing laundry a few times will kill them. It is generally thought that it is dryer heat that kills them, not the washing machine. Hot water might be better than cold or warm water but I wouldn't rely on that.

Bed bugs are also difficult to get rid of and improper extermination techniques can cause the infestation to expand. It is not a problem to take lightly because the worse it gets, the more difficult and expensive it will be to deal with. I would again recommend not getting cheap with with a limited problem and risk a bigger problem.
rustymutt
Posts: 4001
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:03 am

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by rustymutt »

Could they have produced those bed bugs to gain your wealth? Sounds to me like fear marketing driving their business model. So many crooked service businesses. Check them out with the BBB, and other agencies locally. To me it's like the Lifelock marketing strategies, which use fear to gain customers who don't know any better.
Even educators need education. And some can be hard headed to the point of needing time out.
User avatar
Nate79
Posts: 9372
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2016 6:24 pm
Location: Delaware

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by Nate79 »

I travel a lot and stay in hotels all the time and this thread is certainly going to make me more careful in making sure the rooms I stay in do not have bed bugs.
Saving$
Posts: 2518
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 8:33 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by Saving$ »

For those who have dealt with this or have knowledge about bed bug infestations:
1. Posts above indicate the bed bug sniffing dog is important, yet googling indicates there is skepticism about the dogs. Which is it?
2. Some indicate treating only the affected area, some the entire structure. Has anyone had only an affected area treated and successfully solved the problem? How does this not just cause them to move to the next room?
3. Heat vs. Chemical vs. Whole House - for those with experiences, which works, which doesn't? What is the relative cost among them?
jeffh19
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2014 7:23 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by jeffh19 »

As someone who has battled this and has worked at places that have struggled with this off and on, pay a professional. Heat heat heat. Thats what 100% kills them.

At home, I was very lucky as I only brought one or 2 home I think, my landlord brought over a bunch of DE and I put it freaking everywhere they could have crossed, and threw away my recliner that I got bit a couple times in. Luckily I'm a night owl and felt the guy crawling on me and killed him, and tossed my recliner. Didn't have any more, but if you have anything more than just 1-2 which is almost always the case.....just call a pro in if you can afford it.

I can't tell you how mentally horribly exhausting it is to not feel like you can go to sleep or always feel itchy or whatever. Its pure torture.

Get the pro in and just be done with it
User avatar
pokebowl
Posts: 583
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 6:22 pm
Location: Alaska

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by pokebowl »

Saving$ wrote: Sun May 20, 2018 10:16 am For those who have dealt with this or have knowledge about bed bug infestations:
1. Posts above indicate the bed bug sniffing dog is important, yet googling indicates there is skepticism about the dogs. Which is it?
2. Some indicate treating only the affected area, some the entire structure. Has anyone had only an affected area treated and successfully solved the problem? How does this not just cause them to move to the next room?
3. Heat vs. Chemical vs. Whole House - for those with experiences, which works, which doesn't? What is the relative cost among them?
Tropics bed bug survivor here heh. To answer your questions

1. I've lived in two places that had infestation issues. One was my fault (brought them home from travel), the other was an apartment complex. Dogs really are not required, they are another possible avenue/option for detection but trust me, when you have a bed bug problem you will know, no dogs required. Want to traumatize your SO, turn your lights on at 3am and enjoy.

2. Depends on the structure thats impacted, if its a very bad infestation, then you usually would want to treat the entire building. My first battle I won simply by treating the impacted room. The second infestation was due to neighbor tenants, ending up breaking my lease as the apartment management wasn't willing to hire professionals or demand the impacted unit to treat theirs correctly. Was tired of getting bitten. Bed bugs are lazy, and tend to set up camp around their food source (you). If you primarily spend most of your time idle in the bedroom that is where they will be. At that point, bagging, traps and treatment can begin.

3. I've had success with a professional using chemical treatment and myself also setting traps and dusting Cimexa. Just remember professionals are usually not going to kill them all in one visit, its normal to have them come out several times (good companies will not charge you for repeat visits as long as you can prove usually you are still finding bugs). Heat should be a last resort as it is damaging and the most expensive. Targeted treatment works, as long as the bait (you) continue to sleep in the infested room while treatment occurs. The reason being professional chemicals kill the bugs on contact or when the bugs themselves come into contact with the chemical by crawling on it. Thus to ensure this happens you need to play the bait. Despite their name, bed bugs can be found anywhere in an infested room, including under carpet, furniture, wall outlets etc.

Unfortunately bed bugs are one of the most annoying infestations to get, as it can be costly and there is no quick fix. Also you will never look at Apple seeds the same way again.
User avatar
Pajamas
Posts: 6015
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:32 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by Pajamas »

pokebowl wrote: Tue May 22, 2018 7:41 am Dogs really are not required, they are another possible avenue/option for detection but trust me, when you have a bed bug problem you will know, no dogs required. Want to traumatize your SO, turn your lights on at 3am and enjoy.

2. Depends on the structure thats impacted, if its a very bad infestation, then you usually would want to treat the entire building. My first battle I won simply by treating the impacted room. The second infestation was due to neighbor tenants, ending up breaking my lease as the apartment management wasn't willing to hire professionals or demand the impacted unit to treat theirs correctly.
In my experience, the dog is used to determine the extent of a known infestation. Standard procedure when an apartment in a building is infested is to test all apartments surrounding it in all directions and any other infested apartment found during the inspection to determine where to treat. Some methods of treatment can cause them to scatter, which is one of the reasons it is best to rely on experienced professionals.

Moving away from an infestation carries a huge risk that you simply carry bed bugs with you to your new dwelling. You're lucky that it didn't happen to you.
User avatar
pokebowl
Posts: 583
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 6:22 pm
Location: Alaska

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by pokebowl »

Pajamas wrote: Tue May 22, 2018 10:36 am

Moving away from an infestation carries a huge risk that you simply carry bed bugs with you to your new dwelling. You're lucky that it didn't happen to you.
Huge risk maybe if don't do it correctly. :wink:
atomicrc11
Posts: 236
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 7:51 pm

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by atomicrc11 »

Pajamas wrote: Fri May 18, 2018 12:23 pm
atomicrc11 wrote: Fri May 18, 2018 11:38 am Also had this problem when living in an apartment and I can attest to the mattress shield. I put my mattress in one and left it on for a year. After that time, the bugs will have died and you can then take it off and use your mattress as you were before. It is far less expensive than buying a new one and is the only way to safely eradicate the bugs from a mattress.
You and several other posters seem to imply that if the mattress is isolated with an encasement or with plastic that it will solve the bed bug problem.
I did not say this at all. I was simply pointing out you don't have to throw away all your stuff just because of bed bugs. We had professional treatment from an exterminator and put all our clothes through a dryer for 15 minutes to ensure that all eggs were eliminated. It's quite the exhaustive process, but it works.
User avatar
just frank
Posts: 1949
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2014 3:13 pm
Location: Philly Metro

Re: Bed Bugs

Post by just frank »

We had some friends that struggled with this for a long while, the BBs kept coming back. The kids had a huge, hard to move built-in bunk-bed thingy with lots of wood joints that they hid in. After they ditched pretty much everything else, when they got rid of that thing they were done.
Post Reply