Bed bugs ?

[Rick Lee]

Let' revive this one. I think we may have an infestations. Mrs. Lee always complains about bug bites in bed. I never get any. Sometimes I nap on the couch and sort of feel like stuff might be on my skin, but I never get bites. Last night I walked in the house after two weeks on the road, plopped on the couch and felt it quickly. We used strips of packing tape to get them all off my clothes, then tossed the clothes onto the porch. I have a call into an exterminator, but this is a weekend. Mrs. Lee has been using spray for weeks, but I thought it a fool's errand. Is there anything we can do until the exterminator gets her? It's not even that hot in Phoenix this week, rains every day.

[Zeke]

A quick home method is food grade diatomaceous earth that you can pick up at many stores especially health foods. Use where you can near or at baseboards and any day time hiding places. They can live in the mattress folds, etc. but it's difficult to treat some areas with DE. Certainly between mattress and foundation, wherever you see the blood tracks. DE is not safe to breathe so keep it undisturbed. It's vacuums up easily.

Poisoning BB's requires that they ingest the toxin. DE only works on the exoskeleton and is not immediate. The sticky tape can be used on any legs under the bed that allow travel to and from where they hide, other than the bed itself. Wrapping anything in plastic and setting it outside in the AZ sun should take care of that one item, even a mattress. Needs to reach 120º for an hour and a half throughout, so black plastic would be better.

The pest control person is the best bet.

[Cajundaddy]

Yep bedbugs are nasty. I was doing some endurance racing back in May in beautiful Buttonwillow CA. It is an incredibly transient location halfway between LA and SF so people from all over will stay in one of the many janky motels in town. I had originally planned to bring the RV but with a late spring snowstorm and snow in the passes I changed plans last minute and booked a janky hotel room. It actually seemed quite clean, smelled clean, but alas, Sunday morning woke with bites in the classic pattern of 3 known to be bedbug bites. AAkkk!!!

Fortunately I have been trained by international travel to never allow any bags or clothing to touch the bed, floor, or any upholstered furniture so no hitchhikers came home with me. Crisis averted.

Really glad I sold my last rental property in CA last year and don't have to deal with this or the 1001 other tenant issues. I hated being a landlord.

[masraum]

Good luck, that sucks. Sounds like a huge nightmare pain in the azz!

I thought BB were nocturnal, and generally lived in/around the mattress (or, I guess, couch and couch cushions). Seems like dealing with them in a couch would be much more of a PITA even than in a bed.

[A930Rocket]

No experience with BB’s but they sound awful.

On another note, I was walking a lot 3 weeks ago. Next day I noticed I got bit ~25 times by chiggers on my left leg and ankle. Itched like crazy for weeks. Ugh

[masraum]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

No experience with BB’s but they sound awful.

On another note, I was walking a lot 3 weeks ago. Next day I noticed I got bit ~25 times by chiggers on my left leg and ankle. Itched like crazy for weeks. Ugh

I've been hearing about chiggers since I was a kid. My first experience with them (didn't realize it) was about 5 years ago when we moved to the country. Maybe once per year. Eventually realized they were chiggers and were able to mostly avoid them by staying out of the deep grass and away from the ravine where there's more moisture and wild critters. I still get the occasional bite or 5, but when I know I've been in an area where they are more likely, I take a bath as soon as I am able and scub everywhere with an exfoliating glove.

The worst bit is that usually when you get chigger bites, there's a chance that you're getting 10 or 20 or 30 of them spread all over the damn place. Chigger bites itch worse than anything else I've ever experienced, including poison ivy.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

No experience with BB’s but they sound awful.

On another note, I was walking a lot 3 weeks ago. Next day I noticed I got bit ~25 times by chiggers on my left leg and ankle. Itched like crazy for weeks. Ugh

Those thing are nasty. We have ankle biter mosquitos. Itch like a mother.

My FIL no longer drives so he takes the bus to a local market for some groceries and enjoy the bus ride at times getting through town. He picked up bed bugs unknowingly, brought it home. We called in the pros and had to turn the place upside down. What a pita. That was last winter, now there's a rat problem. Got into the attic. Pulling all insulation, vacuum out all the rat siht, sanitize and cover all holes around the house. 8 fooking k to do this. cleaning and blocking holes takes 1 1/2 to 2 days and setting traps when done. Its not one thing its another.

[Zeke]

CA rat bait is restricted but I bought a tub of TomCat and I'll darned if rats or something that can get in the garage didn't eat the plastic rim of the bucket to get at the blocks. It was on a baker's rack, top shelf next to the washing machine, but there is access for a hungry rat. Want fries with that?

Made a believer out of me. I throw that stuff in the attic like rice at a wedding. I put it behind anything the cat can't get to. I leave it on top of girders under the house. It's on high shelves in the garage behind luggage and boxes. No rats.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Zeke

CA rat bait is restricted but I bought a tub of TomCat and I'll darned if rats or something that can get in the garage didn't eat the plastic rim of the bucket to get at the blocks. It was on a baker's rack, top shelf next to the washing machine, but there is access for a hungry rat. Want fries with that?

Made a believer out of me. I throw that stuff in the attic like rice at a wedding. I put it behind anything the cat can't get to. I leave it on top of girders under the house. It's on high shelves in the garage behind luggage and boxes. No rats.

I tell ya, that's funny. I brought back two tubs of Rat bait from Vegas. Used some but the last time I had it out, I forgot to put it back in the garage. Well, the rats really wants this stuff so they chewed the plastic rim almost completely off or through jsut to get at the bait. I will be putting some out there in the upcoming days. I am on the hill side so there are a bunch of hill side rats. Ugly mofos with what looks like fins on a fish on his back only that its hair

[look 171]

the local coyote san't seem to keep up with the rat population. I suppose its easier or more tasty to eat up all the cats.

[A930Rocket]

I was reading online how to stop the itching for chiggers. Not much you can do, besides Benadryl or calamine lotion.

On another note, I was reading about chiggers. When they bite you, their saliva dissolves the skin and builds a tube that firms up, that lets the chigger suck out the juices. After a day or so, it falls off, but the tube stays annd the itching is phenomenal.

[Dixie]

Not that it affects your dilemma, but the worst cities for bed bugs are in the Midwest.