Help!! bedbugs!! (Brooklyn)

amother

Sat, Jul 10 2021, 10:51 pm

I saw something today that looked to me like a bedbug. it was sitting very nicely on the shoulder of a shirt hanging in the closet. I took it out very slowly and I wanted to put it away till after shabbos to show the exterminator, but it fell off and I cant find it. does this mean im infested? will that little one that fell off gonna reproduce? help!! what should I do??

Moonlight

Sat, Jul 10 2021, 10:53 pm

You should check the beds!
If they have bugs, dont move them (cuz that will cause spread) and call exterminator.
If beds dont have, I wouldnt assume you have.
Dryer kills them btw
And PSA , dont wait for infestation to start covering your mattress with bedbug proof protectors

amother

Sat, Jul 10 2021, 10:57 pm

Moonlight wrote:

thank you. I check beds periodically, especially now when the kids are getting mosquito bites (to make sure its not bedbugs). I use mostly light colored linen and all my beds have mattress covers (not for bedbugs, though) and theyre all white so they should be easy to spot. so far ive seen nothing. but im still panicking.

amother

Calendula

Sat, Jul 10 2021, 11:06 pm

I dont want to give you false hope, but I would say it very unlikely that a bedbug would be out in the open like that. During the day (I.e. when they are not feeding) they are in hiding.
If people want peace of mind that they dont have bedbugs, I recommend using the PackTite Passive Bed Bug Monitor. Google this and see how they work. In short, it is like putting an ideal home for bedbugs in an ideal location for them and using an item that is easy to check. They can hide in all sorts of places in and around the bed making them very hard to find. With the monitor, the bugs give their presence away. It was developed by an entomologist who has years and years of experience with them. They are used in many hotels in the UK. I have been using them for about 8 years and they give me peace of mind. The lay person cannot identify bedbugs on sight and no one can identify them based on bites. The bugs are encouraged to "poo" on the outside of the monitor so that they can fit into its tiny crevices. These "feacal traces" are proof that there is a problem. Sometimes cast skins can be found on the monitor as well. I encourage people to look into how these work and where to place them.

amother

Sat, Jul 10 2021, 11:14 pm

amother [ Calendula ] wrote:

I dont want to give you false hope, but I would say it very unlikely that a bedbug would be out in the open like that. During the day (I.e. when they are not feeding) they are in hiding.
If people want peace of mind that they dont have bedbugs, I recommend using the PackTite Passive Bed Bug Monitor. Google this and see how they work. In short, it is like putting an ideal home for bedbugs in an ideal location for them and using an item that is easy to check. They can hide in all sorts of places in and around the bed making them very hard to find. With the monitor, the bugs give their presence away. It was developed by an entomologist who has years and years of experience with them. They are used in many hotels in the UK. I have been using them for about 8 years and they give me peace of mind. The lay person cannot identify bedbugs on sight and no one can identify them based on bites. The bugs are encouraged to "pooh" on the outside of the monitor so that they can fit into its tiny crevices. These "feacal traces" are proof that there is a problem. Sometimes cast skins can be found on the monitor as well. I encourage people to look into how these work and where to place them.

thank you so much for that info. is packtite a company? are you saying theyre a good company to use? im not finding that, but im seeing other bedbug monitors.

amother

Calendula

Sat, Jul 10 2021, 11:29 pm

https://www.bed-bugs.co.uk/passive-monitors/
https://www.bed-bugs.co.uk/about/
There is lots to read about on this website. Bed Bugs Ltd is a pest control outfit in the UK. The founder developed the monitor. It used to be called something else (I forgot what) and they changed the name to the Packtite Passive, I think because they are being manufactured in the US by the inventor of the Packtite Heater (which is like a huge bag which allows one to kill any bugs or eggs which may be on infected items like clothing.)
From the info on the website, you can familiarize yourself about bedbug behavior and their lifecycle. I first heard of David Cain and his monitors on a now defunct blog meant to assist those with bedbugs and those who thought they may have them (he and other entomologists would look at photos of bugs, etc. Very often they were not bedbugs.) I am not familiar with other monitors (I never investigated any others.)
The staff has been very receptive to questions. When my kids have had beds in their dorms and I couldnt figure out where was best to put a monitor, I would send photos and get answers.

amother

Sun, Jul 11 2021, 12:41 am

amother [ Calendula ] wrote:

I emailed a picture to my exterminator and I will see what he says. last time I had a bug, he told me it was a carpet beetle. im hoping hell say that now too. if I have to, ill look into the monitors.

amother

Sun, Jul 11 2021, 8:14 am

amother [ Calendula ] wrote:

Oh, I didnt know u had a photo. I have heard of people confusing carpet beetles and bbs. Im glad u have an exterminator you can trust. The point of the monitor is to allow for early detection.

yes, after I posted my initial post, I found one on my skirt while it was laying flat on my bed, so that was the second one in one day.

amother

Calendula

Sun, Jul 11 2021, 9:56 am

I'm very glad to hear that. Im sure there are unscrupulous exterminators so it is good you have an honest one. You may wish to consider looking into the monitors anyway. They are easier to check than checking the physical bed or linen, and they can give peace of mind.