What´s Biting Me ? Racist Bugs?

[THAIPHUKET]

Why racist bugs? They seem to feast on farang only, leaving my Isaan wife sleeping in the same bed alone.

In the morning I wake up with these tiny , itchy bites. See photo. the one of my arm shows the white head of the bite.

What is it and how to get rid of the buggers from my body and their bredding habitat?

[THAIPHUKET]

Belly on fire, strong itching, used Monkey Cream and some hot, burning massage cream to combat, it helped after some time.

The only time I had a similar experience was on Cuba on the beach. But there the reason was obvious , tiny ,black sand flies biting, very bad. Now, I didn´t see anything coming close to my body.

No beach up here in Chiang Mai, could it be something which I got while swimming in a large public pool?

[Totster]

Got any dogs ?

I once had an awful reaction to caterpillar hairs after they shed their hairs over the washing and bedding, burning isn't the word, also very lumpy...

totster

[THAIPHUKET]

Good hint totster, but no dogs anywhere nearby, at least one possibility less. Systematic exclusion of causes.

[Sheryl]

Hate to say it but could be bedbugs. Examine all the linen for any traces.

That your gf has not visible bites doesn't necessarily mean she wasn't bitten. The reaction to bites varies in severity by individual and also takes time to develop.

Other possibility is that it is not bites at all but rather some type of contact dermatitis. The picture is not very clear, but it does look more like bites from what I can make out.

[THAIPHUKET]

Thought the same, how to nuke bed bugs??

[Phronesis]

Buy Cyzine at your nearest pharmacy. It is a cheap locally made antihistamine that will help with your swelling and itching.

[THAIPHUKET]

Cyzine is against the symptoms, how to clean my body of bugs and eggs. Can there be eggs under the skin?

Internet is your friend, source http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Bed-Bugs

Treatment and Control of Bed Bugs

1. Follow an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This involves multiple tactics such as preventive measures, sanitation, and chemicals applied to targeted sites.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
2. Spray bed bugs with rubbing alcohol. This kills them on the spot. Use the rubbing alcohol and a dish brush to kill the visible eggs, then call an exterminator.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
3. Bag and launder (120°F minimum) affected items. Smaller items
   that cannot be laundered can sometimes be de-infested by heating.
   Individual items, for example, can be wrapped in plastic and placed in a
   hot, sunny location for at least a few days (the 120°F minimum target
   temperature should be monitored in the centermost location with a
   thermometer). Bedbugs also succumb to cold temperatures below freezing,
   but the chilling period must be maintained for at least two weeks.
   Attempts to rid an entire home or apartment of bed bugs by raising or
   lowering the thermostat will be entirely unsuccessful.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
4. Point steam on them. You may get a simple device capable of
   generating steam at your local hardware store. You may also convert a
   simple electric kettle to a steam machine by attaching a flexible tube.
   Steam should kill all bedbugs and the eggs. Thoroughly spray steam at
   all corners and seams.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
5. Vacuum your house. This will remove bugs and eggs from
   mattresses, carpet, walls and other surfaces. Pay particular attention
   to seams, tufts and edges of mattresses and box springs, and the
   perimeter edge of wall-to-wall carpets. Afterward, dispose of the vacuum
   contents in a sealed trash bag. Steam cleaning of carpets is also
   helpful for killing bugs and eggs that vacuuming may have missed.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
6. Repair cracks in plaster and glue down loosened wallpaper to eliminate bed bug harborage sites. Remove and destroy wild animal roosts and bird nests when possible.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
7. Consider using insecticides. Residual insecticides (usually
   pyrethroids) are applied as spot treatments to cracks and crevices where
   bed bugs are hiding. Increased penetration of the insecticide into
   cracks and crevices can be achieved if accumulated dirt and debris are
   first removed using a vacuum cleaner. Many readily available aerosol
   pesticide sprays will cause bed bugs to scatter making eradication more
   difficult. Dust formulations may be used to treat wall voids and attics.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
   • Repeat insecticide applications if bed bugs are present two weeks
     after the initial treatment. It is difficult to find all hiding places
     and hidden eggs may have hatched.
8. Enlist the services of a professional pest control firm.
   Experienced companies know where to look for bed bugs, and have an
   assortment of management tools at their disposal. Owners and occupants
   will need to assist the professional in important ways. Allowing access
   for inspection and treatment is essential and excess clutter should be
   removed.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
9. Discard affected items. In some cases, infested mattresses
   and box springs will need to be discarded. Since bed bugs can disperse
   throughout a building, it also may be necessary to inspect adjoining
   rooms and apartments.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
10. Apply silica gel. Grind up some crystal silica gel and apply
    it all over in your bed room. Put some on your mattress, around the bed
    and along the wall. The fine silica gel stuck to the bug cannot be
    shaken off, causing it to dehydrate and die. ^[1]
    Be careful not to inhale it. Alternatively, use a natural dehydrating
    substance called Diatomaceous Earth. Make sure you ask for the "Food
    Grade" variation! Diatomaceous Earth has the same effect as silica gel
    but is safe and exposure to it is not dangerous for your children and
    pets.^[2]
    
    

    
    

    

    
    
    
    
    
    • If you have a cat, change the cat litter (crystal silica gel) every 5
      days so the newly hatched eggs will dehydrate too. Repeat for 5 weeks.

Finding Bed Bugs

1. Dismantle the bed and stand the components on end. Things to
   look for are the bugs themselves and the light-brown, molted skins of
   the nymphs. Dark spots of dried bed bug excrement are often present
   along mattress seams or wherever the bugs have resided. Oftentimes, the
   gauze fabric underlying the box spring must be removed to gain access
   for inspection and possible treatment. Cracks and crevices of bed frames
   should be examined, especially if the frame is wood (bed bugs have an
   affinity for wood and fabric more so than metal or plastic).
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
   • Successful treatment of mattresses and box springs is difficult and infested components may ultimately need to be discarded.
   • Bed bugs also hide among items stored underneath beds.
2. Empty nightstands and dressers. Examine them inside and out,
   then tip them over to inspect the woodwork underneath. Oftentimes, the
   bugs will be hiding in cracks, corners and recesses.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
3. Check upholstered chairs and sofas. Pay close attention to
   the seams, tufts, skirts and crevices beneath cushions. Sofas can be
   major bed bug hotspots when used for sleeping.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
4. Check other common places. These include along and under the
   edge of wall-to-wall carpeting (especially behind beds and furniture),
   cracks in wood molding and ceiling-wall junctures. Bed bugs tend to
   congregate in certain areas, but it is common to find an individual or
   some eggs scattered here and there.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
5. Use a flashlight. Inspectors sometimes also inject a pyrethrum-based "flushing agent" into crevices to help reveal where bugs may be hiding.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   

Prevent Bed Bugs From Entering

1. Be wary of acquiring secondhand beds, bedding, and furniture. At a minimum, such items should be examined closely before being brought into the home.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
2. Examine beds and headboards for signs of bed bugs when traveling.
3. Elevate your luggage off the floor.
   
   

   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
4. Be vigilant. Warehouses, storage facilities, trucks and
   railroad cars may be infested so common bed bugs can infest homes by
   stowing away on new furniture stored or shipped from these places.
   Familiarity may help to avoid infestation, or at least prompt earlier
   intervention

[THAIPHUKET]

reading above instructions= what is rubbing alcohol ?

[THAIPHUKET]

monitoring but be careful not for controlling bed bugs

Where to get dry ice??

Edited April 23, 2013 by THAIPHUKET

[rak sa_ngop]

Bites along the line of your watchstrap (photo).

Eggs under the skin.

Might well be scabies (7 year itch)

[wpcoe]

reading above instructions= what is rubbing alcohol ?

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubbing_alcohol

[canman]

There was a recent article about kidney bean leaves as an effective way to control bedbugs. Apparently the leaves have small hairs which trap the buggers. You are supposed to spread the leaves on the floor at night and then gather up and burn them each morning.

[THAIPHUKET]

Digging deeper into bed bugs is actually fascinating , Scabies
as well but I refuse to explore this one. Beg bug study is enough for now.

---------------

- bean leaf idea is a wild story of nature, the bean leaf impaling
the bed bug at its weakest spot.
http://m.theweek.com/article.php?id=242492

Popular Science notes that using kidney bean leaves to deter bedbugs

dates back to at least 1678, wrongly suggesting that the leaves stunned
the bedbugs.

-------------------------

-only, you have to wait until the bed bug actually walks into the
bean leaf. May be some task to spread leafs around your bed. Our bed
room is rather large, we may have to supply GPS to the bed bugs.

------------------------

-chemicals, room fogging are questionable because these buggers
hide in the tiniest of cracks.

- a conventional method is more promising=

http://www.bedbugcentral.com/bedbugs101/topic.cfm/what-products-work-best

In fact some non-chemical measures are among the most effective
in
reducing bed bug populations. Vacuums play a major role in bed
bug
management efforts. Vacuums are used to physically remove as
many bed
bugs from the mattress, box spring, bed frame, head
board, furniture
etc. While vacuums are extremely effective, care
must be taken to
dispose of the contents of the vacuum immediately
after use. Bed bugs
can live quite happily inside even the
dirtiest of vacuums. Vacuum bags
should be placed into trash bags,
tied shut, and disposed of outside of
the home. Bagless vacuums
should haissingve the contents of the canister
disposed of and the
canister washed. Steam is another very effective
tool in bed bug
management and can be implemented very effectively in a
variety of
situations to include mattresses and box springs.

Edited April 24, 2013 by THAIPHUKET

[THAIPHUKET]

Steam sounds easy but it must reach 200F or about 95 c otherwise no kill ! This or 91% alcohol are considered the most effective methods.