Bed bugs

[Boom]

So my girlfriend has been living at her best friend's house for a little over a year now, and last week her friend's boyfriend and his roommate have been crashing at the house while their apartment was being fumigated for bed bugs. When my girlfriend told me this, I had to bite my tongue, because it seemed to me that they were being very lax about the whole thing.

I had stayed the night over there a few times, and I noticed that I had been getting bug bites on my feet/lower legs. Her friend had also been getting bitten, so my girlfriend bought mattress protectors for both her mattress and box spring as a precaution. Now, whether it be denial or stupidity, I initially brushed them off as spider bites. But this morning, I woke to the sound of my girlfriend shrieking as a round, black, wingless bug crawled sluggishly up the wall next to the bed. Instead of leaping out of bed, grabbing a tupaware container, and catching the son of a *****, I impulsively crushed it. Sure enough, it was full-to-bursting with human blood. I also noticed a spot of blood on the fitted sheet near the foot of the bed.

In addition to me staying over there a couple of nights, she had also come over to my house a few times. In light of this morning's discovery, I am now genuinely terrified that a bed bug hitched a ride on my clothes or in her duffle bag. I live in a pretty sizable house with a lot of furniture, so I called an exterminator to come out this week and give my house a look-over as a precaution. But me being the cynical person that I am, I can't help but feel like they're going to tell me I have them regardless of whether or not I actually do. Bed bugs are a serious problem in my city, and I feel like I'm about to be taken advantage of. The cost for fumigation, in addition to hotel and kennel costs, would be a goddamn nightmare.

****ing bed bugs ruining one of the few pure joys I have left in my life .

[MrWayne]

Totally feel you on that... Next to mold, bug bugs are my biggest worry. Any time i have an itch or scratch I'm like "damn, I hope its not a bed bug"

[childeroland]

I've had to use diatomaceous earth around my bed just to keep them out, and Woodman's repellent on myself and my clothes. A bite from those bugs can HURT and you can wake up feeling like someone's sticking needles into you. Circulating air with open windows and air conditioners can help also.

[jonathancrane]

I had a unique experience with them: while working at a mission at the Pine Ridge reservation, I was attacked by fireants. They nestled within my loose work pants and hoodies and ravaged me for the next day. I am allergic to insect bites, so my body was overrun with oozing postules.

Hysteria broke out since the mission had had bed bug problems in the past. Yet, I was accused of bringing bed bugs, even though there were no signs of them, with the exception being that a dead one was found in another part of the male dormitory. The director called me "bug man" for the rest of my time volunteering, and insinuated I brought bed bugs, even though there were no signs of them.

Plus, I was treated like a leper by a significant percentage if the volunteers, who refused to accept the evidence contrary to the lie.

Not. Fun. At. All.

[PyroChamber]

Use some isopropyl alcohol on the bite (preferably 91%) and rub it in, then take some Benadryl (I used Extra Strength gel) and rub that into it. In a few hours the bite should be gone.

I dealt with those suckers a couple years ago, right when it suddenly became a national epidemic. The worse thing about them is when you do get rid of them, there's always the feeling that they're still hiding somewhere in your place.

[childeroland]

I'm gonna try that, 'cause cortisone works only for a short time.

[MessiahDecoy123]

Damn Boom,

You're living one of my worst fears.

I hope you can get move away without one of those hell spawns hitching a ride.

[Mike_D202]

I read that it's not the bite that gets you, it's the feces that it leaves behind after it feeds.

[SaF]

hey Boom, quick bed bug hunting tip that might give you some peace of mind.

This is a field scientist trick one of my old professor's taught me (he is an entomologist that works in africa, so spends a lot of time sleeping in places that might have bed bugs)

check the corners of your sheets/mattresses during the day. If they are in your bed, that is where they will be hiding until night time.

whenever the team goes out we all try to do this to get the beds without the bugs first!

it would probably work on corners of sofas too, but don't know about other furniture.

[braincrusher]

I fear brainbugs much more. Starship troopers anyone?

[socool]

Poison your own blood stream so that any of the bastards tat bitr you die immediately.

I mean, you'll be dead too, but...you got the bed bugs...and that's all that matters...right?

[twylight]

If you have a house why are you staying the night at a place that seems to have a bazillion people in it? o.O Have her go to your house.

[Boom]

Originally Posted by twylight

If you have a house why are you staying the night at a place that seems to have a bazillion people in it? o.O Have her go to your house.

Her house is closer to her work.

Anyway, thanks for the advice, guys. I mass-cleaned my house and gave my bed a good look-over, and I haven't seen anything. I'm still going to have the exterminator investigate, just so I can get some peace of mind.

[guitarsingerguy]

You poor guy. They're a nightmare to try and get rid of. I have a buddy that's an exterminator, and the process is time consuming, costly, and just a general pain in the ass.

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

I stayed at a motel that was infested with them. The day I figured it out was the day I saw literally hundreds of them on the sides of the bed. I smashed the hell out of them and then promptly left. I was disgusted and don't know how many nights I was a buffet for those lil buggers. Luckily none came with me when I left.