I've lived in this apartment complex for 4 years and I never had any problems with bugs. Well just last month I notice little bits on me and my daughters’ arms and legs. I cleaned the house changed the sheets and noticed little bugs in my bed. I went online and found out that I have bed bugs. I've tried steaming, spraying alcohol etc. My question is how do I permanently get rid of bed bugs?
I am freaking out I have to check everything and now I am living out of plastic bags because I am afraid that they will get into our clothes. Please help because I am at my wits end.
I just saw something like this on tv last night and the only way to get rid of them is by calling someone in. They used some kind of freezing method that killed them instantly.
Throw away your mattresses & get an exterminator. I wouldn't bring in new mattresses until you know for sure you got rid of all the bugs. You may have to bring in the exterminator more than once. They are extremely hard to get rid of.
Do you have your mattresses inside zippered mattress covers? My friend told me that your mattresses must be fully covered, not just mattress pads and sheets, in a zippered cover and the bed bugs cannot survive.
I hope you get rid of them quickly!
Try this link: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/bedbugs/#find. And see the quote below from the link:
"If you are a tenant, contact your property manager or landlord to discuss your respective obligations, and to agree on a plan to manage the infestation. Generally, landlords are legally required to contract with a licensed pest control operator."
"What are your rights and obligations?
Landlords and property owners have specific legal obligations to provide safe and habitable accommodations for tenants. Certain infestations, including bed bugs, may constitute an unacceptable condition. Tenants have an obligation to cooperate with owners and landlords. This includes preparing the apartment so that the pest control operator can easily inspect the rooms and treat if necessary. Contact your state or municipal health agency or housing authority for more guidance on these issues."
Good Luck and don't panic.
M.,
You have gotten a lot of good responses. I don't have a lot to add. I have never had to deal with this myself, thankfully, however when I was studying in the UK another flat of girls got bedbugs (they think from a hostel). Anyway, they had to boil all of their clothes (as well as anything else that was made of cloth) and put them in sealed plastic bags, the girls moved into a hotel and the exterminator came and essectially "bombed" the apartment. I know that the mattresses had to be replaced and I think they said that the bugs had gotten into the beds as well (they were wood) and the beds had to be replaced as well. I don't remember about the carpet. I don't know if the same treatment is available here, but I would check with an exterminator.
Good Luck,
D.
One way they have been proliferating is from people taking their pillows with them when they travel.
Contact your apartment landlord and tell them you have bedbugs and see if they will pay for an exterminator to come. They should, when I lived in an apartment and we had an ant problem they paid for the exterminator.
Otherwise you'll have to call one. There is no other way, bedbugs are terrible, they breed and hide. You'll have a huge problem in no time so call now!
Call your landlord!!! If you have bedbugs chances are your neighbors do too. Can you ask any of your neighbors?
Bed bugs are almost impossible to get rid of. One of my friends boyfriends got them living in an apartment from foreign neighbors who moved in next door. I think they came through the wall or under the wall or something. Anyway - he had to throw his bed away and get a new one and I think they gave him a new apartment so they could fix the problem. I also saw a 20/20 or Dateline that talked about bed bugs as well and how hard it is to get rid of and one family got them staying in a hotel and they didn't know it but they brought them home in their suitcases and they ended up having to tear out all of the carpet and replace the beds. Anytime I stay in a hotel, before I unload, I quickly pull back the bedding and see if there are any bugs. Never have seen any but rather safe than sorry. One of my co-workers told me that she sees them in hotels all of the time on the east coast. You need to tell your landlord, especially if you haven't traveled and accidently brought them into your house. If it's a neighbor the issue won't get resolved.
Just saw a TV show last night about bed bugs (thank you Animal Planet). Show is called The Monster Inside Me. They basically said that bed bugs can be hiding anywhere, light switch, behind picture frams, not just your matress. They only come out every 7 days to feed. They did show a nifty way of getting rid of them - they bring in a dog that sniffs them out then the exterminator froze them. It was some kind of super cold air gun and as soon as he blew the cold air on the bed bugs they instantly died.
Try steam cleaning again, let dry, cover with a thick zippered mattress cover. Make sure the critters are not in your pillows. Bleach sheets if they're white or clorox 2 if not. Clean linens and you're set; hopefully.
I have never had this problem, but my best friend did. She had to get a special kind of spray for them and she doused everything. What she did not douse she threw out. She got rid of the bed that the bugs were in and got a new one (bunk beds for her kids). She also bought a new bed for her and her husband and put the mattress and box springs in plastic covers. You have to wash and wash and wash everything and be VERY CLEAN as they can live off of just about anything. I know she has done much more than this, they have been dealing with this problem for like a year now and I think just recently MAY have gotten rid of them, but every time she thinks they are gone she will get one bite. If you want to send me a private message with your email I can send her your info and maybe she can help you.
OH, yes and her association did call the exterminator, he did a treatment and also came just to check things out to see if it looked like she had done all she could and he said she did. So even with an exterminator, sometimes it can be hard to get rid of them.
Go out and buy a new mattress. All the mattress stores are having sales. It is a good time to get a new mattress. When you do buy an allergan cover that will seal the new mattress. You will never have that problem again.
Hi M. Why don't you get another mattress. I know years ago mattress where stuff with materials that cause these bugs. But they aren't suppose to made like that anymore. Check with your landlord about the bugs.
They are probably in the matresses and with this economy you may not be able to purchase new matresses so get plastic covers for them and then put your new matress pad and sheets over that. The plastic cover will help to block the bed bugs.
