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Robin_K2

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #30 on: July 08, 2013, 06:55:43 AM »
You'll all be gratified to know that my building's owner has finally conceded that the whole place is infested with bed bugs. Rather than conventional extermination, she's decided to combat the little bloodsuckers with . . .

Devices that produce sonic waves.

Uh huh.

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gonZo

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Robin_K2

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #32 on: July 26, 2013, 06:07:56 PM »
The lastest:

I'm moving in two weeks, and meanwhile my landlord has gotten an exterminator who will apply "thermal treatment." To remove clutter, I have to put a lot of stuff in storage; I hope (pray) that a year or so in storage in a hot, metal storage unit will kill the little bastards there.

Meanwhile, I would appreciate any tips. How to best move? Should I attempt treatment of items in storage, or hope for the best while it alternately freezes and bakes for a year/year and a half? What do I do about books, file cabinets, electronics, etc., that I have to keep in my new place?

My plan is to wipe down all furniture surfaces I can reach with rubbing alcohol. I really don't know what to do with all my papers, though. I work at home.

MANY thanks in advance!

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pedonbio

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #33 on: July 26, 2013, 08:16:17 PM »
If possible, when you have the stuff in a storage unit, see if you can bug-bomb it before you leave it there for a year.
Someday, chi1dren, this entire fuck-up will be yours.

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Robin_K2

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #34 on: July 26, 2013, 08:46:27 PM »
Thanks, Pb, but I've read that bug bombs are useless where bed bugs are concerned. I gladly welcome correction! Still, no harm whatsoever in bombing them repeatedly. It certainly won't help the blood-sucking #*$( )!!

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rtpoe

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #35 on: July 26, 2013, 10:45:34 PM »
Have you tried singing a lullaby? :D
rtpoe

The last fling of winter is over ...  The earth, the soil itself, has a dreaming quality about it.  It is warm now to the touch; it has come alive; it hides secrets that in a moment, in a little while, it will tell.
-  Donald Culross Peattie

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gonZo

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #36 on: July 27, 2013, 07:00:06 AM »
The lastest:

I'm moving in two weeks, and meanwhile my landlord has gotten an exterminator who will apply "thermal treatment." To remove clutter, I have to put a lot of stuff in storage; I hope (pray) that a year or so in storage in a hot, metal storage unit will kill the little bastards there.

Meanwhile, I would appreciate any tips. How to best move? Should I attempt treatment of items in storage, or hope for the best while it alternately freezes and bakes for a year/year and a half? What do I do about books, file cabinets, electronics, etc., that I have to keep in my new place?

My plan is to wipe down all furniture surfaces I can reach with rubbing alcohol. I really don't know what to do with all my papers, though. I work at home.

MANY thanks in advance!

According to wikipedia, 9 or 10 months in storage with no opportunities to feed should kill any that are on your stuff. (I initially recommended an exterminator because once you hire one, the bugs become his/her problem, and most will keep coming back until the problem's solved.)
« Last Edit: July 27, 2013, 07:01:44 AM by gonZo »

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Robin_K2

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #37 on: July 27, 2013, 04:55:34 PM »
Thanks, gonZo. I welcome all advice! I'd rather leave everyting in place for the exterminator, but he requires that I put a lot in storage before he'll apply thermal treatment. That this comes in the middle of a move makes it all the harder.

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rtpoe

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #38 on: July 29, 2013, 07:16:18 PM »
These guys are pretty good at exterminating, but they do tend to get carried away...
rtpoe

The last fling of winter is over ...  The earth, the soil itself, has a dreaming quality about it.  It is warm now to the touch; it has come alive; it hides secrets that in a moment, in a little while, it will tell.
-  Donald Culross Peattie

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Zorro

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Bedbugs - The battle was lost.
« Reply #39 on: November 05, 2013, 04:30:51 AM »
I re-read all the posts in this thread and instead of creating a new thread I believe that I should enter my latest experience with those nasty little critters.

This past Thursday (Oct 30th) my case manager from the folks who help with subsidizing my rent showed up that morning and informed me that I will be moving to another apartment complex.

I said that's good. When will that happen and she said "Today".

She also said that if she had known this earlier I would have had time to prepare for it.

We did the move in 2 days, but just about all my belongings that were left out were sacrificed such as my TV, dvd player and printer.

Everything in my kitchen like my microwave, coffee maker, crock pot, dry goods and canned food such as corn, beans etc could not go to the new apartment.

To make it a bit more simply explained only the stuff in my refrigerator and freezer were allowed to be taken in the move.

I was fortunate that my laptop sits on a cooling fan and there were no bedbugs in either since they are both on continuously.

Being on a fixed income and having to replace all of this stuff was very frustrating and I often feel lost and bewildered.

I came in to this apartment that had only a kitchen table, 2 chairs, a hideaway bed, nightstand and dresser.

About the only real drawback is that this apartment has barely enough room for the table and 2 chairs since the stove/oven, sink and refrigerator take up the rest of the space. I have no counter space at all.

The living room is the biggest room in the place, but the bedroom is of a normal size to me.

All of this hassle due to a damn pest that could not be completely wiped out and would re-infest the place within a few days.

I hope I never see one of those vermin in this new apartment.







 
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Robin_K2

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #40 on: November 05, 2013, 07:47:24 AM »
I'm very sorry to hear all this, Zorro. I'm in a new place myself, and so far I'm bedbug free.

I've had to become an expert on all this. The bottom line is that only heat treatment works, and you have to treat apartments on both sides, as well as above and below, to make sure. And it's incredibly expensive. Even then, if someone else in the building has 'em, sooner or later they'll come back. Diatomaceous earth is good, too, but it works slowly,and is best used as a preventative. (It's also a bit dangerous to use.) PM me if you need more info or moral support.

Heat treatment would not have harmed electronics, though it may have melted tapes, etc.

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Zorro

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #41 on: November 05, 2013, 01:06:53 PM »
Fortunately I did not have any tapes and for my movie DVD's we wiped them all down with rubbing alcohol.

However I had to leave 100's of DVD's with downloaded movies, but I have a 2 tetra drives and most of the movies are on them.

I did try the Diatomaceous earth, but it had little to no effect.

I still believe that they move from apartment to apartment in the walls and with the two holes in the walls where the cable TV cable comes through in the  bedroom and living room. I had reported this to the apartment manager and Link of Hampton Roads (they subsidize my rent) repeatedly, but nothing was ever done to fix that problem.

Hopefully Link will bring me more furniture and the kitchen items I lost.
I know they will not replace my microwave though.
It's funny how much you get to depend on a microwave oven.

Anyway thanks for responding and I too hope that we both never have to go thru this again.
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Robin_K2

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #42 on: November 05, 2013, 02:13:28 PM »
Yes, they do move through walls; they like to follow plumbing and electical lines. They can slip through any crack the width of a credit card.

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Zorro

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #43 on: December 04, 2013, 03:42:16 PM »
On October 31st I had to evacuate my apartment because after a long fight the bedbugs won.

Unfortunately I had to leave just about everything I had collected over the years. This included my TV, printer, furniture,food,microwave, and all the food that wasn't in the refrigerator etc.

I was moved to another apartment complex that the owner also has.

My case manager had arranged to have some food [can goods]and other dry provisions.

Unfortunately I had no way to cook anything since there was no cookware.

My furniture consisted of a hideaway bed, kitchen table, two chairs for the table, a nightstand and dresser.

Thankfully they did not get into my laptop and I spent a month with no TV,but I at least had the Internet and was able to morph and do uploads!

I hope I never see those blood suckers again!
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oster34ddd

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Re: Bug bites! But from what? Advice, please.
« Reply #44 on: September 29, 2015, 10:19:10 AM »
They can be defeated, A person can win this battle, I have done it! All this is assuming you have control of your own walls and do not live next to adjacent living dwellings/appartments. they will go into hybernation without a meal and eventually starve to death. This is however very difficult to achieve, and takes great effort and time. 1st off, all, and i mean all cracks in walls, outlets, and plumbing must be caulked/closed to trap them in. This is almost impossible i mean u need electricity right? beyond that seriously use duct tape around outlets or wall moldings with the sticky end up. I'm not kidding you can trap a lot of them coming out of the walls that way. One might also tape around his boxspring or mattress if you really dont feel like tossing your new bed. That or set it out in storage for a good long while. You also might try **83** like an Eskimo. bundle up with socks tucked over long sleeve underwear and long sleeve shirt tops, even wearing gloves when u **82** Any open skinn and they will find you. Sounds like a lot? That's the kind of effort and attention to detail you need. But avoid getting bit for a week of longer and you have a fighting chance!! Hope this helps anybody fighting the loosing battle. A lot of ppl can't afford to move on a wim