[sasnia]

Hubbie and I are covered with bed bug bites. Can't believe we still have any blood left after all they've sucked out of us!

Can't seem to see any on our bed, which is surprising because by now they should all be huge from the nightly feeding - totally gross!

Anyway, can anyone recommend an exterminator?? Has anyone had bedbugs where the exterminator was able to get rid of them?

I've heard horror stories about not being able to get rid of these nasty, sneaky pests and I'm freaking out! Help!

[Boris]

Are you positive they are bed bugs and not Mosquito bites ?

Look up to the ceiling in the corners, they are not big things,. Most are about 1cm long. Do you have window open with no mesh fly screen fitted?

FYI
You don't have to live in the country or be on the lower floors in the city to get these little buggers.

[campas12]

solution- wrap bed in saran wrap. if it stops the bites, then yes, either get an exterminator (or best bet) get a new mattress.

if it doesn't stop bites, it's not bed bugs and therefore you'll save yourself exterminator/new bed cost....

[Star Gazer]

biokill has an exterminator service

[Alby]

Originally Posted by campas12

solution- wrap bed in saran wrap. if it stops the bites, then yes, either get an exterminator (or best bet) get a new mattress.

Actually this approach only helps IF the bugs have not managed make their way to other parts of your living space. As I first tried this about a year ago when I had bed bugs ... then was fed up and called in an exterminator.

The exterminator proceeded to tell me that if I had contained the bugs early on in the infestation using the saran wrap/cling wrap would have worked but I hadn't. The bugs spread to my bedposts, bed frame, curtains, night tables, walls - they manage to sneak and lay their eggs in the hidden corners. Needless to say I hired the exterminator that came approximately 5-6 times (I would need to pull out the receipt to be certain). Dollars later they had seemingly disappeared well with a few weeks they had returned. Called the exterminator back to do again and they said that it is a new infestation and wanted to charge me all over again after haggling/arguing I got them to agree to come back three more times at no cost. Still this did not solve the problem.

Threw out just about all my furniture. Re dry-cleaned my clothes and curtains (I had done before as well) placed all my shoes in zip-lock bags and clothes when they came back from the dry cleaners.

From some internet research and exchange on Geo I had found that rubbing alcohol is suppose to work so I went out to the local chemist/dispensary and bought 10 gallons of the stuff then went the hardware store and brought a cannister that holds about 8 gallons of liquid some masks...went home and sprayed like crazy. My helper & I sprayed just about every morning and every night .... about 80 gallons of alcohol and about just more than a month later ... no more bugs.

I did so much because I had read and was told by the exterminator during their visits that the bugs need to be killed a certain stage of their life cycle and because I did not know what their life cycle was and at what stage they were at I just keep going to be certain.

Trust me I had thought about moving - my rent is damn cheap but still explored the possibility but also learned that bed bugs travel in clothes, bags and other personnel items so I had this image of moving then having them follow me!

[knocking on wood] I have been bed bug free since JUNE 2007!

I hope that you come to a solution that works a lot FASTER than I solved mine.

[NickyC]

Hi

The little horrors may actually be in the fabric of the building. My husband suffered terrible bites after staying in a good hotel in Lima, Austria. After an inspection, it transpired that they were living amongst other places, in the cracks of the walls and underneath the wallpaper.

I hope that you exterminate them soon.

Nick

[justdoit]

Funny that this was the first post I saw. I was recently ATTACKED by some sort of bugs.. didn't look like mozzies so blamed it on bed bugs. i had over 30 on my legs! scary and i just recently moved into a new place so kind of worried that it might've migrated to my clothes! let me know what you end up doing!

[sasnia]

I don't think they're mosquitos...the bite is quite different. Did some investigative work last night and took a flashlight in the dark to see if I could bust these bugs on my mattress (apparently that's when these noctural creatures come out to feast). I'm almost dissappointed that I didn't see any.

Anyway, I'm going thru the routine of washing everything in HOT water including comforters. I'm afraid that they have already spread into some of the other areas of the apt.

Alby, would you recommend your exterminator? I'd like one that someone has used before. I wouldn't even know where to start to find one.

THanks for the plastic wrap idea. Will try it out tonight. I'd hate to have to buy another mattress. Let's hope that if they're still around, they're confined to the mattress and not roaming free laying eggs in the rest of my furniture. The thought just disgusts me...almost violating.

[Alby]

Originally Posted by sasnia

Alby, would you recommend your exterminator? I'd like one that someone has used before. I wouldn't even know where to start to find one.

I wouldn't recommend them as I feel that they only resolved the problem for the short term but the constant spraying of my helper and I resolved for the long term.

[Lammarite]

Originally Posted by Alby

I wouldn't recommend them as I feel that they only resolved the problem for the short term but the constant spraying of my helper and I resolved for the long term.

Why were you constantly spraying your helper? What with and did she mind?