bedbugs
 

Apparently they're on the rise. No *****! We found some in our bed on vacation in NYC earlier this month. The hotel was great about it - upgraded us to a suite, free dinner, and sent up a huge wine and cheese platter. No problem. We made sure to wash all our clothes in hot water when we got home, and left the suitcases out in the garage (they're still there) until we figured out what to do with them.

About our 2nd or 3rd night back, I slept in my daughter's bed because she crept into ours, and she sleeps like a starfish :) Next morning I start to itch a bit. uh oh. Sure enough, we brought them home. What a nightmare. I've got hundreds of bites, mostly around my elbows, for whatever reason. We only found one bug, but called exterminators immediately We had to take every single item in the house made of fabric and wash it in hot water, and empty out every drawer and closet upstairs. They sprayed the whole house, then we had to get everything back in order for our daughter's 4th birthday party the next day. That was Friday night, and well into Saturday morning. Then we have to do it all over again in 2 weeks when they come back to spray again. Oh joy. The Porsche is parked carefully in the garage with mountains of garbage bags with to-be-washed clothes and toys.

Luckily, the hotel came through again and refunded more than half our bill, which will more than cover the cost of spraying and the additional utility bills for what will likely amount to over 100 loads of laundry, all in hot water. Apparently it's a real problem in NYC, especially in hotels. I feel badly for them, because it can be so hard to control

Listen closely - if you see even one of these little bastards in your house or on your clothes, don't wait, call pros immediately. You CAN'T deal with them on your own, I'm quite sure. Or at least it's simply not worth the suffering. The itching can be unbearable - imagine a mosquito bite that's twice as itchy and stays that itchy for 4 or 5 days.

The way to check it to peel back the sheets on your bed and look for their turds - they look like tiny poppy seeds, maybe 1/2 the size. You might find some bugs too. Small blood streaks can also be an indicator. They tend to hide around the seams of the mattress. When we found them at the hotel, the were along the seam near the headboard and under where the pillow would be. I sleep with my arms under my pillow, which explains why my arms got it so bad.

This is after a week or so of healing:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1280161265.jpg

oh..great.

that sucks. i watched a show on them once. i tore my room apart. they hide on the wall, and behind the bedside tables..didnt find any..but thanks for tonight's project..

i understand the pros can kick some ass on them.?

May the spray program be successful!

Bedbugs are definitely making a comeback. Air travel combined with the banning of long lasting pesticides.

Eff me. That is nasty. I would rather stay home than risk that.

Have had them only once and that was one time too many. Good luck with it...

That's the hope. I'm not sure exactly what they do - we had to be out of the house when they did it. I was working out of town Thursday and Friday (they sprayed Friday) so my wife had to do everything, plus watch the girls, bless her heart. But I've noticed a significant decrease in itches and new bites, and considering it can take a few days for a bite to start itching (unlike mosquito bites which take a few minutes) they could be completely gone. Fingers crossed. We didn't wait for an infestation before calling the exterminator. One lousy bug. That's it. So hopefully we nipped it in the bud.

See, that's the problem. If someone has them and sits next to you on the subway, one might jump on to you. Apparently movie theatre seats are notorious carriers. Couch or chair in a waiting room. A taxi. Anything fabric that's shared. It's not just hotels, though that's the worst spot.

And Paul's right. Everything I've read says that they were almost eliminated back in the 40s, but increased international travel plus bans on certain pesticides (in particular DDT) has allowed them to flourish again.

A few pics for your enjoyment...http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1280170693.jpg :eek:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1280170716.jpg

:eek:

That last one shows them well, however that might be after that one's had a full meal - they're often more ovular than that, and their backs often have a small mark running up the middle:

http://www.cedarcidestore.com/i/Big%.../bedbugs_1.jpg

We've had people come in looking for treatments for them at work... Apparently lice treatments work on them....

their from FRANCE! those are FRENCH BEDBUGS!