Friday, July 21, 2006

Like A Really Bad Sequel...

…to a movie that never should have been made!

Oh, man. Woke up the other day to find an adult bed bug on my pillow. I guess I had been itching for the last few days, but most times I can’t tell if it’s a legitimate itch (we men do itch quite often), a bed bug bite or my own paranoia recreating the sensations of a bed bug bite. Some birthday present! Last night I saw a small bed bug crawling across my bedroom floor. I immediately scooped it up with a wad of tissue and flushed the whole thing down the toilet.

I always kind of figured they weren’t really all gone. The total disappearance of bed bugs following the disposal of my bed, mattress and headboard was too good to be true. I had found dead bed bugs on my floor and along the area where the floor and walls meet for the last few months. It’s like something out of a bad horror movie, except this isn’t scary, it’s just annoying.

I checked out www.doyourownpestcontrol.com after reading all the rave reviews in the comments area. Does anyone know why they don’t deliver Suspend to New York?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

The last places I treated were the top of the crown molding and then the ceiling light in my bedroom.

I cannot emphasize enough that Drion Dust and Suspend are what will do the trick.

Anonymous said...

doyourownpestcontrol.com told me that Suspend is not "registered" in NY. But that's what my exterminator was using. Maybe it can only be sold to professionals?

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear the bed bug problem is not over. Most people take their chances with chemicals. Here is what I didn't know before calling the pest control co.

Permethrin and Pyrethroids

Suspend is a synthetic pyrethroid. The pest control company I called said that pyrethroids are contact kill only and do not leave a residue. I read later in some websites that this may not be effective to use because it is a repellent and actually scatters the bugs as they try to get away from it.

Of course this may have been because the pest controller didn't use it. He used Prelude which is a spray made of a synthetic permethrin which does leave a residue and lasts for up to a month I believe. Permethrin attracts the bugs and they touch or ingest it and die dried up.

However I was dismayed to find that several UK websites say that permethrin is suspected of being linked to endocrine disorders.

http://www.wen.org.uk/health/PBCOM/envfac2.htm

http://www.safe2use.com/pests/lice/most-toxic.htm

The scary part is the guy who sprayed our house wore no protective clothing at all and his skin was all blotchy and horrid. I also had to instruct him on where to spray and as I found out later, dusting is critical. Most pest control staff are clueless about the impacts of pesticides.

On Dusts
I bought an insecticide dust from the local hardware store which says it's environmentally safe and it has Diatomaceous Earth in it but says you have to be careful not to breathe in the dust. It kills pretty much anything small crawling that comes into contact with it like ants, millipedes.

There's a really good article on how to use Drione and Delta dusts safely. Here's the link.

http://www.pestproducts.com/dusting.htm

I think people need to be very well-informed before trying to deal with the problems themselves - to maximize effectiveness and to
I think vacuuming goes a long way as well as being super clean and vigilant. We also purchased a vinyl cover for our affected mattresses.

I also know that the neighbours with messy yardsand dilapidated sheds around the area harbour raccoons and mice and unfortunately these animals are carriers of these ectoparasites. So if you live in a house, you should make sure these anmials cannot get into or make it out your infested house as they may only come back and give it back to you. The worst part is - we don't know for sure how we got the bedbugs.

All this being said, I've read articles from scientists on the web saying how some ectoparasites develop resistance to the chemicals we are using and that this is causing these bugs to become very difficult to get rid of. I think because we don't know enough about the behaviour and because there isn't a concerted social effort for education and vigilance across the world to get rid of these and other pests, that we are fighting a losing battle and may just have to lump the fact that bugs are natural part of our lives and we are probably making things worse by resorting to non-natural remedies.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said that Suspend SC is not a residual spray, this is wrong. It is not a contact kill. As proven by the centipede I saw running on my walls that have been treated later to appear dead the next day. Anonymous is right about it being a synethetic pyrethroid though.
http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/suspend.htm

The label says it lasts 2-3 months, but I spray my kitchen/living room every month and my bedroom/ closet/bathroom every 2- 3 weeks.

See if you can have Demand shipped to you. I have used this as well before. It is similar to Suspend but just is a tenny bit more expensive and can't be sprayed on furniture, but just as effective.I have been switching between the two in hopes they don't build a tolerance to them.

Drione dust is good, but messy and hard to apply just about anywhere and then you have dust everywhere. I pretty much just use it for behind my electrical sockets every 4-6 months.

Do you have your pillows protected? If not through them out buy new ones and get a garbage bag and tie it witch a knot so nothing can get in or out then put a pillow case over it. To my utter horror I realised once that I had one on my pillow I can only imagine it being a perfect spot for a nest. Yuck. I bought vinyl covers for my pillows but later grew paranoid they could get through where the zipper was attached, hence the garbage bag.

I hope you can have demand shipped to you instead. Good luck and stay strong soldier.

Anonymous said...

I bought Suspend from doMYownpestcontrol.com, not doyourownpestcontrol. domyownpestcontrol.com ships from Atlanta, GA. I'm not sure why they can ship here and no one else can, but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. I swear I don't work for them, I'm just incredibly happy they're willing to sell me pesticides!

Anonymous said...

I am not sure what these bugs are! They are so small!!!! I feel a creepy crawly feeling on my skin and when I touch the area, a dot of a bug is on my finger. My touch seems to kill it. It leaves a tiny raised bump. Only once has a bug bitten me and drew blood. I am desperate for help as the feeling wakes me up at night. Thanks for all your suggestions. I am on it. Has anyone had this experience???

Anonymous said...

Go to Wal-Mart and get some Bengal Roach Spray. It is 2% Permethrin and it will knock out the bed bugs fast. Spray everywhere and everything...mattress, box springs, baseboards, curtains, under night stands and dressers, behind the head board. Wash all of the liens and sheets and buy new pillows.
Bengal Roach Spray is orderless and non-staining and one of the safest insecticides that you can buy. It isn't cheap, about $13 a can. But one can will easily do a whole bedroom or two. Caution: cats are very sensitive to Permethrin so don't use it around kittens...dogs are no problem though.

Anonymous said...

From the symptoms that your describing, you probably have scabies. I experienced everything that you described a few weeks ago and i know how irritated and paranoid you feel. Originally I thought I had bed bugs but after turning my house upside down and washing,spraying, and cleaning everything I still felt like something was biting me, especially at night. I did some research online because I couldn't stand another sleepless night and read about scabies. Its when these tiny little white-ish bite you and dig burrows under your skin and lay their eggs. I know It sounds gross but anyone can be infected by an infected person who they've been in close contact with, despite your cleanliness and hygiene. I went to the doctor and was prescribed a cream (permethrin)which helped get rid of them within a few days. Look up more info online and see if that's what you might have. Good luck!

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