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theotherwoman @lemmy.world

Moved a Few Things Into a New Affordable Room. Woke up to Bed Bugs. An Exclusive Ask Lemmy Update: I left. Should I move back?

fuck you spez

Now that that's out of the way, here's an exclusive Lemmy update on my horrible life with more questions.

After the last post, upon the advice of Lemmy, I put everything in trash bags, showered, and left with new clothes in shopping bags.

I changed into the new clothes in a Starbucks, at which the employees suspected I was an intravenous drug user and asked me if I was okay through the door, likely with Narcan in hand.

I told them I was fine, just washing my hands (which made no sense because I had been loudly placing things into garbage bags and opening sealed clothing packets in an echoey room without any water running). Then I continued to put more things in garbage bags, concealed slyly in large branded bags from Target.

Yes, they all thought I was a homeless junky, but it was actually much worse, and after over 10 minutes I emerged in a new sexy outfit, terrified that the police were being called, then grabbed my Frappachino and ran out.

I managed to get to the bus just in time.

All the bags were frozen for days and the contents washed. Everything was salvageable except my alarm clock radio which only plays static now and blinks strangely. It did not like being frozen and washed.

Since then, I have noticed 1 additional bite. I do not know if it was there before. I am terrified. Multiple days have passed since then, but it doesn't prove I am safe since bed bugs can go days without feeding. If it turns out I still have them and may have spread them, I will deal with that guilt and agony when I know for sure.

I back with my friend but am now rethinking my approach, contemplating that I should have stayed at the bed bug place.

I did not end the tenancy when I left but did keep the cashier's check that was the rent. I am still unsure of what to do.

I have a family member who is slowly dying in that area, I work remotely and expect I could lose my job any month, they've already gutted 90 percent of the department and I would expect other jobs will be next. I have survived many rounds of layoffs however. This family member lives in a small place and is somewhat crazy. I may not be able to see them if I am not in the area.

My credit has also taken a nosedive, so it will be very hard for me to rent something new. I'm considering going back and suffering instead of looking for something cheap here. I could probably get someone to cosign if I did look for a new place. I know no one in this area except my one friend who is not very social.

My head is completely messed up, even more than it was before. In the last post, people responded about the psychological devastation bed bugs cause. I am already there: 2 days of bed bugs and suddenly fleeing and I am on pins and needles, my normally mildly crazy brain gone extra bonkers with what ifs, fear, and suffering.

I am considering going back. The landlord won't tell me how many treatments have been done in the past year. This seems concerning. I don't know what to do. They did however do treatments to the room immediately after bed bugs were found, they said. I didn't feel like they didn't take it seriously, but am not entirely sure the building isn't crawling with them all over in other rooms.

What would you do if you were me? Please, tell me Lemmy.

(in conclusion fuck spez)

20 comments

  • There's are a few reasonable responses in this thread but I'm a post control professional. If you want to feel free to message me and I'd be glad to tell you what you can do that will actually get rid of them. Diatomaceous Earth isn't gonna cut it and cold will do nothing. You need heat and chemicals. They have likely laid eggs in the Tufts, or piping of the mattress. Pesticides won't penetrate eggs so there is no one time treatment that will cure this. Even if you kill what's alive you need to kill what hatches after before they lay more eggs. Insect growth regulators will also help. It will take time, patience, and professional grade products. If you can get your hands on crossfire or temprid those work best for bed bugs.

    • Would you recommend I return or is that too risky?

      Keep in mind there are many, many small rooms there, over 50 likely.

      • Oh if there's that many rooms I would say it's just gonna be a recurring issue unless they have hired a pest company to deal with this. I have a hotel account that I treat regularly. They have a legal obligation to do so if a customer complains but this is California. When we do find actual evidence of bed bugs we treat every room within 3 doors of that room even if it's only the one room. They are prolific breeders and unless it's being professionally addressed I wouldn't risk it if you can avoid it.

        I treat the entire hotel once a month and I still go there at least twice a month to address bed bugs when customers complain. Granted, at a hotel people are constantly coming and going and bringing them with them so it's a constant battle.

        Personally, I would find somewhere else unless the owner is proactively taking care of it. If not, you'll be going through this more than once I can almost guarantee it.

      • I don't want to discourage you or anything by the way, but these fuckers are very hard to control. One of the only bugs that can cause actual psychosis just from fear of them alone. They aren't dangerous as far as disease and stuff go but they can cause serious mental distress. Again, of you want some recommendations on products you can try I'm happy to help but you might not be able to purchase some of them without a license.

  • I hope you shared on Reddit that your update is only on Lemmy - we need more traction!

  • If your landlord hires a pest control specialist, ask them to use Aprahend. It's a fungal spore that kills bed bugs. Like a biological weapon, which sounds cool and terrifying.

    If your landlord doesn't want to or whatever; print these out (check your local library or university for 3d printing services):

    https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4120219

    Buy a cheap ketchup bottle from a kitchen supply store and small jar of diatomaceous earth (DE) from a pet store, usually the nicer looking stores carry some sort of DE. Try not to get a large bag because just that small jar will last you your whole life.

    Fill bottle with DE, use it to "dust" the indents in the traps. Though apparently they can't climb well, so the gaps are more than enough (but, you know... fuck 'em). Put these traps underneath each leg of your bed. To go the extra mile you can then use the bottle to get the DE around and behind the baseboards in your room. It would create a sort of perimeter around your space that should keep most things out. Just be careful to only put it places that won't be disturbed that much. Breathing that dust isn't good for you, nor is it good for vacuums lol.

    Also watch Mark Rober's video about Bed Bugs to get rid of some of that fear:

    https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=2JAOTJxYqh8

    /watch?v=2JAOTJxYqh8

    As you know first hand, the largest harm from bed bugs is mental and the stigma surrounding them makes it that much worse. You are not a dirty person, you are just unlucky. Getting bed bugs on all your stuff is merely unfortunate and has nothing to do with your actions, choices, or who you are as a person.

    Good luck fren.

  • I'd recommend purchasing an ozone generator and ozonating the house/room if possible. Forever ozone makes an affordable residential unit for 80 bucks.

    Make sure you have a couple extension cords (it's dangerous to breathe) so you can activate it from outside the house/room, and run it for the amount of time described in the instructions to eliminate bedbugs, and your problem should be solved.

    • Is this an affiliate market link? Are you that cool Polish chick who talked with me in the "hell" room about that exciting investment opportunity? It sounds too good to be true, which is why I'm interested.

      Seriously however, does this device work? Ozone is also hazardous and these are small rooms, many of them close together. Also, is this device something that works completely all the time? I am poor, spending more money on a wild card seems Luke a risky idea.

      • I have no relation to that company, other than having bought a couple of their generators to deal with a mold and mildew smell issue in a garage and a room in my house, where they worked quite well.

        I haven't ever needed them for bed bugs personally, but from what I've read it should be able to exterminate every bug in a room after about 10 hours per room (though it may not kill every egg if they're in an odd spot that the gas can't get to).

        When I used one in a bedroom, I didn't notice much if any leakage from the room with the door closed, and it dissipated after a couple hours of being off.

        I would hate to recommend this and have it potentially not work considering your situation, so you may want to try other solutions first before going down on this route.

      • They're correct. Ozone generators do help with bedbug infestations, I'll try to find the paper I read. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32302460/ And another: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/entm/_docs/493_capstone/feston-capstone-summary.pdf

        I used ozone generators as part of a bed bug treatment, along with CimeXa and Crossfire as I recommended in another reply. And it was effective. But I was lucky and found them before moving in, so I was able to seal the house up and go nuclear.

        You don't really want to run an ozone generator in an occupied house. Even if you seal a room up, it will leak out and probably not good to breathe. But it has the upside of killing just about anything living, so it will kill both bedbugs and their eggs given a high enough concentration and long enough time.

        I bought one of these (not an affiliate link) and it was overkill.

20 comments