Oh GOD this sucks.
I've been in this building since Nov 2011. Moved in, just fine, all dandy. A few shots of fleas, but that's fixable. Nuke and treat room, all good. Still itch like mofo, and have to clean more than average. Ok, but it works.
So, go forward to November 2012. 2 new people move in. I am starting to have itchy bites at my ankles, and on my shoulder/arms. WTF. These ITCH. They look like flea bites, but up top of me? And they're bigger? (flea bites are ususally size of pencil erasers, these were dime sized). I started doing research online and found that "It might be bed bugs, but the only way to truly know is to catch a bug". Fuck. I'm seeing bug turds, but what is it?
It was bad enough on my body I went to a doc and was given script steroid cream to get the hives on my shoulder diminished. My shoulder had some, my legs had bites, my arms. It wasn't a one day shot, either, it was one day I get some, next day it's quiet, third day it's a few more bites.
I notified the management about this, and they said it'll be about a week before we can get bug inspectors there. Pfeh. So I said fuck this, and got a mattress bug sealer thing, and one for the box springs.
Ok, he showed up and looked around and said, "Nope, can't find any" Mind you, I was still being bitten. I was doing extensive vacuuming, washing my clothes, keeping off the floor, trying to seal things..making some headway but not much.
Bug guy shows up again a week later, says I'm not seeing them, you have that mattress sealed etc. I said, uh, look at these bites! He tells me that ok, you wash all the clothes @ high temps, and seal them in 3mm plastic bags. I look at him, like, ok. Then he tells me not just the clothes in the dresser, EVERYTHING. All my stuff on my hangers, the boxes that other clothes are in, all the clothes in bags I've got, EVERY GOD DAMN PIECE. Or steam clean them. "If you have them".
Neighbor guy who I think brought them in hasn't said anything yet. I caught 2 bugs, dated it, and sent pics to the manager. NOW they believe me, and I've been told it'll probably be the 20th before the people come by to exterminate. Joy.
I caught a full grown fucker on my canvas bag today. And I've had one or 2 new bites, but tiny ones. Some progress.
I'm frustrated, a bit angry, and stressed.
First: It's been too damn long. And there really isn't any home cure you can do for these things. Best is to seal what you think is infected and clean like a mofo. But not a chemical thing for homes. I want these fuckers GONE.
How the hell am I going to get my clothes done? I think steam cleaning them as a huge batch would work (classic science don't leave anything to chance)?
Second: How the hell can I afford to get those clothes cleaned (or all my stuff for that matter) AND afford those stupid bags? If I toss the clothing, uh, I lose way too much, and the ones I keep might be infected. (think also dress clothes).
Oh and what about my SHOES??? Seal them for a year? (my dress shoes).
Third: the money stress. Afford all this? Uh no.
The reason I'm so confident that Neighbor guy brought them is that he's a new variable in the equation, AND I saw in his room one night: "Spray that kills Bed Bugs". I had to tell the manager that. So, let's say it's his fault. Bugs like to travel on clothing, and stay near a bed. I didn't get them from his room, most likely from hall carpet or the bath between us. It's possible the whole building is now infected, but I'm Patient Zero.
God dammit.
I've been in this building since Nov 2011. Moved in, just fine, all dandy. A few shots of fleas, but that's fixable. Nuke and treat room, all good. Still itch like mofo, and have to clean more than average. Ok, but it works.
So, go forward to November 2012. 2 new people move in. I am starting to have itchy bites at my ankles, and on my shoulder/arms. WTF. These ITCH. They look like flea bites, but up top of me? And they're bigger? (flea bites are ususally size of pencil erasers, these were dime sized). I started doing research online and found that "It might be bed bugs, but the only way to truly know is to catch a bug". Fuck. I'm seeing bug turds, but what is it?
It was bad enough on my body I went to a doc and was given script steroid cream to get the hives on my shoulder diminished. My shoulder had some, my legs had bites, my arms. It wasn't a one day shot, either, it was one day I get some, next day it's quiet, third day it's a few more bites.
I notified the management about this, and they said it'll be about a week before we can get bug inspectors there. Pfeh. So I said fuck this, and got a mattress bug sealer thing, and one for the box springs.
Ok, he showed up and looked around and said, "Nope, can't find any" Mind you, I was still being bitten. I was doing extensive vacuuming, washing my clothes, keeping off the floor, trying to seal things..making some headway but not much.
Bug guy shows up again a week later, says I'm not seeing them, you have that mattress sealed etc. I said, uh, look at these bites! He tells me that ok, you wash all the clothes @ high temps, and seal them in 3mm plastic bags. I look at him, like, ok. Then he tells me not just the clothes in the dresser, EVERYTHING. All my stuff on my hangers, the boxes that other clothes are in, all the clothes in bags I've got, EVERY GOD DAMN PIECE. Or steam clean them. "If you have them".
Neighbor guy who I think brought them in hasn't said anything yet. I caught 2 bugs, dated it, and sent pics to the manager. NOW they believe me, and I've been told it'll probably be the 20th before the people come by to exterminate. Joy.
I caught a full grown fucker on my canvas bag today. And I've had one or 2 new bites, but tiny ones. Some progress.
I'm frustrated, a bit angry, and stressed.
First: It's been too damn long. And there really isn't any home cure you can do for these things. Best is to seal what you think is infected and clean like a mofo. But not a chemical thing for homes. I want these fuckers GONE.
How the hell am I going to get my clothes done? I think steam cleaning them as a huge batch would work (classic science don't leave anything to chance)?
Second: How the hell can I afford to get those clothes cleaned (or all my stuff for that matter) AND afford those stupid bags? If I toss the clothing, uh, I lose way too much, and the ones I keep might be infected. (think also dress clothes).
Oh and what about my SHOES??? Seal them for a year? (my dress shoes).
Third: the money stress. Afford all this? Uh no.
The reason I'm so confident that Neighbor guy brought them is that he's a new variable in the equation, AND I saw in his room one night: "Spray that kills Bed Bugs". I had to tell the manager that. So, let's say it's his fault. Bugs like to travel on clothing, and stay near a bed. I didn't get them from his room, most likely from hall carpet or the bath between us. It's possible the whole building is now infected, but I'm Patient Zero.
God dammit.
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