I Have A Bug Problem!!!!

Ruthanne

Ruthanne

Caregiver
Location
Midwest
I have discovered I have bed bugs in my couch!! I have no idea where they came from!! I have used a steamer for fabrics and a non toxic spray to try to get rid of them. This is the only place I have seen them. I am afraid to tell the management because the last person who got them was evicted!! Since I did the treatments I have only seen one very small bug that I'm not even sure was a bedbug. It might have been a red spider. Any suggestions on what to do should they return besides telling management?
 

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Ruthanne, if the evicted party had the bedbugs chances are that other tenants have them too. And they will keep coming back if the whole building is not treated. A frank chat with your neighbors and management is in order.

I have to ask what kind of management would evict someone for this problem. Awful on their part.
 
Yes, a petition by the residents for an overall extermination might be in order. I live in a condo and an exterminator is on call as part of our condo fees...
 

Bug bugs lay hundreds of eggs that will hatch. They thrive on blood. Not only think of yourself, but your pets also! The landlord needs to be contacted ASAP Ruthanne.
 
My son had them a few years ago. Heat is the only way to eradicate them. He tried two exterminators before he had to have the whole apt. steamed. Took a while to get rid of them and the whole building was in a panic. He suspected that they came in on a suit bag/luggage he bought at a yard sale. The final treatment ultimately worked.
 
I can understand your reluctance to notify management. Most of the time they are not knowledgeable on the proper way to handle a situation like yours. A neighbor could have even bought an area rug that was infested. If you have any throw pillows on your couch, I would put them in your clothes dryer for a short cycle.
 
I don't know much about beds bugs. I would agree though that there has to be a petition to treat the whole complex. Meanwhile I might think that what they tell you for lice might be in order. Basically that anything fabric needs to be washed in hot water. Also heavy duty vacuuming...but I think bed bugs travel easier than lice.
 
I have steamed the entire couch and treated it with a non toxic to pets spray. The people that had the bed bugs left here a few years ago. I've wondered if anyone else here has them. I have washed all my clothes in hot water. I have only seen them on my couch but now not any after the steaming of it.
 
maggiemae said:
I can understand your reluctance to notify management. Most of the time they are not knowledgeable on the proper way to handle a situation like yours. A neighbor could have even bought an area rug that was infested. If you have any throw pillows on your couch, I would put them in your clothes dryer for a short cycle.
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I steamed the throw pillows really good.
 
Myquest55 said:
My son had them a few years ago. Heat is the only way to eradicate them. He tried two exterminators before he had to have the whole apt. steamed. Took a while to get rid of them and the whole building was in a panic. He suspected that they came in on a suit bag/luggage he bought at a yard sale. The final treatment ultimately worked.
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Yes, I have used the heat. It seems to have worked.
 
Gemma said:
Bug bugs lay hundreds of eggs that will hatch. They thrive on blood. Not only think of yourself, but your pets also! The landlord needs to be contacted ASAP Ruthanne.
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Well, of course I think of my pets. I have steamed my couch thoroughly and treated it with a formula for bed bugs. I will be put out if the management is contacted then where will my pets go???
 
Ruthanne, the trouble with bedbugs is that you DON'T see them. Look on your local extension service website and see what they recommend. My sis got bedbugs in her apartment, and was told that OTC sprays only kill the ones you can spray directly, and that the eggs can hibernate or whatever you call it properly, for close to two years, and hidden adults can lie dormant for a long time, too. To be sure you are rid of them, you'll have to have the place professionally treated. Sorry, but that's what they told us when she got them. Her complex paid for the treatment.

If another person in the complex has had bedbugs in the past, we were told that they can easily migrate to other apartments, just like cockroaches, and they are a heck of a lot harder to get rid of.

Are you SURE that what you saw was a bedbug? There are pix online to compare them to. We actually got one of hers in glass and took it to be identified. It was, indeed, a bedbug. Have you been bitten?
 
Hi Butterfly, what is a local extension service? I found a professional service that is not far away that you can buy the sprays from and they teach you how to use them. I am going to call them. Yes, I was bitten once. I have checked them out on the internet as to what they look like.
 
Most counties and/or universities have what is called a cooperative extension service, which helps farmers and citizens with problems with bugs and many other things. Type in the name of your state or county and search for "extension service." Some of these are more helpful than others. When casting about on the net, I noticed that North Carolina's site was quite helpful. When you get the the site, in their search box type "bed bugs" or "bedbugs."

Bed bugs are insecticide resistant, and, alas, there are only a couple that will actually get rid of them, and neither of them are natural and must be used with care. You'd need to get your birds and any other other critters out of the house while using them. After they dry, they are benign.

Be sure that service you are dealing with is reliable and is really giving you the true scoop on what works, not just trying to sell you their products.
 
Butterfly, I talked to someone this evening who said she used talcum powder on them and it dried them up and got rid of them. I have contacted the pest control I told you about and they have a powder you put down all over and it's supposed to kill them. I am in Ohio. The place I mentioned has a kit you buy and they tell you how to use it. They have a powder and other things to use too. They are very nice and I believe they can help me. I don't think they would be in business if they were selling stuff that didn't work. She told me that the powder is non toxic but I have to put the pets in another room for a certain amount of time when I put the powder down. I'll find out tomorrow how long. I'm going to pick up the kit tomorrow morning. Thanks for your ideas. :)
 
Steam heat is what's recommended. Wintergreen alcohol kills bedbugs and their eggs on contact. It's very inexpensive and easy to find (google it). Pour the wintergreen alcohol full strength into a spray bottle and spray it directly on the bugs and nests. You can drench your furniture and mattresses with it and it doesn't cause any stains or damage (as far as I know).

To prevent re-infestation (i.e. from hatchlings) grind up some crystal silica gel or diatomaceous earth and put some under the couch cushions, around the couch, and along the wall. Fine silica gel will get stuck to the bug, causing it to dehydrate and die. (Be careful not to inhale it.) Mix 18oz of water and 18 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle and spray the entire house with it, especially carpets, beds, and upholstered furniture. You can actually use the spray as a cleaner.

Good luck to you, dear Ruthanne!
 
Thank you anodyne. I am going to copy your post into my office 3. I do have pets, though and my dog licks everything so I have to be careful. I have steamed my couch twice and am going to steam it again along with my chair and bed.
 
Ruthanne said:
Thank you anodyne. I am going to copy your post into my office 3. I do have pets, though and my dog licks everything so I have to be careful. I have steamed my couch twice and am going to steam it again along with my chair and bed.
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You're very welcome.

I don't know if this is true, but a friend told me bedbugs will get into cat's litter boxes, so if you have cats you'll want to change the kitty litter often until the bugs are eradicated.
 
The powder they are talking about is probably food grade diatomaceous earth. It is supposed to be quite effective long term, as it causes their exoskeletons (shells) to deteriorate and eventually kills them. If you use this stuff (and my friend did, or rather we applied it together) you should wear a surgical mask because the powder is incredibly fine and flies around in the air and if you inhale enough it will gum up your lungs. It'll make you cough like made if you inhale some of it. You're not supposed to use too much of it, or get it wet, because if it gets wet if will be ineffective. From Amazon, we got a sort of applicator for it. It's an upside down type plastic jar type thig with a nozzle. You squeeze it to send the powder into nooks and crannies. We used this inside furniture (by turning the furniture upside down) and in the cracks in the baseboards, etc., and in electric plugs, etc.). It isn't poison, but it will really mess you up if you inhale too much of it.

Talcum powder won't help, the the diatomaceous earth is supposed to. We used it AFTER treating the furniture twice with the effective insecticide (also wear a mask -- it will also make you cough like mad and is toxic in large quantities.) Mess around with it a little outside so you can learn to control it. If you get a big blob on the floor and vacuum it up, the particles are so fine they will go right through your filters and come out the exhaust of the vacuum and go everywhere (yes, we learned this the hard way)

It's very big deal and takes a lot of time and is hard work. We had professional guidance, but we did the work ourselves and from all evidence, we were successful.
 
Butterfly said:
The powder they are talking about is probably food grade diatomaceous earth. It is supposed to be quite effective long term, as it causes their exoskeletons (shells) to deteriorate and eventually kills them. If you use this stuff (and my friend did, or rather we applied it together) you should wear a surgical mask because the powder is incredibly fine and flies around in the air and if you inhale enough it will gum up your lungs. It'll make you cough like made if you inhale some of it. You're not supposed to use too much of it, or get it wet, because if it gets wet if will be ineffective. From Amazon, we got a sort of applicator for it. It's an upside down type plastic jar type thig with a nozzle. You squeeze it to send the powder into nooks and crannies. We used this inside furniture (by turning the furniture upside down) and in the cracks in the baseboards, etc., and in electric plugs, etc.). It isn't poison, but it will really mess you up if you inhale too much of it.

Talcum powder won't help, the the diatomaceous earth is supposed to. We used it AFTER treating the furniture twice with the effective insecticide (also wear a mask -- it will also make you cough like mad and is toxic in large quantities.) Mess around with it a little outside so you can learn to control it. If you get a big blob on the floor and vacuum it up, the particles are so fine they will go right through your filters and come out the exhaust of the vacuum and go everywhere (yes, we learned this the hard way)

It's very big deal and takes a lot of time and is hard work. We had professional guidance, but we did the work ourselves and from all evidence, we were successful.
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Thank you for all your advice Butterfly. This is a scary process I see!
 
Ruthanne said:
Thank you for all your advice Butterfly. This is a scary process I see!
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It is, and if you don't get the problem taken care of they will overrun you before you know it.

If you've only been bitten once, though, I still have questions about whether or not you've really got them. Bedbugs bite like mad and in little clusters of three or 4 bites. My friend went from NO bedbugs to a zillion of them -- and she had a lot of bites -- in a VERY short time. We ended up just throwing out several pieces of furniture and a lot of books and other stuff.

We have a lot of little bugs around here that look kinda like bedbugs, but are something else, little bitty beatles and spiders and other things. Before you go to all the trouble, I'd try to get one of them in a glass or something and have an expert look at it and determine if it really is a bedbug.
 
I am taking care of the problem. I SAID I have steamed my couch and applied a non toxic spray, too and that seems to have helped. There were more before. I did have about 3 bites on my arm. I picked up the kit today and am going to apply it to under the cushions after I steam the couch again. Steaming is more recommended than ANYTHING! Even the lady at the pest control store told me to steam and vacuum, too.
 

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