Bed bugs - HELP!!

~*Plushroom*~

Okay, I have (very suddenly) gotten what I am 99% sure are bed bugs. Now I've been googling ways to get rid of them and mostly it says to use an exterminator - just wanted to ask here if there are any Old Style ways to get rid of bed bugs, after all they aren't a new spieces.

Any advice would be welcome as I am freaked out!

Marcie

I would get pest control in. As bed bugs don't just live in beds and soft furnishings, they will go anywhere that is warm - including behind electric sockets and furniture etc., I don't think it's worth the risk of attempting to get rid of them yourself as it will probably only delay the process giving them time to spread further throughout the house.

Phoolgrrrl

We sprayed the bed with stuff from the pet shop, not sure what it was called, them steamed the bed and then vacummed. Boil washed bedding and colthes. We brought them back from hols (we think) so noticed and got rid of them pretty quick.

U could try putting a lighter close to the seams and seeing if there are any pops or movement to test?

absolutebounder

They can get anywhere. look for cracks and loose wallpaper plus inside divans and mattresses. You can find goos stuff like smoke bombs, insecticide spray etc on ebay. i would also steam clean everything as their eggs can remain dormant for a long time.

loobyloo2

I really would recommend getting professionals in for these (NCPTA). If you are in rented accomodation, the landlord will probably not want to pay unless you are with a Housing Association.
Home treatments are really not up to much, and they do spread quite quickly. If they are not kept under control, you could run the risk of losing an awful lot of your stuff, because you can't put too many things in a boil wash!
They are easier these days to get than most people think. The high number of people that throw their coats on the bed, not realising that the bus or train seat they have been sitting on has allowed one of these little creatures a free ride with its next host on their coat.
Years ago, people would take their coats off in the hallway, and never in the bedroom, also, regular beaitng of the mattress was comon place.
However, these things just kept the numbers down, and itis pretty hard when lots of us live these days in small flats.
Dont hang around, look in the yellow pages, and get a couple of quotes, and ask what they will do before you decide who to use.
You dont often see them in the daytime, they come out when you go to bed, but you can see if you have got them quite easily (apart from the bites), as they leave small sticky black splodges where they have been.

~*Plushroom*~

loobyloo2 wrote: »

I really would recommend getting professionals in for these (NCPTA). If you are in rented accomodation, the landlord will probably not want to pay unless you are with a Housing Association.
Home treatments are really not up to much, and they do spread quite quickly. If they are not kept under control, you could run the risk of losing an awful lot of your stuff, because you can't put too many things in a boil wash!

Now this would have been my first option, but I'm on JSA and I've looked at the prices and if I paid for that I had better forget about eating for 2 weeks at least!

I'm actually with a housing association but I've never heard mention on them paying, do you have any more information on this?

So far it is a very small infestation and I seem to have caught it quickly, the bedding has all been bagged up airtight and will remain so until this is sorted at which point I will boil wash the lot (Carefully!) before using again, I've also used an iron on it's hottest setting over the furnishings the kill off any eggs and bought a chalk insecticide to use if need be. I was going to get a new mattress soon so this has obviously pushed that along!

This wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the fact that I suffer from exczema and the bites are actually making it worse. I'm tempted to sleep in the bath tonight

absolutebounder

If you have a divan look iside but if you have a iron bed or a wooden frame one you can get double sided carpet tape and put it round the legs so they cant climb up and get stuck.
Mini fortefog p fumers are quite good at killing the adults but you need to re fumigate to get eggs that hatch.

Pink.

Hi plushroom,

You poor thing! Sorry I have no advice but these older threads from other boards might help:

bed bugs?!!!ahhh

Bed Bugs !

Pink

loobyloo2

Housing Associations put out to tender their contracts for PestControl. Most of the work done for H.A's is Bedbugs,cockroaches and mice. Give them a ring and tell them you are infested with them (to me, even one is an infestation). Let them know you are on benefits too, and that you cannot possibly treat this yourself, and of course, the problem may well spread to other properties. New H.A. estates are notorious for mice and cockroaches due to how the properties are built, making it very easy for the mice etc to overrun the estate.
The price of buying ineffective treaments, and a new mattress could well be more expensive than a visit from a pest control company (if you had to pay for the visit)
Which HA you are with?

~*Plushroom*~

loobyloo2 wrote: »

Housing Associations put out to tender their contracts for PestControl. Most of the work done for H.A's is Bedbugs,cockroaches and mice. Give them a ring and tell them you are infested with them (to me, even one is an infestation). Let them know you are on benefits too, and that you cannot possibly treat this yourself, and of course, the problem may well spread to other properties. New H.A. estates are notorious for mice and cockroaches due to how the properties are built, making it very easy for the mice etc to overrun the estate.
The price of buying ineffective treaments, and a new mattress could well be more expensive than a visit from a pest control company (if you had to pay for the visit)
Which HA you are with?

I shall do that first thing in the morning, thank you. I'm with Southern Anglia which is apparently part of Circle Anglia. It was at this point I got confused! :rotfl:

I have bought some cheap basic store-brand killer for now just to try and keep them at bay, knowing my H.A. they won't exactly put a rush on this - they still haven't fixed the roof or sorted out the walls which have mould problems (Which wouldn't have happened if they'd fixed the roof).

I could really do with some sleep, can't get more than 3 hours at a time now because of the fear that they're going to bite again.

~*Plushroom*~

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi plushroom,

You poor thing! Sorry I have no advice but these older threads from other boards might help:

bed bugs?!!!ahhh

Bed Bugs !

Pink

Thanks, just looked through them. You know what the worst thing is, I think the most likely place they came from is that bloody hotel my OH decided we should go to the other week - well by hotel read 17th century farmhouse style thing. Like it wasn't enough we both got ill I have bugs!