It took six months and five pesticide treatments to get bed bugs out of my house.
I developed hives or welts, for the first time in late September 2008. Two months later I learned my next door neighbor had been dealing with bed bugs since June. Thermal heat treatment was not available at the time, or I would have opted for that. Heat treatment means you had bed bugs this morning, but tonight you don't.
I purchased a vapor steamer and steamed every baseboard in an attempt to ease the infestation before chemical treatment.
As I began to prep for treatment, washing and bagging everything. I moved objects to isolate them in bags, I unknowingly spread bed bugs more in doing so. The PCO came and sprayed. I purchased bed bug proof mattress encasement covers, they cannot get in or out of the zipper. I'm still sleeping on the same mattress, with the encasement on, almost two years later (as of this writing). It's invisible.
I wish I would have bought the Packtite sooner than I did. It wasn't cheap, but it immediately provided a way to kill bed bugs in shoes, paper, purses, hats, belts, jackets, backpacks, books, and other possessions you can't wash in a dishwasher or the laundry.
During this time I connected with our Public Health Department and began to discuss forming an advisory group for bed bugs. I am pleased to say this did happen and it's great to be sharing information with agencies who are just beginning to figure out how difficult and widespread this problem is.
The first pest company I hired did not solve my problem and turned out to be a very bad choice. Don't be fooled as I was by fancy PowerPoint presentations. I used two other companies after that, one because I was able to get treatment, gratis from our management company, and the last treatment from Dave the Bug Man, who was very detailed and the last treatment I had.
I had isolated my new bed by then, laid down DE under the baseboards on top of the residuals left by the previous pest company, and caulked every baseboard crack I could see. I also had some furniture including my sofa and computer treated with Vikane in a rental truck.
In June, Sprague's bed bug sniffing dog April came to inspect and declared the house and the building's common areas clear, including my neighbor's previously infested unit, and two empty units adjoining that one. April came back in November 2009 to check my house again. All clear!
If you rely on facts and science, and do the most you can, you can get rid of bed bugs too. Information and behavior play a huge part in getting rid of bed bugs. I am a member of the newly formed Citizens Bed Bug Advisory Task Force in Multnomah County.
Our goal is to research and provide advice and education on the best practices to manage and eliminate bed bug infestations locally, but the same information can help you. That is what this site is about, helping you eliminate bed bugs from your home and your life.
If you have any questions, drop us a line below.
