I wake up every night itching and sometimes bitten. I bought a new mattress and box spring for my bed and cleaned and sanitized my entire bed room numerous times. But the problem still exists. I wash my bed sheets and covers every night and vacuum my mattress, box spring, bed rails, and carpet every night. And I look at the sheets to make sure there isn't anything on them before I get in bed.
After falling asleep I find myself waking up all night due to severe itching and small bites, but the bites don't seem as severe since I got the new mattress and box spring. Before the bites would be so bad that I would be bleeding. As soon as I wake up I turn the light on and search the sheets and I do find things in my bed but it doesn't look exactly like a bug.
I find two different things, one is very small, black in color, the other looks like a small seed and is off white in color. Neither one of them move. When I pinch them the black one smashes flat but, the seed looking one is somewhat hard. I have set off insect bombs, but it didn't help. I get no sleep at night, therefore I am drained and fall asleep in the day time. At this point I have major dark circles and the whites of my eyes stay red. My fiance thinks it's nothing and that I am just paranoid. Can anyone help? Thanks.
A few days ago on the news they said we might soon have an epidemic of bed bugs in the U.S. I looked on the web and learned when bed bugs bite, it isn't uncommon that the bites don't start itching until a while after the bite. Also, if you have bed bugs you might find feces, which is black, or eggs. Bed bugs also shed their skin.
Bed bugs often hide on the back side of the headboard in crevices, in folds of the mattress, in the creases around the edge (where the ticking is) and in the box springs. One person said he didn't know what was biting him, but he moved his bed away from the window and got bit less. He also put sticky traps under all 4 of the legs of his bed and caught some insects. Of course for the traps to work, you can't have a dust ruffle or anything that goes on or near the floor or they can climb up that way and avoid the traps. (04/21/2009)
By Joy
Hello, thank you for all the advice. I am going to the local health department tomorrow to get them to check my bites out, and I have an exterminator scheduled for tomorrow. I cleaned the bedroom before getting into the bed and I sprayed me and my 7 yr. old son with Off bug repellent. The only problem is that I don't know how I'm going to pay the exterminator. I got laid off from my job several months ago and draw only a little over one hundred dollars a week. (04/23/2009)
Try sprinkling Borax around your mattress and box spring. If you have carpeting you can sprinkle it around there as well. Make sure the borax is fine and powdery so it will settle into the fibers. Let it sit for an hour or so and then you can vacuum. The Borax I purchase is the 20 Mule Team type. It is a laundry softener type product. It is also used as a carpet freshener. But it will be ingested by bugs who like its sweet taste. Then they will die because it causes a dehydration and swells up inside them.
You should do this periodically, say once or twice a year, to keep the problem from returning. You can treat the whole house if you are concerned about it in other areas.
Good luck. This should eliminate your problem and help you get a great night's sleep. Best wishes. (04/28/2009)
By Jean
Do you have any pets? Many years ago my kids were coming home from school with bites around their ankles. Turns out the school had mites and fleas. Don't remember what kind of mites. The school was fumigated over the weekend and there were no more bites. The carpets in the school were infested. So you might try a bug bomb for homes with pets, which will kill animal parasites, including fleas, ticks, and mites. Also get a dip for any pets you might have. (04/28/2009)
The truth is, they can be a variety of things. It is near impossible to tell without seeing them. Catch some and take them with you to the doctor's. He'll be able to tell you exactly what they are, give you meds or tell you what to do for the bleeding and bites, and tell you how to get rid of them. At least knowing what they are will allow you to research alternative ways to rid yourself of these pests. I wouldn't wait too long, the infestation will continue to multiply until something is done, and they can be passed on to others. You don't want to be known as the person who gave others fleas, scabies, bed bugs, or whatever. Good luck. (04/30/2009)
By susan
You might have bed bugs, you may need to get a terminator to get rid of them. (05/01/2009)
By elva
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
Been going thru this all summer. My fingers, toes, behind my knees, my wrist nipples, waist, sides, all are getting bit, by who knows What? It leaves a tiny red dot, turns into a bump that hurts, then itches like crazy. U have to scratch it until skiing comes off.
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
