I'm angry and mortified!!

I don't think getting rid of your mattress and bedding is a good solution. 

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/emergingdiseases/mattress_fact_sheet_275417_7.pdf

I REALLY feel for you, though.

mrblanche said:

The big problem with bed bugs is that they were just about eradicated when DDT was common.  If it were approved again for treating houses, we could probably eradicate them again in a fairly short time.  So far, no one has shown another effective treatment.  Heat is the method that gets mentioned.

The classic sign of bed bugs is three itchy welts in a row.

We had one of our trucks get infected, probably from a temporary driver. 

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They're trying to get permission to use DDT in limited ways to control mosquitos in areas with malaria.  They had made great progress in controlling malaria with DDT.  The huge problem with DDT is that it stays in the environment for 15 years before breaking down and it was proven to be a carcinogenic.  It is sad that there are people who have given up and abandoned their homes because of a bedbug infestation that they couldn't get rid of and it's tragic that malaria is now in epidemic proportions in many tropical countries.
 

Sorry it's a rough time for you.

Bed bugs, like lice actually prefer clean environments. People with clean hair get lice, not those with dirty hair. Go figure

Is there anyone at your church (if you go) that could help? or just a family member or friend?

Denice said:

They're trying to get permission to use DDT in limited ways to control mosquitos in areas with malaria.  They had made great progress in controlling malaria with DDT.  The huge problem with DDT is that it stays in the environment for 15 years before breaking down and it was proven to be a carcinogenic.  It is sad that there are people who have given up and abandoned their homes because of a bedbug infestation that they couldn't get rid of and it's tragic that malaria is now in epidemic proportions in many tropical countries.
 

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I just read through what I could find on it, and, while I wouldn't want to eat it, I didn't see anything about being a carcinogen.  It definitely seems to have some effect on the genes, and that can't be good.  Besides, I think I heard that a lot of today's bedbugs are resistant to it, anyway.

mrblanche said:

The big problem with bed bugs is that they were just about eradicated when DDT was common.  If it were approved again for treating houses, we could probably eradicate them again in a fairly short time.  So far, no one has shown another effective treatment.  Heat is the method that gets mentioned.

The classic sign of bed bugs is three itchy welts in a row.

We had one of our trucks get infected, probably from a temporary driver. 

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My grandma used to tell me this about 20 years ago and said that they would be coming back. Said that's why the roaches were so bad in some places also.

mrblanche said:

I just read through what I could find on it, and, while I wouldn't want to eat it, I didn't see anything about being a carcinogen.  It definitely seems to have some effect on the genes, and that can't be good.  Besides, I think I heard that a lot of today's bedbugs are resistant to it, anyway.

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It also has an effect on songbirds and birds of prey, as I'm sure you know, but I just wanted to point out the other side of the DDT debate...

My dad, who has lived in the same area of the Florida Panhandle for his whole life, has noticed in the last few years a major increase in the number of bald eagles, which he attributes to the outlaw of indiscriminate DDT spraying.

aeevr said:

I don't think getting rid of your mattress and bedding is a good solution. 

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/emergingdiseases/mattress_fact_sheet_275417_7.pdf

I REALLY feel for you, though.

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I don't plan on putting a new box spring and mattress in this apartment.  I'm moving to the other side of the building on February 4th. I plan on purchasing a bed this week and having it delivered to the new apartment on the 4th.  And on the 4th when the movers are moving my stuff over to the new apartment, I'm going to have them take the bug bed down to the dumpster.  I already planned on slashing up the mattress so that others wouldn't take it back inside. With my luck it would be someone moving in next door to me!!!

Nebula said:

Sorry it's a rough time for you.

Bed bugs, like lice actually prefer clean environments. People with clean hair get lice, not those with dirty hair. Go figure

Is there anyone at your church (if you go) that could help? or just a family member or friend?

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I'm too mortified to tell anyone about this. Certainly not my friends or family. 

Well, I've done all that I can.  I haven't done everything they asked. I'm so physically depleted and in pain that I can hardly walk today.  My bedroom closet is not empty, nor is my linen/storage closet in the hall. And I haven't been able to do my over the toilet shelving, or the cupboards under the sinks.

Getting the cats into the carriers was a feat in itself!  I closed the bedroom door so that they had one less room to run into. 

Katie, the one I thought would be the most difficult was actually the easiest.  I put the carrier into the bathroom on it's end. Used the laser pointer and she ran right into the bathroom. I closed the door, and while she was busing watching the light in the tub, scruffed her and put her into the carrier. Not even a meow.

Spencer is a smart one. He studies things and picks up on the situation quickly.  His favourite toy is "Da Bird" but he wasn't having any part of it. I managed to get him when he was hiding in a kitchen cupboard.

And then there is Abby.  She doesn't like to be picked up unless it is on her terms. I thought she would come over and snuggle with me like she does every morning and that I'd just be able to slip her into the carrier.  That's what usually happens.  But today, she saw what poor Spencer and Katie went through, and Spencer's howling and growling wasn't giving Abby any confidence.  So she was the most difficult.  I ended up cornering her at the bedroom door. However, picking her up is not easy. She's large, squishable soft and goes limp like she has no bones.  The poor girl ended upside down with me holdering her back legs near my head!!!! Yikes! I envisioned getting my face torn up with bunny kicking, so I tried to turn her around without letting her go. In the process my chest got scratched up and Abby was so afraid that she peed on herself and me.  I got her into the carrier though.

I feel so badly!

The kittens in the carrier together were so afraid that they were fighting! I wanted to get one out and put it into a duffle bag, but I didn't dare open the carrier door. I tied talking soothingly to them, and tapping the carrier while telling them "no!"  They eventually settled down.  Abby cried all the way to the vets.

I asked them to sedate them MILDLY for the trip back. Apparently the vet is going to call me and talk to me about that. 

Anyway, off to pack up my bedding and gather my laundry supplies. I am spending the next 6 hours at a laundry mat because I can't return to the apartment for 6 hours.

I pick up the kids at around 4:30pm.

After that I'm collapsing on the couch for the rest of the evening and night.  My bed will be up-ended and I can't put it back together until I vacuum it all, and I just don't have the energy left to do it today. I'll do it tomorrow.

OMG! I'm so freaking mad I could spit nails!!!!

I got the letter of notification for spraying on Tuesday. I was given basically 3 evenings to get my apartment prepared for today!!!

I've been packing for weeks and between that and working, I'm phsycially sick and in such horrid pain that I can barely function. I stayed up until past 3am working on getting things packed up.

I  did what I could. There were some things that I couldn't get done, such as the the bedroom closet, the linen closet and a couple of cabinets.  But I figured that they could at least do what they could.

They guy came today and took one look at my apartment and all the boxes I have around, and the fact that I haven't been able to empty the above places, or pull my furniture away from the wall or up-end my bed, and said he wasn't going to treat my apartment! 

Turns out the guy next door who reported the problem wasn't ready either.

And get this! He told me that even if I didn't have all the boxes around and  had managed to get everything done except moving the furniture away from the walls and up-ending the bed, he wouldn't have treated because the furniture hadn't been moved!!!  I told him that I can't move the furniture or up-end the bed myself and that I had no one to help me do that. And he told me that that's my problem. He was a rude SOB!  I was so mad that I closed the door in his face while he was still talking! And called the agency to tell them what happened.

I called the vet to stop them from "flea treating" my cats, but they had already done 2 and working on the 3rd.  So my poor babies ended up being traumatized for nothing. And I'm out of pocket whatever the vet bill is.
 

My cats are home. According to the manager she said the cats were little angels and did really well with the bath and dryer.

Abby didn't want to get into the carrier.  She meatloafed at the back of the kennel just staring at the girl. Then I said "Abby! Abby!" and she shot into the carrier!  LOL SHe talked to me all the way home.  Or should I say, scolded me! hehe

I have to take them back on Tuesday. But they said that I wouldn't have to redo the flea bath, just the boarding and no special kennel precautions. So at least that will be cheaper.  Today cost me $113.00, for absolutely nothing!

The property manager came by this morning. They are sending someone to help me tomorrow.  And I found out from one of the construction guys that the guy next door to me who reported the bug problem refused to open his door this morning when the exterminator arrived.  The caretaker had to come up and use her pass key (she was allowed because he had been given ample notice that access to his apartment was needed).  Apparently he had done nothing to prepare.  So I'm assuming they are having people go in and do it.

mrblanche said:

The big problem with bed bugs is that they were just about eradicated when DDT was common.  If it were approved again for treating houses, we could probably eradicate them again in a fairly short time.  So far, no one has shown another effective treatment.  Heat is the method that gets mentioned.

The classic sign of bed bugs is three itchy welts in a row.

We had one of our trucks get infected, probably from a temporary driver. 

Click to expand...

I heard that the 3 welts in a row was a flea problem not bed bugs.  Perhaps they are related.

Linda, I hope you manage to get rid of them quickly.  

I wouldn't know if I had  3 welts in a row or not. With my Dermatographism I get welts just from scratching, so when I itch I scratch and I get welts. However, with the dermatographism the welts are usually in lines, not single hive-like ones, which is what I've been getting. I told my doctor that it's unlike any hives I've ever had.  And even he didn't know what they were because they come and go and even cleared up for awhile.  Which is why we were suspecting some kind of freaky medication allergy.

aeevr said:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/emergingdiseases/mattress_fact_sheet_275417_7.pdf

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I don't think any business should be allowed to sell used mattresses...anywhere. Thankfully, its illegal here. People can still buy used ones from other people but stores are not allowed to sell them.

But yeah, sorry this happened to you. Don't be ashamed though, it's not your fault and it happens to all kinds of people. Hope you get rid of them soon though!

I'd never buy a used bed!  I don't even like staying in hotels because of the whole shared mattress concept. 

speakhandsforme said:

It also has an effect on songbirds and birds of prey, as I'm sure you know, but I just wanted to point out the other side of the DDT debate...
My dad, who has lived in the same area of the Florida Panhandle for his whole life, has noticed in the last few years a major increase in the number of bald eagles, which he attributes to the outlaw of indiscriminate DDT spraying.

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Definitely.  I remember the trucks going down the streets of Denver, putting out a fog of DDT when the mosquitos got bad in the spring.

Yosemite said:

I heard that the 3 welts in a row was a flea problem not bed bugs.  Perhaps they are related.

Linda, I hope you manage to get rid of them quickly.  

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The three welts in a row are considered a prime sign of bedbug infestation.  The are from the same bug, and they are referred to as "breakfast, lunch, and dinner" in the industry.
 

mrblanche said:

Definitely.  I remember the trucks going down the streets of Denver, putting out a fog of DDT when the mosquitos got bad in the spring.

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They still do that here, only now they allow "buffer zones" where people can put their names on a list of "where not to spray" and the city won't spray within so many feet of that address. Which causes a great deal of contention between neighbours when some want the spraying, and others don't.

A few years ago the mosquitos were so bad that they denied buffer zones.  People were laying out in the streets in protest to block the trucks! 

Unless something has drastically changed without my notice, I highly, highly doubt that those trucks spray DDT, mostly because it's illegal. http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/ddt/01.html (

It's likely a different chemical(s) altogether. They do spray in my family's neighborhood too, but interestingly I haven't seen any sprayer trucks around here, even though it's way more humid. Maybe they only do it in high summer.

ETA: I just noticed you live in Canada... please disregard the EPA stuff above. :lol3:

speakhandsforme said:

Unless something has drastically changed without my notice, I highly, highly doubt that those trucks spray DDT, mostly because it's illegal. http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/ddt/01.html (
It's likely a different chemical(s) altogether. They do spray in my family's neighborhood too, but interestingly I haven't seen any sprayer trucks around here, even though it's way more humid. Maybe they only do it in high summer.
ETA: I just noticed you live in Canada... please disregard the EPA stuff above.

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I checked.  The chemical they use here is  Malathion, not DDT   http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2010/06/19/mb-mosquito-foggin-10619.html

Well, the girl from the agency is here to help me. She has cleaned out my linen/storage closet, and is currently working on putting the clothing from the closet into the dryer.  She's already vacuumed the bedroom and pulled stuff from the walls.

When she is finished here, she has to go next door to do the guys apartment. And from what I saw as I passed by when he was talking to the caretaker, he really hasn't done much.

She's really nice. She's from Croatia. Her English is pretty good, but she is taking some English classes but has been struggling with the grammar portion.  She wants to be a nurse and until her grammar improves, they won't accept her. I told her that if she is interested I'd tutor her.  Years ago I used to volunteer as a tutor with adult education, which was more about teaching than it was tutoring.