Wednesday night - So far, no obvious bug bites, but I'm definitely on the lookout for smaller ones. I keep noticing bumps that 1) I'm not sure if they're old or new, and 2) I'm not sure if they're bedbugs.
My fear is that we've taken care of the older ones, but there's a younger group of hatchlings just appearing and somehow finding their way into my bed. It seems unlikely on the one hand given the precautions we've taken, but quite possible on the paranoid other hand. Every itch seems like it's part of something bigger. I think I'm going to do some more circling in the bathroom tonight to be sure...if they're back, I want to hit them while they're young.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
1/11/2009 - Third Spraying, New Bed Results
So far, we haven't gotten any bites since we started with the new bed. I've been on the lookout, and for the most part, all I've been scratching is old bumps. Occasionally, I'll get confused on whether something is new or old - for example, I just noticed one on toe that is itching, but I seem to recall it being there. Also, the bites we got the first time around tended to react differently to scratching. However, I'm also afraid that, while we may have wiped out the first round, a new bunch of babies are hatching. I've noticed a few small speckles of scabs on my right arm, and I'm hoping no more appear - could it be baby mouths sucking on me?
Jack came down this weekend, and we sealed up a lot of holes in the apartment (er, mistakenly using white caulk instead of clear on several occasionally goddammit!). Hopefully, this will serve in some way to clearing out apartment of the problem.
We had the exterminator come and do the whole apartment today, hopefully dealing a crushing blow to the bed bugs. I guess it's just a waiting game now. I was telling my mom that this type of thing is only upsetting and mind-consuming when you actually sit down and think about it. I mean, it just gets depressing. However, the rest of the time, I really don't think much about it. It's important not to let it consume you is the lesson learned.
Jack came down this weekend, and we sealed up a lot of holes in the apartment (er, mistakenly using white caulk instead of clear on several occasionally goddammit!). Hopefully, this will serve in some way to clearing out apartment of the problem.
We had the exterminator come and do the whole apartment today, hopefully dealing a crushing blow to the bed bugs. I guess it's just a waiting game now. I was telling my mom that this type of thing is only upsetting and mind-consuming when you actually sit down and think about it. I mean, it just gets depressing. However, the rest of the time, I really don't think much about it. It's important not to let it consume you is the lesson learned.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
1/8/2009 - The Day After
It's hard to know if we were bit last night, because we both have so many bites as it is. Also, since bites continue to show up, it's hard to know when you got them. That said, we're tentatively optimistic.
If this doesn't work, it'll be time for extremes - which might include tossing the new Ikea bed, buying a box spring (quickly covered in a case) and the steel bottom thing, or an entirely steel frame. Pillow case covers too? Who knows?
This seems to have the least amount of places they can hide, and is probably the safest best. I hope we don't have to go this route though - I mean, we did so much this time. They really should NOT be in the bed, period. Meanwhile, the back of my neck looks horrible - I gotta start wearing collared shirts more often.
If this doesn't work, it'll be time for extremes - which might include tossing the new Ikea bed, buying a box spring (quickly covered in a case) and the steel bottom thing, or an entirely steel frame. Pillow case covers too? Who knows?
This seems to have the least amount of places they can hide, and is probably the safest best. I hope we don't have to go this route though - I mean, we did so much this time. They really should NOT be in the bed, period. Meanwhile, the back of my neck looks horrible - I gotta start wearing collared shirts more often.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
1/7/08 - Exterminator Comes and We get smart
The exterminator comes, and we learn a lot.
For one thing, he says to throw out my bed frame. He was finding them in the wood grain, and even pulled one out with a safety pin the last time he was here. This is news to me - I would've tossed it in a heartbeat. We throw it out but keep the mattress, since it's in a casing. I tape up the zipper.
He sprays my apartment, but because none of my other roommates or guests have gotten bites, declines to spray their rooms. He checks the few dead bugs we found in my girlfriend's apartment next door (she lives in the same building, and we fear we're bringing them back and forth) but says they're just beetles and are harmless. He sprays just in case.
I went to Ikea later in the night and bought the Naidal bed, which is all metal except for the wood slats. Sucks about wood slats, but it's the best I can do under short notice besides buying a box spring. I put it together at home and set the legs in tupperware containers filled with mineral oil, which is supposed to stop them.
I wash all the sheets and pillows, and we go to sleep, exhausted and beat up from a long, long night.
For one thing, he says to throw out my bed frame. He was finding them in the wood grain, and even pulled one out with a safety pin the last time he was here. This is news to me - I would've tossed it in a heartbeat. We throw it out but keep the mattress, since it's in a casing. I tape up the zipper.
He sprays my apartment, but because none of my other roommates or guests have gotten bites, declines to spray their rooms. He checks the few dead bugs we found in my girlfriend's apartment next door (she lives in the same building, and we fear we're bringing them back and forth) but says they're just beetles and are harmless. He sprays just in case.
I went to Ikea later in the night and bought the Naidal bed, which is all metal except for the wood slats. Sucks about wood slats, but it's the best I can do under short notice besides buying a box spring. I put it together at home and set the legs in tupperware containers filled with mineral oil, which is supposed to stop them.
I wash all the sheets and pillows, and we go to sleep, exhausted and beat up from a long, long night.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
1/6/2008 - New bites
Goddammit, new bites show up. Very frustrating, because nothing happened Monday. I call the exterminator and he says he'll have someone come by on Wednesday.
Monday, January 5, 2009
1/5/2008
We get back on Sunday and do a bit of cleaning, both of us secretly hoping the chemicals have worked their magic. We go to sleep.
Friday, January 2, 2009
1/2/2008 - Possible new bites
We have a few possible new bites. THIS SUCKS. We decide to spend the weekend in Massachusetts at my parents' house and deal with it later. The weekend goes by, and we get no more bites (really, really hope we didn't bring them back home - I've now learned sleeping elsewhere is a bad idea).
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