bedbugs

[figment]

I think we have bedbugs. I mean, I'm not sure they're "bedbugs" per se, but they are bugs, they are in the bed, and they bite me when I sleep. And the bites itch like a ... well. They itch a lot. I have gotten covered in bites, all over my arms and legs and stomach and... yeah.

We figured this out on Thursday night, so that's when I got my last bites. We have been sleeping on the couch since then -- well, other than Friday night, which we spent sleeping in Shenandoah National Park -- so at least I have not gotten bitten any more. (Ironic, to go camping and get bitten less than at home.) The bites are finally fading and I'm not itching madly any more.

But sleeping on the couch (which is a queen size futon, so it's not that bad) is really not optimal. Anyone coming in the front door of the apartment, we hear it. Noises from the street are much more audible. The streetlights mean that there's ambient light all the time, and the windows also get the morning sun. So this morning I was awake around 5:45 AM, and then managed to doze fitfully until 6:30.

Today I will call the landlord's recommended bug man and find out what the hell we can do. I think we may have to encase our mattress in plastic, but I'm not sure. We have to fix this, though. If nothing else, it's like we've gone from having a small one-bedroom apartment to a small studio apartment with a walk-in closet. Not okay.

Comments

[dreamsewing.livejournal.com]

Sounds like scabies.I got them from handling old carpet and matresses when i worked contruction.
Quick fix, if you can't run to the doctors, is to get some house bomb spray from Major store/animal supply, one with Permethrin in it, bomb the house & spray all matresses/cushions. You need to spray/bomb 3 times over 10 days.
For your skin/hair and laundry buy the anti parasite/flea/tick shampoo also for dogs or headlice shampoo w/permethrin or malothin. Do it twice over 3 days. Be especially sure to let shampoo sit on skin for a few minutes, bedbugs love joints, behind the knees, hand joints ,feet/ankles and forearms especially, they burrow under skin and eggs hatch in 2-3 days, hence doing it twice. It's a pain in the butt, but you really have to wash everything.

Even if it's not scabies, the spraying will help. Hope this helps .

[birdfigment.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I think I will wait for the bug guy to diagnose before doing any treatment. I'm fine now that I'm sleeping on the couch. Just a bit tired and I miss my bedroom! :-) If I understand correctly scabies would have continued to itch for me, but the bites have definitely gotten better. Also I saw and felt little bugs biting me - they looked a bit like tiny tiny ants, actually. So I don't think it's scabies but will wait to apply treatments to the bed until I know what I'm dealing with.