Pest Control - Just confused about things

Author

Just confused about things

tforms1@yahoo.com

2006-06-03, 2:21 pm

I just dont get it.
I dont know much about bed bugs, or insects, but I have tried to apply
some logic and it just doesnt make sense.

Hear me out (assuming bed bugs is the cause):

1. I stay in the hotel in either room 5 or room 8 for 20 out of 24
weeks. Never had a problem.
Last week (week 25) stayed in room 5 - had bites
This week (week 26) stayed in room 8 and had bites.
Its strange how it went from no problems in those 2 rooms, to problems
2 weeks in a row in both rooms.
It would make sense if 1 room, cuz someone might have stayed there the
week I was not there...but what are the chances that 2 people with bed
bugs stayed in those 2 rooms.

2. This weekend I did not bring my bags in from the car yet, but last
week (before I suspected anything) I brought the bags in.
I did not put them in my bedroom, they kept outside the bedroom.
So if there was transportation of insects, it happened last weekend.
Now last night (first night back) I slept in my room, this morning,
there seems to be 4-5 new bites.
My understanding is that a bed bug will feed for 3-5 minutes, then go
back to its hideout and digest for a few days.
It just seems that if I brought them home last weekend, that 4-5 bites
for the first time I am back seems a lot. I would think it would take
longer than 1 week for the number of bugs to increase. You know what I
mean?

Anyway, my bed is only a mattress, no box spring, the mattress sits on
top of a wooden frame which has drawers built in, I have a sheet over
my bed spread.

I just pulled both the sheet on top and the bed sheet off and threw it
into a garbage bag. (my plan is to have the garbage bag bake in the
sun)
But I took a look at the pillow cases, the piping of the mattress, the
top sheet and the bed sheet, and there were no traces of any bugs
(granted, it is the daytime), there were no spots of blood anywhere.
Just lint and hair (I think Im balding)

Some of the bites look like this:
http://www.cooperpest.com/bedbugs/HI-2weekslater2.jpg

But the bites are not in a row.
Like last night, the bites I did receive are:
1 on the right bicep
1 near the left armpit
1 on my right hip
1 on my left shin

The main concentration are on my chest/stomach area.
there are about 14 bites spread through out my middle chest to stomach
to belt-line area.
These happened last week and some this week.

Could these bites be something else?
Spiders? (I doubt there would be so many bites)
Allergy? (I dont change my eating habits or detergent)
Skin problem - ecxzema, roseaca or something?

Thanks

Happybattles

2006-06-03, 4:21 pm

> Its strange how it went from no problems in those 2 rooms, to problems
> 2 weeks in a row in both rooms.
> It would make sense if 1 room, cuz someone might have stayed there the
> week I was not there...but what are the chances that 2 people with bed
> bugs stayed in those 2 rooms.

Not really strange at all. Bedbugs can be transported by the maids as
they clean the rooms, friends as they visit other rooms or yes, even
two people coming in on the same day loaded with bedbugs. It's not
even unlikely that it would happen... not even uncommon.

Once one room has bedbugs, chances are other rooms also have them.
That's because nobody really notices them until they are a big problem
and some people just don't report being bit.

> 2. This weekend I did not bring my bags in from the car yet, but last
> week (before I suspected anything) I brought the bags in.
> I did not put them in my bedroom, they kept outside the bedroom.
> So if there was transportation of insects, it happened last weekend.
> Now last night (first night back) I slept in my room, this morning,
> there seems to be 4-5 new bites.
> My understanding is that a bed bug will feed for 3-5 minutes, then go
> back to its hideout and digest for a few days.
> It just seems that if I brought them home last weekend, that 4-5 bites
> for the first time I am back seems a lot. I would think it would take
> longer than 1 week for the number of bugs to increase. You know what I
> mean?

I know what you mean, but if they are brought anywhere within your
house, they will travel to look for a blood meal. They can smell the
CO2 you exhale, they feel the vibration of where you walk and they can
sense body odors. They'll hunt you down. Just like when you're
driving down the road and pass a McDonalds... ever noticed how that
sweet, wonderful smell of deep-fried food can yank you out of a
daydream and make your stomach grumble?

> Just lint and hair (I think Im balding)

How unfortunate.

> But the bites are not in a row.

That doesn't matter.

> Could these bites be something else?
> Spiders? (I doubt there would be so many bites)
> Allergy? (I dont change my eating habits or detergent)
> Skin problem - ecxzema, roseaca or something?

Sure it could be another reason. If I went and inspected your house,
here's the steps I would take.
1) Inspect thoroughly, including pulling off all the outlet covers in
the room and inspecting the back side of them and behind them.
2) If I didn't find anything, set glue traps in your room and schedule
a 1-week followup, or 3 days if you're seeming panicked.
3) If I still didn't find anything, I'd send you to a dermatologist.
4) If you called me back I'd then try to suggest you go see a "shrink"
and mention "Delusional Parasitosis". But you don't seem to be the
type, as you are articulated and haven't mentioned pixies in your
pocket (it's happened).

If you have an air vent above your bed, it could be insulation falling
from it, even if you can't see it. Here's some questions I usually
ask:

Have you recently changed shampoo or body soap?
Have you changed your detergent?
Have you changed your diet?
Have you changed where you get your clothes dry-cleaned?
Has your dry-cleaning company changed their chemicals?
Have you had any other physical symptoms, such as waking up with a
headache?
Have you recently watched a scary movie about bugs?
Are you using any new medications? (Rogaine?)
Are your sheets and blankets new within the last few months?
Are your sheets and/or blankets old and falling apart?
Is your blanket electric?
Where did you get your mattress?
Where did you get your bedframe? (BB eggs can sit for many months
inactive.)
Are you more stressed at work these last few weeks than usual?
Have you tried staying in a different motel? (bad water maybe?)
Are you carrying new equipment or working in a new building?
Is there construction going on near your home or work?

I know it's a lot of questions, but this'll help us a ton. Only answer
the ones you're comfortable with.

Chris

tforms1@yahoo.com

2006-06-03, 4:21 pm

> Not really strange at all. Bedbugs can be transported by the maids as
> they clean the rooms, friends as they visit other rooms or yes, even

Havent thought of that.

> Sure it could be another reason. If I went and inspected your house,
> here's the steps I would take.
> 1) Inspect thoroughly, including pulling off all the outlet covers in
> the room and inspecting the back side of them and behind them.
> 2) If I didn't find anything, set glue traps in your room and schedule
> a 1-week followup, or 3 days if you're seeming panicked.
> 3) If I still didn't find anything, I'd send you to a dermatologist.
> 4) If you called me back I'd then try to suggest you go see a "shrink"
> and mention "Delusional Parasitosis". But you don't seem to be the
> type, as you are articulated and haven't mentioned pixies in your
> pocket (it's happened).

Most of the questions will have the same answer, so I will group them:

> Have you recently changed shampoo or body soap?
> Have you changed your detergent?
Nope

> Have you changed your diet?
Nope - just as I mentioned in my other post, last thursday I ate shrimp
for the first time in years...but I doubt an allergic reaction would
cause new hives/bites 1 week later.

> Have you changed where you get your clothes dry-cleaned?
> Has your dry-cleaning company changed their chemicals?
No

> Have you had any other physical symptoms, such as waking up with a
> headache?

Well, last weekend I also started getting back pain, I have had back
problems in the past, so I dont think the two are related.
The only other symptom is a feeling of "malaise" I guess the term is.
I am allergic to mosquito bites, and I scratch them...so sometimes,
when I get bitten I scratch and then you can see the venom/saliva
travel along my vein.
In other words, there is a bite, and then you start to see a red line
travel out of the bite toward the vein, when it gets to this point my
body usually feels a little weird also.
Of course it could just be all in my head.

> Have you recently watched a scary movie about bugs?
Nope, I actually didnt think of bed bugs until a few days ago,
previously I thought it was ringworm or another skin problem.

> Are you using any new medications? (Rogaine?)
No, just ibruprofen for my back pain. but I started it after the first
bites

> Are your sheets and blankets new within the last few months?
Not the ones in my house

> Are your sheets and/or blankets old and falling apart?
They are old, but not falling apart.

> Is your blanket electric?
No

> Where did you get your mattress?
> Where did you get your bedframe? (BB eggs can sit for many months
> inactive.)
>From my sister and brother in law. They moved out of the country so we
inherited their funiture. Its been about 2 years now.

> Are you more stressed at work these last few weeks than usual?
Been more stressed the past year or so.

> Have you tried staying in a different motel? (bad water maybe?)
will try this week. but I am getting it at home it seems like, so I
willprobably get it in the new hotel.

> Are you carrying new equipment or working in a new building?
> Is there construction going on near your home or work?
No.

> I know it's a lot of questions, but this'll help us a ton. Only answer
> the ones you're comfortable with.

Most of the answers were No.

Ok, as mentioned ,I pulled the top sheet and bed sheet off the bed, no
blood spots.
no Spots on the mattress, or the wood frame.
I am cleaning up the clutter around the bed now...did find 4 bugs:
1. Spider
2. Sow bug
3. small, very small white bug, looked like a piece of rice, but
smaller, I have seen in the past, usually on paper.
4. Similiar to #3, but it was brown, also very small.

could 3 and 4 be bed bugs? or other type of bugs?
Both #3 and 4 were about 1/16 in length

Thanks!!

tforms1@yahoo.com

2006-06-03, 7:21 pm

> Ok, as mentioned ,I pulled the top sheet and bed sheet off the bed, no
> blood spots.
> no Spots on the mattress, or the wood frame.
> I am cleaning up the clutter around the bed now...did find 4 bugs:
> 1. Spider
> 2. Sow bug
> 3. small, very small white bug, looked like a piece of rice, but
> smaller, I have seen in the past, usually on paper.
> 4. Similiar to #3, but it was brown, also very small.
>
> could 3 and 4 be bed bugs? or other type of bugs?
> Both #3 and 4 were about 1/16 in length

I have cleaned all around my bed, and those were the only 4 bugs found.
1 problem...the floor is brown carpet, so bugs could blend in.
But I did vacuum the floor around the bed.

Like I said, I have a lot of clutter, so I worked all day and only
managed to clean the bed area and a few feet next to it.

Tomorrow I will work on the rest of the room.

I already vacuumed the floor, next I will buy some diatomaceous earth
and spread it along the floor and inside the drawers of my bed. Not
the drawer itself, but below it, in the cabinet space of the bed.

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