Bed bugs

[CALSinCM]

I know I have a bed bug that has found its way home with me. Two nights ago I got bit in three spots on my leg. I washed the clothes I was wearing in hot water (sweatpants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, and socks - it gets cold at night where I live). I hung my blanket out in the sun all day.

Last night, I wore new sweatpants and other new clothes, and I got bit three times within 10 mm of the first bites.

I can't for the life of me figure out how something the size of an ant can crawl from wherever it's hiding, navigate its way over my socks, under the spandex cuff of my sweatpants, up my leg, and bite me virtually the same place as it did before. I noticed this when I when to the bathroom and immediately soaked the clothes in hot water, stripped the bed of all the linen, and checked the entire mattress especially the seams. Nothing.

I had this happen about 5 years ago. Went through the same process and the bites stopped after washing bed cloths and bed linens in hot water. Now it (they) are back. Neither my wife or I have travelled anywhere recently so I've no idea where they are coming from.

Any ideas that I'm missing?

Edited December 10, 2015 by CALSinCM

[tonray]

The only true way to eradicate bedbugs is to throw everything away (including your bed) ....they will hide in the creases of the mattress...you will not find them without a magnifying glass. Then chemical fumigation os any furniture or things remaining in the room. I would immediately seal that room off from the rest of the house...tape on the bottom and seams of the door to prevent them from taking up residence in your other rooms. And one bug can produce hundreds more....soon you will be host to the entire extended family. Sorry for the grim news.

[CALSinCM]

Here is something that I really don't understand. From what I read, bedbugs can feed on you then run across the room and digest in the laundry hamper, in your light socket, in your dresser draws, in the bedroom curtains, etc. If that’s the case, how does it find its way back to within 10mm of where it fed before with me fully clothed and the only exposed flesh is my hands and head? Our bedroom is immaculate considering my wife is a clean freak. The floor gets mopped daily and I was wearing newly laundered clothes, and the clothes I was wearing when I was bit were washed in very hot water.

So how does this bug find it's way back to within 10mm of the place it fed the night before? That's what totally floors me.

Any experts in 'bed bug behaviour?" And again, it's not biting me on exposed flesh. It has to either crawl from my collar then underneath my sweatshirt and t-shirt to my leg, or it has to crawl up my socks, under the spandex ankle lining of my sweatpants then up to my thigh to bit me within 10mm of the previous night's bit, and it bites nowhere else. Why not bite me on the hand, or the head, or the neck? No, it comes under my clothes and finds it's way to within 10mm of the previous night's dinner. It obviously likes thigh. They must be amazingly intelligent or have a homing system better than pigeons. I don't get it?

Edited December 10, 2015 by CALSinCM

[cooked]

Changing the subject, mosquitoes are attracted by warmth (which is why a fan will keep them away), acrid sweat (not showering) and CO2 9 caused by humans breathing).

I'm sure your bugs have a similar mechanism built in, not saying you don't shower of course.

I just googled <bed bugs, attraction> and came up with similar results to what I wrote above concerning CO2.

Edited December 10, 2015 by cooked

[CALSinCM]

I've spent the day researching these critters. I now know what they look like and how they move. I even know where I picked this one up. Night market. I remember something biting my ankle while the wife saw shopping. I looked down and could recognize the insect: flat, oval, about the size of an apple seed. I reached down to kill it and it disappeared. That fast. I'm sure that was it. I must have jump or run up my trouser leg, and from there to home. Now that I know what I'm looking for I at least have a plan. Steam treat the mattress and bed, continue washing clothes, continue inspecting the area. Heat will kill them at 120 F. Considering I've only been bitten twice, I need to kill this sucker before it lays eggs.

[masuk]

Be careful if you're tempted to use insecticides. There were some unfortunate deaths in a Chiang Mai hotel a few years back, after bed bug treatment was used, and the room closed up at night.

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/bedbugs

[steven100]

have you been to any bars lately ...

[ezzra]

There's this very powerful vacuum cleaner designed specially to suck the bed bugs and other critters from the mattress,

the use to sell it in Thailand long a go, wasn't cheap though, but it deed the job, so for now, try the most

powerful vacuum cleaner you can find and see if it's help...

[zaZa9]

I have a fair bit of experience with bed bugs , and if its them they should leave tell tale small dark brown spots about one sixth their body size on your sheets and particularly in concentrated spots on the mattress.

Usually they live in the piping folds of it.

But they also can live in the folds and joins of the frame of wood beds and slats and skirting boards .

Bedbugs bite in LINES as they walk.

If the bites are random then usually its another bug/insect , like mozzies or fleas.

Your treatments are fine , and what you saw at the market fits their description , EXCEPT that they are very secretive bugs and are VERY rarely out wandering around.

[Catoni]

Adult and juvenile bedbugs can be easily seen without a magnifying glass, unless you have poor eyesight. 120 degrees F is not enough to kill them. You need 150 degrees for a few hours. They don't lay as many eggs or as often as most other biting insects, and usuall prefer to feed on exposed skin, not under clothing. But they do love to hide in covered places. Bedbugs do not jump. But they can certainly crawl very fast, and will travel at least as far as 90 feet to seek a meal. If you see a biting insect on you that jumps, maybe you have fleas.

At least bedbugs are not known to pass disease, although many people show minor allergic reaction to their bites, with swelling and itching.

About 30% of people have no reaction to bedbug bites, not even being aware they are being fed upon.

On the other hand, fleas can pass very horrible disease, and multiply faster than bedbugs do.

[DGS1244]

One way of catching them is to use a lint roller and cover the whole bed. It is amazing what sticks to it. You get through quite a number of papers but is is worth it.

[nongai]

A cheap and safe repellant is vinegar. Half fill a spray bottle with vinegar and fill with water then spray all the bedding and areas. Safe on skin too as I use it to spray the heads of kids with fleas or lice and allow to soak before they shampoo. Has 1001 houshold uses and is safer and cheaper than most cleaning products. In Macro you can buy a 20 litre big square strong bottle for 110 baht.

Cleans, removes smells, kills fungus etc.

[cumgranosalum]

Before you throw everything away, try these measures.

Bed bugs are insects and household insect killers can in many cases work.

First get all the bed clothes and put them in a bin liner - spray insect killer into the bag and seal it up...leave it or a while and then wash the clothing and after washing repeat the process.

Don't forget to do this with any clothes and undergarments that may have come into contact with the bed.

The bed....you can inject the mattress with and spray the exterior with surface spray....this you will need to do for a period longer than it takes for eggs to hatch and develop - 6 to 10 days. It smells but that will subside after a few days.

You will see evidence of bed bugs around the rims of your mattress eggs larvae etc. Some are no longer killed by inset spray, but it seems worth it rather than trow everything out........even if you throw stuff out, you might miss something anyway so a program of Slaughter" is advisable anyway.

Most people get a rash from bed bugs; they collect around the body's pressure points on the mattress and can then return to the interior once fed.

[Jimmpy]

If you were able to see the bug, it must be a flea. Bed bugs are microscopic.

[tonray]

The size of an apple seed....No....they can fit a dozen on an apple seed...perhaps you saw a tick ?

If you did not have multiple bites in a line or semi circle...likely not bedbugs.

In addition to vinegar spray which smells awful....you can also spray bedding night and morning with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol).. this will kill them. if you spray religiously every day even new ones that hatch will be killed. Do it for a month daily to catch hatchlings.

Spray mattress, seams, underneath ...everything....it is harmless and volatile so it dissipates quickly...open the windows and keep away from open flame or you will have other problems too.

[cumgranosalum]

If you were able to see the bug, it must be a flea. Bed bugs are microscopic.

No this is incorrect, adult bedbugs can be 6 mm long and leave a lot of other visible evidence too.

[Inquisitorial]

You could try getting your mattress steam cleaned - many companies offer this service they have special cleaning formula for bed bugs.

[50baht]

If you can move. Have a Yard Sale a.k.a. Bed Bug Sale. Move into empty apartment in new bathing suit. Start Again.

no joke you.

[cumgranosalum]

For an idea of size.......

http:///assets/images/bedbug_pictures5.jpg

Edited December 11, 2015 by cumgranosalum

[kiwikeith]

I have a fair bit of experience with bed bugs , and if its them they should leave tell tale small dark brown spots about one sixth their body size on your sheets and particularly in concentrated spots on the mattress.

Usually they live in the piping folds of it.

But they also can live in the folds and joins of the frame of wood beds and slats and skirting boards .

Bedbugs bite in LINES as they walk.

If the bites are random then usually its another bug/insect , like mozzies or fleas.

Your treatments are fine , and what you saw at the market fits their description , EXCEPT that they are very secretive bugs and are VERY rarely out wandering around.

Ive been bitten by mosquitos on the neck and the bite swell making me think bed bug but not the case just plane old mossi.

There is a Hotel I stayed at down soi 94 Hua Hin, materess had bed bugs bit the hell out of us first night , could see them in materres folds , lucky I had put my bags well away from bed.

Moved out after complaining but the staff said , no have bed bug.

[sawadee1947]

put everthing into a plastic bag and seal it. Leave it for at least one week in it......

Or...for me the better option....Throw away your matress you use and buy instead a new LATEX one. No bugs again. Promised!

[cumgranosalum]

put everthing into a plastic bag and seal it. Leave it for at least one week in it......

Or...for me the better option....Throw away your matress you use and buy instead a new LATEX one. No bugs again. Promised!

Nonsense!

[steven100]

buy a can of Chainrite spray from the store ..... spray everything in the room .... close the room and come back 3 hours later.

Air out the room and all your bugs should be dead .................

[Chicken George]

Robinsons sell the specialist vacuum cleaner with the ultraviolet light. Designed to kill bed bugs and mites in the bed.. Putting bed linen in black plastic bags in the sun can kill them too. Fumigation of the room is an idea but as someone else pointed out be careful with what is used.

[sawadee1947]

put everthing into a plastic bag and seal it. Leave it for at least one week in it......

Or...for me the better option....Throw away your matress you use and buy instead a new LATEX one. No bugs again. Promised!

Nonsense!

well, there are always ignorants in the world. Don't worry. Bad news for you: there is no medicine against it. I feel very sorry.

[chilli42]

The only true way to eradicate bedbugs is to throw everything away (including your bed) ....they will hide in the creases of the mattress...you will not find them without a magnifying glass. Then chemical fumigation os any furniture or things remaining in the room. I would immediately seal that room off from the rest of the house...tape on the bottom and seams of the door to prevent them from taking up residence in your other rooms. And one bug can produce hundreds more....soon you will be host to the entire extended family. Sorry for the grim news.

x2 ... this is the only approach that works. Need to do it fast before they get to other parts of the house

[cumgranosalum]

put everthing into a plastic bag and seal it. Leave it for at least one week in it......

Or...for me the better option....Throw away your matress you use and buy instead a new LATEX one. No bugs again. Promised!

Nonsense!

well, there are always ignorants in the world. Don't worry. Bad news for you: there is no medicine against it. I feel very sorry.

...but you didn't need to post your ignorance, did you? You appear not even to be able to read and understand my post and on top of that you make a couple of totally fallacious comments about bed bugs....why bother when you clearly don't know the first thing bout them

/

[FT10toLOS]

As well as fumigating, try wrapping the mattress in black plastic, seal entirely with duct tape and put out in the sun for the day.

[cumgranosalum]

As well as fumigating, try wrapping the mattress in black plastic, seal entirely with duct tape and put out in the sun for the day.

As suggested earlier, if you prayed insecticide into the bag before sealing it you might get a better result.

[mikiea]

Changing the subject, mosquitoes are attracted by warmth (which is why a fan will keep them away), acrid sweat (not showering) and CO2 9 caused by humans breathing).

I'm sure your bugs have a similar mechanism built in, not saying you don't shower of course.

I just googled <bed bugs, attraction> and came up with similar results to what I wrote above concerning CO2.

after fumigating the house or room with "water" gas bug cans , spray all surface areas with a residual bug killer ( for their eggs) until wet to sight , let dry . throw away bed mattress and sheets . wall clocks , lamps , shades , all should be cleaned and sprayed if possible (elect creates heat --heat = nest) . now the most important , arrange for in-laws to stay at local hotel and or fumigate da misses after visiting them overnight ....bada bada bing ...........

Edited December 11, 2015 by mikiea