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I am so sorry that you're going through such a painful and traumatizing time. I really feel very deeply for you and hope you are able to get some relief. Have you called you local health department? That may be one option to push for an actual exterminator. I know where I live it is actually illegal for them to spray inside apartments without a pesticide applicator certification. I'm not totally sure but it looks like that may be the case in your area too ( https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/PlantIndustry/health-safety/pesticide-programs/PesticideCART/Documents/007_0128.pdf ). Over the counter stuff will not work in getting rid of them, it just makes them disperse. They really need to treat the entire building because infestations spread from unit to unit. Start with the health department and they may be able to direct you elsewhere.

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Another option could be reaching out to pro bono legal services to explore options. It looks like this is a program in your area that you may be able to reach out to: https://www.westbar.org/probono-program If moving is an option for you that you'd like to explore, they might be able to help you with that. You have the right to safe housing and you are not being provided that.

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In the meantime, to help get some relief there are a few things you can try. If you haven't already, isolate your bed away from the wall and any furniture. You can place your mattress into a mattress cover specifically for bedbugs (you can get them at Walmart pretty cheap). It will trap them in there and prevent others from setting up camp. If your bed is on a frame, dust it with Cimexa (or diatomaceous earth) and place the frame legs into interceptors ( https://www.amazon.com/Bed-Bug-Interceptors-Interceptor-Pesticides/dp/B07MG8BD7X/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1YRMAVFZWHB1T&keywords=bed+bug+interceptors&qid=1556465968&s=gateway&sprefix=bed+bug%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-3 ). This will help prevent them from getting into your bed at night. You can dust Cimexa lightly around the room/baseboards/etc to help kill some of them off. Make sure that none of your bedding touches the ground. You can even dust Cimexa/DE around your bed to make a perimeter. It's not guaranteed, but it can at the very least deter them/catch some of them.

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I really hope you are able to get some advocacy and solutions. I'll try to think of other options and look up resources for you as I can in the meantime. Very best of luck and remember they are not unbeatable, and you are not alone in this. If you have rapport with your neighbors, it may be worth it to discuss with them and see if you can come up with any options or ideas, or ways to get people to report. There is strength in numbers and self-advocacy, and it is your right to do so!

First of all, do you rent or own the place you are residing at?

If you rent and if you have bedbugs then this responsibility falls on the landlord.

If you own a home then you have to cover the expenses.

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What type of evidence did you seek out? Bedbugs usually hand around at your mattress inside of the folds. Other forms of evidence include blood stains on your mattress and brownish stains that are their fecal matter.

If your mattress is off of the floor consider investing into some bedbug traps. The bedbugs will try and feed off of you during the night. The only way they can get to you is by climbing up your bedframe. They will try to climb up the bedframe and fall into these interceptors where they will be unable to climb out. NOTE: make sure that you bed is not touching the walls. The bedbugs will be able to climb their way to your mattress if that's the case. Mattress off the floor and away from the walls. https://www.amazon.com/ClimbUp-Interceptors-pack-passive-traps/dp/B0028Z0LDQ

There are some exterminators who would be happy to come into your home and provide a free inspection. This does depend on where you live and what companies you have to turn to. You have absolutely nothing to lose by talking to them however.

To answer your question, it really does depend. Heat is very effective at killing bedbugs but the process is very difficult to properly setup. You have to basically clear any form of clutter and ensure that there are 0 cold spots in your home whilst the process is running its course. A cold spot is anywhere bedbugs can escape to during the heat treatment process that will avoid them dying due to the heat. Trust me, if theres any spot in your house bedbugs would be able to escape to avoid death by heat, they will take full advantage of it. If it is done be a competent exterminator and the process is done almost perfectly it is regarded as one of the best ways to get rid of bedbugs.

With that being said, this process is very expensive. You are looking at a couple of grand or even more to do this just once, and even then there is no guarantee. Please make sure that you find a company that offers a 90 day guarantee or something similar and get to know that policy incase things do not work out.

Regardless of what you do, I highly recommend the climbup interceptors for a peace of mind. That is assuming your mattress is not on the floor.

Okay, I'm going to try and keep it manageable.

If you live in an apartment, you need to tell the super if only because you risk them going into other places and reinfesting.

There are kits you can buy, though just be sure anything you buy also has a sprayer of some kind if it's mixed

If a kit doesn't have encasements you should order those on amazon.

That said, here are some steps:

Wash and machine dry everything you own, and put them in these or these. Don't be stingy on this, buy 2-3 of them. Make outfits for work and home and organize them bag by bag. Lets call this 25 dollars.

Do this with your linens, pillow cases, and pillows. If your bedsheets are not light colored and plain, then buy some light colored plain ones. White is good, a little off white is best as nymphs can appear white if they haven't eaten, eggs too. Wash your linens every 4 days or so.

Buy mattress encasements for your bed AND your box spring. Measure both to make sure you don't buy one that's too big, the snugger the fit the better. Do not go too cheap on this, look at the reviews. A good one will have not only a zipper but a folding flap to secure it. Lets call this 60 bucks. Once on, never remove the encasement without a PCO telling you to. Do not try to make your own, it never works out well. Important note, do NOT under any circumstance have any kind of bed skirt or blanket that's so large it touches the floor easily. You're going to want to make it so the bugs have to crawl up the legs so they die on the cimexa.

If you do not have an iron/steel bed frame, I recommend getting the cheapest one you can find.

Clean everything off the floor, make sure no furniture is touching any other furniture or the wall. If you can't do that, you need to lose some stuff. Believe me it's worth it.

Vacuum daily if you can, and immediately toss out whatever you vacuum up in whatever trash is outside. Do not keep it inside. I wouldn't recommend vacuuming less than every other day. Vacuum early in the morning if at all possible.

Buy interceptors. These babies are pricey unfortunately. but a 12 pack should be good for a bed and something else. That's about 40. Make sure whatever bed post you have will fit in them, they're not the widest.

Buy two cans of bedlam plus. Spray it along each joint and crevice in all the furniture after you've emptied it out. Do not use over the counter sprays, they're almost always things bed bugs are already resistant to.

Buy two bottles of Cimexa and a bellows. Apply the cimexa on the perimeter of every piece of furniture that is on the floor as well as along the wall of the room. Unscrew every outlet and switch cover and put it there as well. Don't go overboard, less is more. This will be about 40 total for the set. I recommend spraying the legs of your chairs. Make sure to cover your face while you're doing this. Cimexa will kill them if they crawl over it, however if it's clumped up in big piles they'll walk around it because they don't like it.

Do NOT switch where you sleep. They'll follow you and spread to other parts of where you live. You're live bait. It sucks, but having them come to where you're sleeping is the best way to kill them. You want them feeling safe and secure as they walk over the poisons and cimexa you've laid out.

You'll be living out of bags for a long long time, so get used to it. I recommend scheduling something you enjoy every week to keep your sanity and have something to look forward to.

Whatever you do, do NOT buy a bed bug bomb. It will scatter them and make them harder to clear.

Nothing goes on the bed unless it's sterile, and nothing leaves the bed without being washed and dried ASAP.

Oh boy. That's a blessing and a curse, I suppose - there is still action you can take to prevent a home infestation.

The best way to prevent bringing them home is heat. Immediately take pretty much any article of clothing you think might have come into contact with him (or any others), head on over to the nearest industrial laundromat, and toss your stuff into the largest dryer they have and let it run on high for a long time. Also, DON'T take your suitcase into your car with you. Put all of your clothes in plastic trash bags first, and tie them. Assume that your suitcase has been infiltrated, so placing it in your car could release them in there.


Periodically, once you get home, go do a thorough search of your bedroom. The first thing to look for are dark stains on your mattress. These are usually blood stains (since bedbugs are easily squished if you roll over). Also, check every crack & crevice on the mattress for small black objects like these, which are bedbug p00p. Also, keep an eye out for any shed skin remnants which'll look translucent like those.

If you do have any of those visible signs on your mattress, you'll need to call an exterminator. Seriously, it's pretty much impossible to deal with an infestation by yourself since they hide EVERYWHERE. Including in your walls.

Also, please inform your college's residential services department. They're liable for this sort of stuff.

If you'd like an additional safety measure, just to be safe, get some of this stuff and apply it to your bedframe at home. It's kinda like post exposure prophylaxis to ensure that none have the opportunity to set up shop once you get home should they still successfully hitchhike. It's a desiccating agent that isn't toxic to you.

>If I place the dust everywhere, should I try to refrain from vacuuming? Or just reapply after vacuuming?

I'd vacuum, then apply, then re-apply after any future vacuuming.

>Can you possibly link me to the pump/sprayer?

Here's 2 options, we used this one ourselves, but this one seems to be promoted by Amazon right now. Looking at that yellow one... eh, I'd personally recommend going with the first one. THe extra $6 is worth it for higher quality.

>How much is needed for a ~800 sq. Ft. Apartment?

Per their Amazon link, 2 ounces covers 100 ft^2, large bottles are 4 ounce, so you'd want 4 large bottles

Oh, and as a safety given the high chance other apartments are infested, you probably want this XFasten double sided tape, you will want to make squares around every power/cable/telephone/airvent/etc. outlet, and a large square above your bed, slightly larger than your bed. Yes, they are known to crawl along the ceiling then drop down onto beds.

They will spread everywhere fast. I bought these last month when i had a scare. Really recommend. Will help you sleep better knowing they cant get up to you in your bed and also help you monitor if they have actually spread to your room. Best of luck.

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https://www.amazon.com/Bed-Bug-Interceptors-Interceptor-Pesticides/dp/B07MG8BD7X/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=bed+bug+trap&qid=1557147105&s=gateway&sr=8-7

Several years ago I had a bed bug problem. Not nearly as bad as some others I've seen, but a regular problem. I got rid of it myself with about six months of work.

Because bed bugs are attracted to your breath while you sleep, most of your work will be in and around your bed.

First you have to wash your sheets every week. Strip the bed and put the sheets in a plastic garbage bag to prevent spreading the bugs or eggs around your house or apartment, then throw the bags away once you get the sheets in the wash.

While the bed is stripped, inspect the box spring and bed frame for bugs and eggs. I used strips of scotch tape to gently lift any bugs I found without crushing them and spilling their blood all over my walls.

Twice a week, move the bed out from wherever it sits and clean the area under it. If it's carpeted, use a handheld steam cleaner to slowly blast steam all over the carpet to kill any eggs that may be buried there, then vacuum the entire area. Then spray the carpet with a bed bug spray.

Examine the ceiling, walls, and baseboards around the bed. Bed bugs love to hide in any little crack in your paint, or dent in your wall, or crevice between your baseboard and the dry wall. Again, use the scotch tape to lift any visible bugs off and throw them away. Run a vacuum cleaner hose attachment over the baseboards and the point at which two walls meet, or the wall and ceiling meet. Spray the bed bug spray on these areas.

Carefully examine any electrical outlets near your bed. This is where I found quite a few bugs hiding. Unscrew the outlet cover and look on the back side of it for any bugs there, and look in the outlet wall cavity for bugs. Don't stick metal back there or try to spray liquid. Instead, I used a powder twice a week.

Buy a bed bug mattress cover and one for your box spring if you have one.

While you're doing all this it's important to not change where you sleep, even though you may be getting devoured at night by bed bugs. They're attracted to your breath so if you try sleeping in another area of your home they may just follow you there and infest other furniture.

These are the steps that worked for me. Again, I did them once or twice a week for a solid six months. I never called an exterminator. My landlord tried to use some "bug bombs" from Home Depot but I found they did not work.

Well, the drying/bagging (make sure they're sealed, completely airtight!) is kind of a low-cost basic step, while starting to buy stuff like mattress covers and anti-BB traps gets more expensive. If you truly think the bug's appearance was an isolated event then maybe you'll want to take a wait-and-see approach before investing much more?

FWIW this is the mattress cover I got. Worked well enough. Looks like it's on sale atm.

The other major bed accessory, assuming your bed's on four legs and can be otherwise isolated, is interceptor traps. If you've got bedbugs these are important because they let you see if you still have bugs; at night you act as bait (they attracted to CO2), and the traps catch them as they try to crawl up bed legs.

Your landlord may not have been aware of an infestation. They could have been deep within the box spring, he could have been immune to their bites.

Have you CONFIRMED that these bugs are bedbugs, by visual comparison?

Follow this protocol:

• Use a minimal frame that has little to no spots for bedbugs to hide in, such as a lightweight metal frame
  
  
• Purchase interceptors to put under the legs of the bed frame
  
  
• Move the bed away from the wall, and away from other furniture (isolate it)
  
  
• Wrap both box spring and top mattress in bedbug-proof mattress encasements - the zippered kind that SEAL/ZIP CLOSE.
  
  
• Purchase CimeXa dust and a handheld bellows for application of the CimeXa. Dust this LIGHTLY (do NOT make piles of it) around the baseboards of the rooms in the house, in/on window sills, on the bed frame, inside of dressers/desks/bookshelves, around the bed itself, on the mattress and box spring (before you put on the encasements), and behind/inside of electrical outlets/faceplates. This will dry your skin out so be careful not to touch it a lot, or breathe it in - use gloves/a mask when applying. Your goal is to "puff" it where you're applying it and let it settle in a fine layer. If you vacuum after application, you will need to reapply it
  
  
• You can use Diatomaceous earth too, but CimeXa is much more effective, it lasts much longer, and it's safer to use as DE is harmful if it is breathed in.
  
  
• Wash all clothing and linens on HOT and dry on HIGH HEAT for at least 60 minutes. Store in AIRTIGHT plastic containers or plastic bags that SEAL to prevent hitchhikers and re-infestation. Store away from the bedroom if possible.
  
  
• Look into buying Nuvan ProStrips for items that cannot be laundered - including books, records, shoes, sensitive clothing, etc.
  
  
• All other items that you do not readily need can be stored in AIRTIGHT plastic containers, preferably in a garage or away from the possible infested areas. Adult bedbugs can survive for almost a year without food, so "starving" them is not a reliable method of eradication on its own.
  
  
• Treat the WHOLE HOUSE - NOT just your bedroom, as bedbugs will absolutely move from room to room. Couches and chairs can be treated with CimeXa too.
  
  
• Have diligence and patience - worst case scenario, contact an exterminator, but you can eradicate the bedbugs (if this is what you're dealing with for sure) through DIY methods as long as you are thorough.
  
  

Again, thank you for your help. I tossed my mattress, box spring and bed frame (it was time for a new one anyways. I had a professional come and treat my entire place.

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I haven't seen or felt any bed bugs since when they treated on 9/17. I also live in a condo, so I've called my HOA to notify my neighbors. For my new mattress and bed frame, I've purchased interceptors and protectors for both the [mattress](r/https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BAEF7E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and [pillows](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003PWNHSC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Any more precautions I should take? I'm trying not to be too paranoid.

That's the solution I'm moving toward. Books into small containers like this and then the large containers into this, which gets sealed with duct tape. Then put the whole thing into storage.

Wasn't the point. You can clean a air mattress much easier then a regular mattress and box spring. Bugs cant get into them either. Get air mattress that comes with a collapsible metal frame that replaces a traditional box spring, put some ClimbUps or two sided tape on the feet/legs and the bugs will have a hard time getting to you and they wont be living in your bed.

You want something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01413355S/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485188736&sr=sr-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mattress+encasement

You put it on and seal it with a zip tie and then be sure not to take it off in under 2 years.

hey its been a bit but, if your interceptors are like this: https://www.amazon.com/Bed-Bug-Interceptors-Interceptor-Pesticides/dp/B07MG8BD7X/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=bed+bug+trap&qid=1557025170&s=gateway&sr=8-7 and you're still dealing with them, putting a 1/4 inch of water in the capture part of the interceptor will keep them from bypassing it

Hot Shot Pest Strips- same exact thing, friend.

https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Shot-No-Pest-Crawling-Penetrating/dp/B0019BK8AG

Thoughts if I flipped the touch and after inspection sprayed this? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UVZXL2I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A345UQKI91GF54

Thanks again for your help.

here is a guide that will help tell you where to check for bedbugs

this is what your looking for

you can buy bedbug intercepters to place under your bedframe, if you have bedbugs, they will fall into these and wont be able to get out

Was the styrofoam seal a little bit lifted? I think the ones I ordered were the same...possibly the dessicant properties of the powder eroded the stickiness of the seal over time. Or when they were putting the seals on, remnants of the powder on the rim resulted in a weak seal.

As long as it was closed and the powder is light, fluffy and very fine there shouldn’t be any issues.

Did you pick up an applicator too like this one?
https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Diatomaceous-Powder-Duster-Extension/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=powder+insecticide+applicator&qid=1565873469&s=gateway&sprefix=powder+inse&sr=8-5

Sansbug 2 person tent- 1 person tent was too small for me (6 ft, 190 lbs/86kg). Jus propped it on top of my mattress. Also got new (cheap) bed sheets from target so I don't risk transferring anything inside.

https://www.amazon.com/SANSBUG-2-Person-Mesh-Tent-Floor/dp/B00JS2W8EW

To add to what airhighfive is saying, you should use Cimexa. This sub is always recommending it. This is a study about the effectiveness of Cimexa over DE. Here is an amazon link to but the stuff.

You'd think the frequency you're getting bit, that you'd see one somewhere by now.. kinda sounds like there's a few fleas still lingering. My brother had a flea issue and bought this trap and said it started catching fleas within 15 min. Can't hurt to get one or 2 to use in the rooms you're noticing bites in.

He was also dealing with a bedbug problem at the time and used this CimeXa Powder and it helped a ton also. He used a 1" angled paint brush to apply the powder to the cracks and crevices and a powder duster to dust larger areas.

cheap diy indicators and treatments;
simple double sided tape along bed legs.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002O16SHW
use this powder as directed
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085HRWI8

it may be fleas not bb.
fleas leave fewer indicators behind.
for fleas wash everything around bed with borax.
https://www.amazon.com//dp/B000R4LONQ
including floors walls in:outsides of furniture.

I got these:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B003KV608C/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474706924&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=climbup+interceptor&dpPl=1&dpID=41Tw5rNBtIL&ref=plSrch

The outside is rough I think it's tape on the outside

https://www.amazon.com/Queen-SafeRest-Premium-Mattress-Encasement/dp/B004BAEF7E

I got this exact one for $112

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0051T8XMW?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

https://www.amazon.com/CimeXa-Insecticide-ounces-bottle-Rockwell/dp/B0085HRWI8

this is the one i bought and it worked wonders

https://www.amazon.com/CimeXa-Insecticide-ounces-bottle-Rockwell/dp/B0085HRWI8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1543032378&sr=8-2&keywords=cimexa+bedbug+dust

As of now my plan was to wash and dry on high heat all the bedding, buy mattress and box-spring bed bug covers, and get some CimeXa and put it all over the room. Especially in the doorway so they don't infest other areas of the house (is this being naive? will they just go through the walls?)

How does this sound to you guys?

Ziploc XL HD Big Bag (4 Bags) Packaging may vary https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CAOG198/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yq2NBb8DZR2DD

https://www.amazon.com/SANSBUG-2-Person-Mesh-Tent-Floor/dp/B00JS2W8EW/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1GN0Z01ECQAP8&keywords=sansbug+2+person&qid=1567542814&s=sporting-goods&sprefix=SANSBUG++2%2Csporting%2C132&sr=1-2

I used this mattress cover

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MRH4AMI?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Sleep-Defense-System-Hypoallergenic/dp/B01413355S/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=mattress%20encasement&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&qid=1485188736&ref_=sr_ph_1&sr=sr-1

This is the product I was linked to.

https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Diatomaceous-Powder-Duster-Extension/dp/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=asc_df_B01LRMN9ZM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198081460782&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16895401894923648508&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016138&hvtargid=pla-350505539236&psc=1

i misplaced mine.

I quit talking to one of my best friends because of them. He happened to be in the adjacent apartment and refused to do anything about them, which didn't help me. I also didn't want him in my new house until he did. So I understand.

Spray: http://www.amazon.com/Harris-Bed-Bug-Killer-Gallon/dp/B003YHKY9I

Bed Bug Killer Powder (diatomaceous earth) http://www.amazon.com/P-F-Harris-Mfg-HDE-8/dp/B00GVLG9A2/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1416116908&sr=1-1&keywords=harris+diatomaceous+earth

Those are what I used, I am not sure what the exterminator used. I still to this day keep covers over all of my mattresses, and keep a stockpile of that spray and diatomaceous earth just in case.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01LRMN9ZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 this is the product I used to apply the powder. Even with this applying it is a huge pain. Even the lightest tap causes it all to go all over the place. I heard that unless the powder is barely visible then the bedbugs will just go over it. That's why I am asking.

Yes, they are drawn to it as they suspect it's a host. However if they fall into it and can't escape, if there in no oxygen then they can't breath and die.

It's how many CO2 traps work, the extra CO2 leaks slowly out and they follow that and fall right into the heavy amount and suffocate.


You don't need to make a CO2 trap as your own CO2 (and BO on things) is good enough to draw them in.

CO2 traps have a limited range, the bb's have to come within this range to smell it. They tend to wander around and can wander on your scent also. So it's cheaper to use the bed post traps instead of fiddling with making hootch made CO2 which draws ants and other bugs.

All you need is a trap under your bed posts, chair legs and couches and employ the methods above.

http://www.amazon.com/Climbup-Insect-Interceptor-Bed-Trap/dp/B0033SC0LI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjc4CD4U4uQ&index=3&list=PLbnrETfHgIugncN4h8hbMhSSWD1x2_FvV

Get the climb up intercepter traps for your bed where it touches the floor and remove any bedskirt or low hanging bedding and sleep on the bed as normal. Then check the traps daily to see if you catch any bugs.

Here's an Amazon link for the
Climbup Insect Interceptor Bed Bug Trap, 4ct https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0033SC0LI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BUAuybGF5EAWH

First, the bedbug covers need to stay ON your bed and boxspring, so that any bugs trapped within will be isolated and eventually die from starvation.

Second, do you have bedbug traps on your bed? If not, I can recommend these. They can be used to determine the extent of the infestation, as well as isolate your bed from the bugs.

Hope that works. Let us know if you continue to have problems!

If they die in the open you'll see them but sometimes they survive long enough to crawl away and die. I would expect to see at least a few dead in the open though. I'd get a diametrious earth duster like this.

I applied it as dust and it's supposed to be applied or at least left as dust but I'm not sure of all the ways it can be used (supposedly it can be mixed with water and sprayed but not sure how it's done).

When dusting it's applied very thin, you should barely even be able to see the residue.