Bed bugs in dh's workplace

amother

Salmon

Fri, Sep 18 2015, 10:55 am

Bed bugs have been found at dh's workplace. What do we need to do at home to keep them out? Also, we only just found out today, but who knows how long they've been there. Should I just get one of those bed bug companies to come and preemptively treat the whole house? I'm freaking out!

amother

Linen

Fri, Sep 18 2015, 11:53 am

Your best bet would be to install passive monitors on your headboards/mattresses.
Go to usbedbugs.com or bedbugsupply.com. If you put them near the head of your mattress (the little video on the websites explains where to place them), you will soon see if you have a problem. They like hanging out near beds and are attracted to the cozy shelter of the corrugated cardboard.
In terms of not bringing them home, I would recommend keeping your husband's workbag in a huge Ziploc/sealed garbage bag when at home. In terms of his clothes, I guess it depends on where/on what he sits all day.

sweetpotato

Fri, Sep 18 2015, 12:09 pm

A reputable exterminator will NOT treat your house unless you have proof of an infestation (it won't do anything.)

Inspect carefully your beds and sofas. Signs of bed bugs are not hard to miss: small black stains (they look like ink marks), casings, etc.

Find out the particulars of the infestation at your husband's workplace and what they are doing to address it. If there's any chance he's being exposed in a serious way, he should be careful not to bring any bags, coats, etc. from his office. It's less likely for bed bugs to travel ON people (I.e. on clothing); they are more likely to travel on something that is set down in an infested area, like a bag or coat. The easiest thing might be simply minimizing what he brings into his workplace until they have the problem dealt with.

If you're super worried, he can strip down immediately upon entering the house, bag his clothes and take them straight to the dryer, and dry them on high for 30 minutes each night.

amother

Orange

Fri, Sep 18 2015, 1:03 pm

Just dealt with bed bugs. We used a top exterminating company. Number one piece of advice - you MUST get bed bug interceptors for the feet of your bed. We were told, do not even think about sleeping for one minute in your bed without them.