15 answers

Bed Bud Prob

Hey ladies! Ok, have any of you had a bed bug problem? And i mean problem, b/c both my husband and son have woken up in the morning w/ red bites. And when my hubby takes a nap in my son's room he tells me that he has felt "bugs" crawling/biting him. Ughh I know...don't get me wrong I have a very clean home and like to keep it that way so I am not sure how these bed bugs are coming in. Anyways, have you had any and successfully gotten rid of them? I will probably call my pest control this week, but 1st wanted to check with you moms. Thank you.

What can I do next?

Featured Answers

This happened to me in my dorm when I was in college many years ago!!

If I were you, I'd get rid of the mattress and pillow. I know it may be expensive, but if they're that bad then I think it's worth it. And I'd ask the pest guy too if he knows how to keep it from happening. And on the new mattress, I'd get one of those plastic mattress covers that zip like the other poster said.

Good luck!

More Answers

Lice spray can be very toxic to children. Please DO NOT put it in your child's bed. He could become very sick. Unfortunately there are few options, if you truly have bed bugs. They are resistant to many toxic pesticides, including the lice spray. They hide in the mattress, but also behind pictures ... anywhere that is dark. Call your local or state health department's zoonosis branch - they deal with things like bed bugs, mosquitoes, and other pests. They can give you some good advice. They may even be able to send someone out and get a sample. Depends on the state.

1 mom found this helpful

Krogers sells a product called cedar cide. It is all natural and has work for everything they say it does. It is made from a compnay out of Cypress Texas. Go to their website: www.cedarcide.com

1 mom found this helpful

You know they have a spray that you can use for bed bugs that they sell at Walgreens next to the lice shampoo. I don't think it matters how clean your house is. Bed bugs are passed from person to person, so maybe you've been on vacation recently & slept in a hotel room?

Here's another thought. We were waking up with itchy bites around our ankles too & my mother came up with the idea of bed bugs. Problem is, none of us had been anyplace to get them. Turns out, it was red bugs (chiggers). When we sprayed our bermuda grass for those beasties, the problem went away.

1 mom found this helpful

This is to anyone who is suffering with bed bug problems -
From reading all the responses, there are a lot of misconseptions about bed bugs.
They can be treated - you do not have to through out your bed or other furniture!
It is very expensive though
Once they are gone they are gone! The only way to get them again is by bringing them back into the house.
Pets do not bring them in
They are picked up at hotels, visitors can bring them in, used furniture of any kind (beware of CL purchases), used lugage, etc.

If you ever need to get rid of bed bugs you can email ____@____.com to get an exact quote on your situation. They do come and do a full inspection before giving a price!

This happened to me in my dorm when I was in college many years ago!!

If I were you, I'd get rid of the mattress and pillow. I know it may be expensive, but if they're that bad then I think it's worth it. And I'd ask the pest guy too if he knows how to keep it from happening. And on the new mattress, I'd get one of those plastic mattress covers that zip like the other poster said.

Good luck!

I've never had bed bugs but I know someone who has (she got her sons toddler bed/mattress from craigslist and it came with cooties). Call pest control and cancel, it's a waste of money, unless you want them to take care of the floors and treat the house. To get rid of them from your beds you'll have to get rid of your beds with the problem. It's such a hard thing to get rid of that it's cheaper and easier to just throw the things out because even if you do get a success with pest control, the bugs can come back, they are just that hard to get rid of. I'd say throw out the beds, wash your sheets REALLY good and any bedclothes that you and your family wear, and just get pest control to treat around the house and the furniture.

Also, another thought, do you have any pets? If so, they may not be bed bug bites, but flea bites (i've gotten fleas in my bed before from my dogs and would get bit, not fun). Even if you don't have fleas but maybe a neighbor has a dirty dog or cat they can get into your yard too and on you and your kids, in your house too. In that case treat your yard for fleas even if you don't have animals. If they are bed bugs you will be able to see tiny black things moving along your bed, look close, they can be heard to miss sometimes. When you take the sheets off especially you can see them on the edges of the mattress where the creases are. Good luck in getting rid of them!

you should look up images of bed bug bites online. They are generally in a line on your skin (usually on your legs and feet). If that's what it is, you have to use a specific treatment to get rid of them, not just general pesticide. I can't remember the name, but you should be able to google it. And while your home is being treated, you will have to wash ALL soft materials in your home...clothes, curtains, stuffed animals, towels, EVERYTHING.
If your bites don't look like bed bug bites, it's probably fleas. A natural, easy way to treat fleas is tea tree oil, it can be found at Wal-Mart in the pet section. You dilute it in water in a spray bottle and spray on EVERY soft surface in the home...again, carpet, mattresses, curtains, couches, etc. and wash everything else that you can. Tea tree oil is natural and safe to use around kids and pets. Hope this helps!

For a cheap and no poison fix you can go to Walmart and get a plastic zip bag/ mattress cover for the bed. I had one on my sons bed for a couple of years, I was worried about allergens and "accidents". The bugs will die in the plastic zip cover. Bed bath and beyond sells anti allergen mattress covers, but walmart is cheaper, they are in the bedding section.

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