Help - Bed Bugs!!

[Smowball]

2 months ago my son kept waking up with bites all over his feet. Just couldn't work out what they were. Having never seen a bedbug in my life it didn't even occur to me. It was only when someone suggested it that I stripped his bed, couldn't see a thing. Then I pulled out the spare mattress underneath the bed and there they were! I was mortified as Ive always associated it with dirt, which im assured it isn't. Rang pest control who were brilliant. Said son has most probably brought them in from outside on a school bag or something. Sprayed entire room and floor below which is my bedroom ( he has loft conversion). unfortunately within days I was also woken up covered in bites and actually found 2 on my mattress. Very upset. Pest control have to leave 2 weeks inbetween sprays so they came back and did all rooms, infact they soaked them. To cut to the chase, they have now been FIVE times and are completely baffled as to why the treatment hasnt worked. My sons room seems to be free now as he no longer has any bites and they couldn't find a thing in his room. But im still getting bitten to death everynight even though I cant actually see any bugs anymore - theyre clearly a couple hidden somewhere. Its making my life a totally misery, im so sore. they've bitten my face, my neck, my arms lastnight and im so unhappy. I don't know what to do. Pest control say they've used the strongest treatmen possible. Help : (

[grasscarp]

When I had this pest I contacted the council. A lady came and assessed situation. I had to empty drawers and bag up all clothes. She sprayed something. I don't know what product. Some of the bugs still lived but the follow up some weeks later saw them off.

[woofgang]

have you got or could you borrow a steamer? If chemicals haven't sorted it then I am afraid the answer is a massive clean and wash everything washable and hot steam everything else....probably more than once. You will also need to treat places like your vaccuum cleaner and your car.

[woofgang]

forgot to add, you need to do the whole thing all at once to stop the bugs having anywhere they can retreat to.

[Smowball]

Ive thrown out all bedding but no I haven't streamed.Ive just gone upstairs and lifted mattress off to inspect frame - its brown leather and base is wooden slats. even inspected it with a torch but cant find a bloody thing. Council said they can lay dormant for 18 months!! Feel so dirty - : (

[RATTER15]

A very effective treatment the first time should have solved it, is the guy treating areas around switches, plug sockets and gaps around door architraves and skirtings, joints of bed etc. I have treated many instances over the years as a Pest Control Officer, Rarely did I need to treat more than once, the treatment does need to be thorough though! Good luck.

[trt]

Cant the pest control do a smoke action thingy. They let off smoke bombs that kill bugs and stuff, and you have to be out of the house all day.

[atalanta]

keating's powder

[grasscarp]

It is an awful thing to experience Smowball. You will win eventually.

[RATTER15]

Smow, they are very difficult to find, especially during daylight hours unless you are experienced and know their evil little ways, they get into the tiniest of gaps and joints, under the buttons on mattresses and around the cording etc. You really dont need to be throwing anything away, just wash it, even then they are not likely to be in bedding. They usually retreat from bedding as morning comes.

[Smowball]

RATTER15 - they've literally drenched the roo- i had to pull all furniture out so they could get to the skirting etc. they even did the bed itself. They've said that rarely is a 2nd treatment needed so they are a bit stumped. I absolutely dread going to bed .

[RATTER15]

trt, the smoke are ok in conjugation with other treatments but not by itself, as the smokes do not leave any effective residue which means the eggs are not effected by these smokes. They may give some effective relief for a short while though.

[RATTER15]

Smow, I do sympathise, I know they can be a horrid thing to have to live with. Maybe your Pest Controller needs to try a different treatment method, there are quite a few available him. Also, if he has treated the bed, ensure that your are safe to be sleeping on it, many of the products are not safe to be sleeping on.

[Sammy48]

Snowball, have you got a padded type headboard ? Many years ago, my sister bought a brand new bed, and after a couple of months had the same problem, it was found they were infested in the headboard that had rested up against an infected one in the delivery van.

[RATTER15]

Maybe suggest the use of a fogger or one of the many powders for the tiny gaps around skirtings etc. Powders can get to places where liquids cant, especially when used with the special pumps, it can be a little messy though.

[grasscarp]

^
My lady from council also left powder trails I had to leave for weeks before hoovering.

[Smowball]

Yes im only allowed to hoover the day before they visit to do another spray. bizarrely hubby hasn't had ONE single bite! Think I might empty bedside cabinet contents into binliners and bleach them

[Smowball]

Whats keatings powder?

[Canary42]

Just a thought - if your husband's unaffected, perhaps they're not bites after all, but some sort of allergy/infection (possibly brought on by the anti-bug treatments you're sleeping on - after all it seems you were unaffected before the first treatment, only your son suffered).

[Sammy48]

My sister burnt all her bedroom furniture when she had problems. It instantly solved the problem.

[Smowball]

No you can see they are definite bites x