Days 25 - 40

I had a family emergency. Those don't really stop for bedbugs. Funnily enough, bedbugs don't stop for them either.

There is no way I can do a day by day run down, and who would want to read that?! But I have been doing a lot and I think have made good progress.

Now where were we....

First and foremost, no new bites.

Professional Treatment:
PCO comes and inspects on Day 26 (week 4), does not find anything, but since I found one live bug since the spraying, he said he will most likely come in one more week to treat again. I am to call if I see any other bugs.

My goal for the second treatment is to have the livingroom fully treated and to make things more accessible for him in the 2 bedrooms. He tells me again that I need to steam the carpets. I have a lead on a home steamer from a friend (this ends up only partially working, more later).

In week 5 we find one live bug on the floor coming out from under a piece of heavy wooden furniture (ugh, they fit anywhere). Also find the dried out body (YAY dead!) of one under an area rug. So I call the super to notify the PCO that I defiantely need re-treatment.

Day 32 (week 5) the PCO come to re-treat. This time all the furniture in the two bedrooms as well as the livingroom was out from the wall. The dresser in my room and the drawers under the captains bed were cleared out, so they go treated as well. He found one bug in the sticky monitors he had left, but did not see any evidence in the form of droppings or nesting. Restated that I needed to steam.


Self-treatment/Prevention:
Laundry/bagging continues - nothing is worn that has not been treated and everything is in bags until worn.
I've ordered the better encasements for my son's bed and the hide-a-bed mattress, as well as more pillow ones and more ClimbUps.
I use the heat treatment machine everyday now. Treating shoes and bags that we use every week. I've treated all my son's school supplies, and I've been treating things to get rid of as well as store away.
RE: storage - made great strides this past weekend. I had 5 21 gal bins, 2 18 gal bins, 3 small bins, a bike, and 2 xxl ziploc bags - all taken offsite for storage. Also acquired 3 30 gal bins and 5 more 21 gal bins. Since most of my out of season or non-essential clothes are in bags, this is going to help alot in getting them better stored.
Re: Getting rid - I have treated and tossed probably 4 XXL ziploc bags full of stuff at this point. Much more to go as I sort through clothes.
I got the steamer that was offered by a friend, but it is really a steamer mop. I go ahead and steam the edges of the carpet and I also go ahead and steam mop all the exposed wooden floor in one room. I don't think this is working for the carpet though, so we are going to rent one of the big things from a nearby store and just use water we heat up on the stove to make sure it is hot enough.
Probably the biggest thing I got done, was someone came out and caulked up my son's room. After thoroughly vacuuming the floor and baseboards, every gap and crack got sealed up with clear silicon caulk. I hope to get another room done in the next couple of days and maybe my room done over the weekend.

With fall approaching, as I have been going through bags of clothes to treat, I am pulling essentials for fall, then sorting the rest into "storage" or "toss". So far it seems I am tossing about 1/4, storing about half and keeping out about 1/4. same for shoes. As I wear the summery clothes I am now treating them and putting them into storage bins also. Anything that did not get worn this summer is getting tossed. Anything that is a bit too tight or really not that great of a fit is getting tossed.

I've packed up probably half of my books, haven't sealed up the plastic bins, but at least the books are in plastic.

Things are still in piles in the middle of rooms, treating the carpets is going to be a pain and will easily take a day of prep work (which really means 3-4 evenings of prep since I never have a full free day).

With help, I got the very large and not at all great rug from the living room wrapped up in plastic and sealed up and thrown out. I will be buying a much smaller (will not go under any furniture) rug to go in that room. In the meantime, the carpet padding is still on the floor. If rugs were not required byt the home owner assoc, I would not replace it until I had gone several months clear.

Speaking of the home owner assoc, still radio silence. They have never acknowledged my emails, much less answered them. They have not asked to have the units around me inspected. They have not told anyone else that bedbugs ahve been found. I took matters into my own hands and informed all of the closest people to my unit. Some seem weirded out, others are really grateful, so hopefully at least some of them are inspecting and being watchful. I have seen rugs and pillows being thrown out in the last few weeks and neither were in plastic - UGH!

Looking ahead - If we see more live bugs in the next couple of weeks, I think I will contact the home owner assoc and let them know that I am not satisfied with the level of attention the matter has been given, nor with the treatment. I will probably look to hire a PCO on my own to come inspect and offer and estimate for treatment.

I will continue to reduce the number of things in the house. As mentioned above, both caulking and carpet steaming are planned for the upcoming days.

Probably more items will go to offsite storage and probably more plastic bins will be purchased (these are going to be so handy if/when I ever move).

Day 23 & 24

No bites, no bug sightings

Day 23 : I kind of wasted a weekend day by being out of the house for most of it. Still, I manage to get laundry done (half bagged half put into storage), a bag of treated clothes donated, and one heat treatment done.

Day 24: I am not sure when the PCO is coming back to inspect, he said it would be this week. I have seen no signs of anything in the sticky traps he left. I have not heard anyone speak highly of them as a detection device.

I heat treat one of the couch cushions. the outer mnaterial zippers off, but I had to cut the inner layer lining to get the heat probe way into the center of the cushion to make sure that the heat was high enough, even at the core. I bagged it afterwards.

Hopefully I can treat the other 3 cushions this week. Get the couch vacuumed down in the meantime, and then flip it over to do a more thorough inspection.

Rugs remain my big issue. I guess I should just borrow the steam cleaner that I have access to. I may heat water to 150 degress and only do little sections at a time in order to feel it is effective. That will take hours, of course, but I can be methodical about it. Highest probablity of bugs are the areas under my bed and then the carpet edges - do those areas first.

I may look at the hardware store roll rolls of heavy duty plastic, maybe drop clothes would work, and may just roll up and seal 3-4 of the smaller rugs.

Day 22 - Plodding along

I am not allowing my son on the couch. I am going to vacuum the DE up after a couple of days, in the mean time, he can sit on the recliner.

DISCLAIMER: DE is NOT supposed to be used on upholstered furniture. It is also not to be used on mattresses.

So there's that and I have some regrets of having done it, but I also want the bugs gone, so I will leave it for a few days, then I will vacuum it thoroughly (and I will wear the respirator while doing it) a few times. I may even come through the room with a water mist sprayer after to settle any dust. It wasn't much that I used, but these bugs are not worth getting either of us sick for or doing any, even a little, lung damage.

I told some more friends. ugh.

I still need to give out the info to the rest of the neighbors. I think I am just putting it under their doors with a note, I can't deal with talking to that many people over and over. EDIT: and it is done.

Happiness is PackTiting Ziploc bags. I hope this means that I will not have to buy any more.

I am trying to do 2-3 loads of things in the PackTite each weekend day. I do not want to over use it, but I also really really want to treat some more things and get them into storage.

I got 2 of the 21 gallon bins taped up air tight and into the storage room. These are things that I could go without for 18 months, but they could also be PackTited if I feel the house is clear before then. They had been stacked in part of the living room, so it is nice to have some of that space back.

I need to treat some of the things in bags in my room so I can move them to storage also, although realistically only 2-3 more bins can fit in there. My room is just barely navigable at point. either bags go into closets and get removed for treatment only, or some get moved to on top of the desk in there. Something has to give.

In my late night worktime, post son going to sleep, I brushed DE into the seams of the drawers under his bed. wiped up all excess. I found no evidence of bugs down there still, but that bed remains my biggest fear.

Day 21 - One day post-PCO treatment

Decide that if I can finally get the respirator, I could DE some of the areas the PCO didn't do and have it basically on the same schedule as his treatment. I manage to get one.

I also do some online research about how I might treat my area rugs. no decision yet.

PackTite somethings I need for tomorrow. do a visual on all the ClimbUps and over the couch again, nothing. Then decide to do the couch again after putting my son to bed, he'd been sitting there for over an hour, so maybe some would be out. UGH! yes, find one adult. Well hell. So out comes the DE and the brand new respirator. I do to work getting a dusting down along the wooden frame, on seams, on the sofa-bed (already encased) netting. I got the adult one I saw with alcohol already. I also find a molting while dusting. I do not see any others and no black specks.

Now thoroughly unhinged, I go to pull off a large mirror on the wall and check it. I manage to pull out one of the wall bolts holding it up AND pull out the hanging mechanism on one side. So while there is no sign of bed bugs on it, I can;t hang it back up now.

I DE dust the entrance to my son's room. The edges of some of the area rugs, the entry and one hall closet. I am wearing the respirator with P-100 cartridges and I am using a paint brush to get a light film. I do not see how anyone could get a light film just from the DE bottle.

spent:

respirator with P-100 cartridges - $41.15

Day 19 - 20

Still no sightings and no bites.

I get the box spring encasement on and am in a mad dash to get things ready for the PCO.

I really just have too much stuff, but I'm not in the mindspace to just dump things. I will bag for now and will start getting rid after treatment.

Lots in my closets. I do clear out a lot from a hall closet and get it in the trash. I also get some stuff cleared out from my son's room, but in the scheme of things what I am tossing is drops in the bucket.

The exterminator comes and of course there are things I neglected to do. Things I did not bag and pictures on the wall, but we take care of it all.

The cats are being boarded for 2 days (no idea how much that will be, I didn't even ask).

I am not thrilled with the treatment, I must say. I feel ok about the chemicals, but he is only treating baseboards with the spray. why not up in the closet? Also, only treating the bedrooms and one wall of the living room (I had not pulled things away from the other walls) - I had wanted the entry and hall closets also.

He says I have to steam treat my area rugs. great. had not thought about those. no idea how to deal with that, as I have only had them cleaned before by services that take them out and return them. will I spread anything in them if I do that?, also could get re-infested in a delivery truck or treatment place. no thank you. will look into rental or buying a steamer.

hate.

spent:

ziploc bags - $37.60

Day 18

After much ordeal, I get the PackTite, but no treating of anything, it is too late.

Spent today:

PackTite - $326.63

Day 17

Still no new bites and no sightings. I even do a cushion check on the couch after the lights are off and check my sons bed twice that evening. He had two small red spots on one leg - it could be anything, but I will be checking his bed nightly. It's a captains bed and I have heard horror stories. It is pressed wood though and slick on the outside. I will be pulling the bed out from the wall asap though. I have told my son that if bugs are in the wood of the bed that he will get a metal bunkbed, so he is onboard.

I bag up a good chunk of the hanging clothes that cannot be washed and I pull the final items from my dresser and get them to the plastic hamper bag for washing this week. I think 1-2 more bags should empty the closets of clothes and then I should be able to just dump misc into a bin.

I also get ClimbUps under my dresser legs and on two legs of each of my side tables. I realize that having them on only half the legs is pretty ineffective, but figure it is better than nothing and may show if they are on either table. I have yet to find a bug in any of the ClimbUps.

I've left a message with the Pest Control people with instructions to call me back. Aim is for treatment mid week (day 19 or 20).

Clothes I had gotten into the dryer on the evening of day 16, I pack directly into an XL Ziploc and take to the storage room.

I am struggling with how to store the dry clean items once I get the PakTite and can treat them. I don't think shoving a suit or nice dress into a gallon sized sip lock will work. There are 2 gallon sizes that might have to just work as trying to work up any sort of sealed hanging situation seems ridiculous and costly.

Day 12-16 Bogged Down

I didn't have any helpers this week and a few other things conspired to make it difficult, so, not much done. Stayed on top of laundry, and did some vacuuming, but not a lot else.

It was day 14 before I finally got the prep list from the Pest Control people. It is much less extensive than the previous list I had from another exterminator. I am going to continue with what I am doing and call them on Monday to clarify some things and ask again the names of their chemicals so I can have them written down.

I started posting a few questions on the forums at bedbugger.com and got some info that way, like how best to fill up the cracks in my floors and the big gaps at the baseboards.

Saw a live bug on day 15, just inside the house, crawling up the outside of a laundry bag that was fresh out of the dryer. So, either picked up in the elevator when I set it down or in my entry way. The entry way got a thorough vacuuming and is getting sprayed down with alcohol daily.

Other than that, no sighting and there have been no bites. And I am still looking once the room is darkened at night. Inspecting the creases at the seams in the couch cushions and edges in the bed.

Day 14 I pick-up the AllerZips for my bed and another set for pillows. All the pillows on the beds are now encased in them and I put one on the pet bed.

It takes me until Day 16, today, to get the mattress one on, and I have still not managed to get the one on the box spring. I was just too beat. I still need to order online a twin one and some king pillowcases. My local retail seller does not keep those, so I might as well order myself.

I took several things to the storage room, a sealed up 21 gallon plastic bin with photos and pictures. A space bag with more linens and newly found stuffed animals. Another space bag with more linens. Some toys that got sprayed down and had already been in plastic. and another plastic bin with papers and misc from my room.

I have never heard anything from the homeowners' assoc people and nothing has been posted or communicated to my neighbors as far as I know, so I sent out an email to the assoc leadership. Bottom line, someone needs to inform the people closest to me. If I am the only one who gets inspected or gets treatment, this is not going to go away. And what about common areas. I fear the assoc people are not well-informed and may not be the most tech-savvy.

There is still a lot of stuff just setting around in my house. It is a little daunting. Clothing I feel is handled and more than 50% of the things in my bedroom are dealt with, but that last 50% is just stuff I do not know what to do with. I guess if all else fails, I'll get plastic bins and just dump the random stuff in them.

The PakTite was supposed to be in on Friday, but delivery was late. The place now has my number and will call me when it is in. They are hoping for a delivery on Tuesday.

Spent:

Zipper bags - $6.60

Laundry refill - $20.00

Day 11 - Prep continues

No bites today.

While I have accepted that it is hard to get much done IN the house on the weekdays, I am determined to get something done everyday.

Today I manage some purchases:

DE
more 91% alcohol (I've found cost of this varies wildly, cheapest I have found is at a chain drug store - $2.99 for a large bottle. I have seen it as much as $4.00+ for a small bottle at a local drug store)
2 Protect-a-Bed AllerZip (tm) pillow covers

I also ordered the AllerZip covers for my mattress and box spring and found a place that will PakTites in by the end of the week.

The AllerZip encasements are reportedly tested to be the best at keeping bug in that are in, out that are out and being bite resistant. They will replace the cheap plastic only (easily torn or poked by cat claws) ones that I initially bought.

Still no prep list from the exterminators. I will give it one more day, if nothing is here when I come home on Wednesday I start calling people.

Also, no word from my homeowner association and no postings. This worries me a great deal and I think I am going to have to spread the word myself. I guess I will start to mentally prepare for the ostricizing.

I do get some cleaning done. Two suitcases that were stored near my bed adn used for storing out of season/rarely worn clothing got emptied, the clothing all bagged up, and the suitcases sprayed down and inspected for bugs or signs of bugs. No bugs found and no signs. Still I will heat treat these and/or dust them with DE once I get the right equipment.

That brings me to DE. I know people who use DE for bugs other than budbugs. Personally, I had never heard of it before this spring. With all the reading I have done now for bedbugs, I have seen a lot of professionals warning about applying DE (even food grade - they absolutely say DO NOT use anything but food grade - thanks tjc) without the proper equipment. It can cause lung problems and is easily disturbed to where one could breathe it in order to cause them. I am not much for taking chances now that a child is around, so I will only be applying the DE when he is in another room or out of the house and I will get a full-on respirator with 100 rated filters. Again, there is a full DE FAQ at bedbugger.com and it gives info on all this.

Spent today:

$261.16 - all the AllerZip covers (even the ones I won't get until later in the week)

$10.88 - DE

$5.98 - Alcohol

Day 10 - Enter The Professionals

The Pest Control folk came by to inspect. I showed them my samples and that was all they needed to see. They will get me their prep list (good thing I was already starting on one for another exterminator) and when I have completed all their requirements, they will come in and do treatment #1.

I asked all my questions and received satisfactory answers (look at bedbugger.com in their FAQs for questions to ask) - they do a combination of treatments, dust and spray. They do not use steam, but that leaves something I can seek out on my own if their work does not produce results. He did not try to sell me on any products, so I will need to go ahead and invest in the more expensive and tested impenetrable encasements now, at least for my bed. My goal is to get through all the requirments on the prep list this week.

While waiting for the inspection, I get another load of laundry in and another dryer only load in (pillows). The pillows get bagged immediately out of the dryer and went straight to the storage room.

I hope to get 1-2 large tubs packed up tonight of unwashable items and do more vacuuming, focusing specifically on baseboards. I need to find my nozzle attachment.

update - well, I did not get the tubs packed up. I did get the laundry bagged, and I found the nozzle for the vacuum. I also got some small scattered misc items up off my floor and into a small tub, and got the ClimbUps on the legs of more furniture. I also did research on how best to fill the big (1/4" or more) gaps and cracks in my old and never re-fishinshed wooden floors. This would probably be a great time to get them re-done, except for the whole, already living in a chaotic mess/spending money like crazy thing. I sought out some advice on the bedbugger.com forums and think I will buy supplies this weekend.

Day 9 - More weekend, more busy

More bites this morning - I hadn't noticed any for a couple of days. These are all on my arm and it is an arm that I had wrapped around a pillow. I had not tried treating the pillows at all. I've read that it is hard to get the core temp high enough to kill them just using a clothes dryer. Well, I may not kill them all, but I may kill some, so I am putting my two pillows in the dryer for over an hour and then I think I will bag one up and store it and bag the other before putting the zipper case and regular case on it. I do not have encasement bed bug specific cases for the pillow because I wanted the opinion of an exterminator first, also wanted to wait until I treated the pillows with the PakTite. I am not sure if I will be able to sleep on a pillow with the krinkle krinkle of plastic, but I'll try.

Aside from the pillows, I did another load of clothes. I knew I had a lot of clothes, but having to wash everything and then bag it up just makes it seem ridiculous. I absolutely need to pare down what I am keeping out to wear.

I took 3 space bags full of things that had been just hanging out in the kitchen to the storage room. The cats got to some of the space bags. I taped up the tears, but I am not convinced they will stay air tight (a bit of a problem with space bags anyway). Now how to know if the plain ole Ziploc bags are airtight. Easy enough to tell with the small once for outfits, squeeze them. But what about the XXL storage ones? hmm, something to think about. I can't be buying bins for everything. Took down one of the big Ziploc bags also.

I get the majority of my files into the plastic storage file boxes, but they aren't taped up yet. Cleared out a good chunk of papers also.

Vacuumed the 2 living spaces, gave the couch and 2 chairs the once over also. Bagged and trashed the vacuum bag (this is going to get expensive).

Exterminator comes tomorrow for inspection, so I am reading up on bedbugger.com all the things I should ask about. Then I go looking for some info in the forums and make the mistake of just reading some. UGH! People on month 6 of infestation. People who see bugs on the walls IN THE DAY! People who are getting bit every night, but never find a bug even when a PCO comes to inspect!! I have found 8 bugs thus far. 5 the first day while looking pre-dawn, BUT STILL!

Oh my god I am so squicked out I bag up a bunch more stuff to be washed tomorrow. Spray down all shoes and bags to leave the house tomorrow, bag up the bags. Spray down a whole set of toys. I do not think there are any live bugs on them, but just in case there are some nymphs. Cannot wait to get the PakTite to treat these things. I am actually attempting to treat a couple of backpacks in a 170 degree oven right now.

Spent today:

Ziplocs big and small - $34.20

91% Rubbing Alcohol - $2.99

Laundry reload - $20.00

Day 8 - weekend again, time to get busy

Today, I have a plan. Shelves for the storage space so that it will hold more, and a bunch of plastic tubs/bins. I have a car (don't normally) a map for the run and hopefully enough time to do it between drop-offs and pick-ups.

Success! all items purchased, shelves assembled (in just about an hour - working solo) and the storage space now has room to accommodate several large space bags and a stack of plastic bins.

I immediately take down the small bins of photos that I had already packed and sealed and had kept in the kitchen.

The rest of the day is laundry: linens on both beds (to be done minimum of once a week now until no signs of bugs), all the clothes we have worn the last week. I don't know about the rest of the world, but I do not wash clothes after 1 wearing unless: I spilled something on it, it got obviously dirty some other way, I sweat enough to know I was sweating (I wash anything I workout in), it smells at all. Washing after 1 wear really fills up the ol' hamper.

All the plastic bags are starting to get to me. I know I can treat them once I get the PakTite, so I am just holding onto them now, it is ridiculous. I will not reuse them until they are treated, that I am clear on.

Speaking of the PakTite, I got a message that they are back in stock with the online store, but I think I am going to check if I can get one locally this week. I'd have it sooner and save shipping costs. The place that may have them will also have DE, so double reason to get in contact with them.

Today I spent:

shelves and bins - $149.53

Day 7

I am going to start losing track of days soon.

2 loads of laundry and a dry only load.

bed and couch moved away from the walls, couch cover lifted up of floor and secured.

Legs of the bed, couch, and recliner were placed into ClimbUp receptors: http://bedbugproducts.blogspot.com/2009/06/bed-bug-climb-up-interceptor.html

I am not recommending any product on this site yet, just telling what I am using. I will post any reactions, successes, and failures.

Mattress of sofa hide-a-bed put into a plastic cover and another search for bugs, defecation marks, eggs, or anything else. NOTHING FOUND. Whoot!

Day 6

Not much time at home on Thursday, thus, not much done.

Bagged some of the previous day's laundry into sets or into put away bags.

I started a search of the couch and found 2 bugs. UGH. so I sprayed them with the alcohol and sprayed more alcohol into the dark depths under the cushions. Hopefully the catchers with fit the couch legs.

Taped up one of the book bins, but then got distracted by something non-bug related that needing doing.

Cancelled the cleaning lady for Friday.

Pushing Through - Day 5

I am determined to get a large chunk of laundry today, if nothing else, I am already able to see holes in my wardrobe planning thus far. I am hoping for 3-4 wash loads and 1-2 dryer only loads. Only 2 wash loads and 1 dryer load got done.

The rest of the plan for tonight is bagging some unwashables that are currently in plastic bins and using the bins for photographs (which are really untreatable and must go into 18 month isolation). - DONE

Then more vacumming and possibly an inspection of the couch (which I have been avoiding). - NOT done

Just decided to get plastic bins to hold file folders today also since that is necessary, files are in my bedroom. That should go fairly quickly tonight and I can get them taped up, any new items to file that come in will go into plastic bags, I guess. - NOT done

update - I did hear from the Association rep. The leadership meets Thursday night and he will talk to me (more likely, I call him) on Friday to see what they decided. I was told that they usually cover exterminations. On one hand, good, saves a huge expense. On the other hand, I really want to be comfortable with the exterminator. SO, I am going to insist that I speak with whomever they choose, if it is not my choice - and if I am not satisfied, I will use my choice instead.

I look around each day and there is till just SO MUCH to do. my place seems to be getting MORE chaotic with all the bags and bins lying about.

It seems the cats, or maybe just one of the cats, has torn at least one of the space bags that are now filling up rooms. Now I need to check each on and tape over any tear I find, also just go buy replacements. I cannot afford bins for everything!

Money spent today:

ClimbUp monitoring devices - $115.90
Plastic file boxes - $25.98
Laundry refill - $20.00

Little Progress - Day 4

Well, as expected, it is hard to keep up the steam through the week. Several factors converged to make today unproductive, it really doesn't warrant going into why.

What I did do:

-dryer treated 2 more large throw pillows from the living room bagged and sealed
-bagged up the craft items that had been under my bed - sealed waiting treatment or 18 months
-organized in my mind a strategy for Wed night when I will have some help again
-online research uncovered some nearby resources for some items I need to treat non-washables as well as isolating furniture (product that will trap bugs trying to get on or get off of furniture, it is not a repellent, so they do not just head elsewhere)

Still no word from the association. I will call several times today, if I still get nothing, I will make some decisions on my own.

another fact:

- bedbugs/eggs cannot be killed by freezing in a normal home freezer

no money spent today.

Tedium - Day 3

At some point I need to write a post about shame and stigma, but not right now.

I'll clean this up a bit later.

Woke up too late to do any laundry, even dryer only loads, but I did pick up the 2 loads that had been in over night and started bagging them. What I didn't get finished I put into a XXL Ziploc for holding.

1st day dealing with all this and work and school. We got off without a hitch, but I am going to have this nagging at the back of my head wondering if I am taking any bugs or eggs with me (worrying about this will eat up a lot of my brain time during the day, but I might have thought up a plan to at least help - more later).

NO email from the association people. I call and wait on hold for a while, but have to get back to work. No email answer from my hope-to-be exterminator either (about treating pets and if he has some products I want). I tell one friend at work and she tells me of a mutual friend who had them, so I will contact that person. At lunch I have to call our sitter. We have regular hours with her each week and I want to let her know the situation before she comes over. big stress, must be a grown-up. Well, turns out, they had them in her house 2 years ago. She gets it, she knows I need help right now, she is ok. YAY! I have decided any guests we have over (and I think she and family will be it) can only go into the kitchen.

After work I get XXL Ziploc on two storage bags that had been under my bed. I had sprayed them down with alcohol when I pulled them out, but as my brain was working today, I realized any eggs on them would just continue to hatch and give me more bugs. ugh. So I spray them down again and get them bagged.

I also spray down the shoes I wore today after going into my room. Spraying shoes I think will become ritual before leaving the house each day. (part of that plan I mentioned)

With my son decompressed from school and watching some shows, I get 2 loads of laundry in and a dryer only load (stuffed animals). I have help tonight and she gets to work bagging the clothes I had left from this morning. Then she boxes up 4 small rubbermaid tubs with books. The books are in the living room and I know the bedroom should be my main focus, but books I've read can go away for 18 months and I'd like a set of that boxed up in case this becomes a long ordeal. **need to still tape those up .

Later I get a large rubbermaid tub filled with shoes and belts and taped all up. I flatten out around 20 shoe boxes and get them into plastic bags to toss out. I also bag up a whole slew of paper goods (tissue paper, paper bags, decorative napkins and plates that I was going to try and get rid of, plus some shopping bags in the hall closet) and toss them all. I have plenty more, this is the decluttering that I need to do. I fill the last small rubbermaid bin I have with small electronics from my bedroom - all things that can go away for 18 months - and tape it up.

While I had help I did my first vacuuming of my bedroom since the discovery. Really this should have happened day 1 or 2, but it didn't. I tried to just focus under the bed and where things that had been under then bed had been sitting once pulled out. After, I put the bag in a ziploc and tossed it, I also removed the part that holds the bag (no electrical elements in that part) as well as the air filter pieces, and poured boiled water over and through them.

I still have a lot to wash, and I am stressing over all my non-washable clothes. I don't really trust my local dry cleaner to do what needs to be done or to understand bed bug specific protocol. I may just bag it up and wait for the PackTite. And then there is all my season clothing that is already in storage, is it affected? That is winter stuff so treating it is going to be a nightmare.

Money spent today:

More ziploc bags - $11.43

Big Push Day - Day 2

It's Sunday and I am saying to myself, "you need to get as much done today as possible because there will be very little you can get done during the week." I also feel that I need to feel ok about leaving the house each day, feel good that I have done everything I can to limit the spreading of any eggs.

I bag up the linens from my bed that had been treated, but were still in the laundry. bag and seal.

I bag up the half of the living room throw pillows that got treated. bag and seal.

I get the next loads ready. I am working on two tracks with the laundry. Track 1 is: Get the clothes we need to wear treated and bagged so the risk of spreading is decreased. Track 2 is: Get everything that can be put away treated so they can get bagged in storage bags and out of the way. I need to do some of both. I focus on the Track 1 goal for my son's clothes. I want him to have all his clothes to choose from just like normal and I want it clean and organized so he can work with a system and I can minimize exposure. I focus on Track 2 with my bedroom since that is the only place we actually know there are bugs at the moment. Also because it is the most cluttered and needs clearing out before the exterminator can come do a treatment.

No word from the Association people. I really don't expect to hear anything until Monday, but I had hoped.

Some things I've learned about Bed Bugs (aside from the Laundry Treatment in previous post):

- They do not spread disease

- They only feed on blood (so no real concern of them infesting food or anything)

- They can hibernate without a feeding for 18 months (thus the treatment for non-washables of sealing them up for 18 months)

- If you have bed bugs and you change where you are sleeping, they will either go into the long hibernation mentioned about or to a nearby new source. It will not eliminate them

- Boric Acid will not kill them

I go to the grocery store and buy 5 boxes of gallon size zipper bags, I also get 2 boxes of the XXL Ziploc bags because I already know that I do not have enough Space bags for the job.

My plan with the gallon sized bags is to put one "outfit" into each, a day's wear. I can put the bags into our normal dressers, and even if they dressers are infested, the clothes will stay clear and will throw away bags after use. Highly wasteful, but I really plan to be as aggressive as I can muster. I think I washed 6 loads today and then dryer treated another 2. It was a lot, but there is still so much more to wash. I have not even started in on any towels or spare sheets. The plan for the outfit bags mostly works (sometimes it takes 2 bags for 1 outfit), and we are at least set for the coming week.

I go through a few areas of my bedroom and identify enough stuff to toss to fill a small garbage bag. I tie it up, seal it up and then toss it.

I go buy 2 large and 6 small rubbermaid tubs. I decide that I need to start addressing all the stuff in my bedroom that cannot be washed. In my online research I found this thing called PackTite, it was made to treat luggage for bedbugs, but is now being actively used by people to treat many things that cannot be laundered (not everything can be treated in it, I asked them about CDs and DVDs and they said no). I am on a list to be contacted with PackTites become available, they are currently all sold out (I'm pretty sure bedbugs are a growth industry). My thought is to pack the tubs up and then seal them with packing tape until they are airtight. I will try to pack them in two groups: 1) Things to treat when the PackTite comes 2) Things that cannot be treated in the PackTite and need to stay sealed for 18 months.

I'll go over all this with the exterminator. He may say it's a stupid plan.

I pack one of the big ones with purses, bags, and a few hats. I pack one small one with jewelry and various jewelry boxes. I start on a second small one, but I think I need to re-do it, I think it is a mix of things that could be treated and things that can't.

I foresee a lot of things leaving my house in 18 months, or even post treatment. Some clothes are already getting tossed after I wash them. I just had to think, would I miss wearing this for a few months or even the next six months and some items did not pass.

Money spent today:

Laundry refill $30

Zipper bags $22.69

Plastic bins $72.52

Getting to work - Day 1

First things first, I go pull the sheets and mattress pad off my bed and put them immediately into a plastic bag.

It is still not quite 7am, but I put in a call to the exterminator. I figure I will leave a message and move on to something else, but no, he answers and we go over a few things. I email my homeowners association, I need a few things from them: 1) I have bed bugs, that probably means they are in other units and/or the common areas. 2) Do they have a contract with an exterminator that I am obligated to use? 3) I found some documents used by other groups in New York to inform residents and staff, pass them along. 4) They need to conduct examinations of the residents next to me and they need to inform all residents. 5) Pass along the number of my exterminator as someone to contact for guidance.

OK - what next? Everything I have read thus far regarding what to do when you discover bed bugs in your place basically starts with: ACT FAST. BE AGGRESSIVE. STAY DILIGENT.

I decide that what I really need to do is wash things as fast as possible (details on wash regime later), and get the area that I know is affected encased in a plastic wrapper.

Unfortunately, our day is not free. In fact, I have obligations that will keep me out of the house from 10am - about 3pm. All I do before we leave is take stock of what I need to get done, inform people, and take a long hot scrub-filled shower.

LAUNDRY REGIME TO KILL BEDBUGS & EGGS - The articles I read online (a good summary of information is at bedbugger.com here) suggested washing things in hot water and then drying on HOT for an hours (or until bone dry + 20 minutes) whichever is longer.

I've decided everything washable in the house will get this treatment. According to some of what I read, some believe it is only the drying that kills the eggs, so I decided I will just dry the harder to wash items and some items that I am pretty sure would be damaged if washed. These include: throw pillows on bed and couch, some silk items, tennis shoes, and stuffed animals.

Before anything gets washed or encased, I have armed myself with a spray bottle with 90% rubbing alcohol. This will kill live bugs, NOT eggs, but live bugs only. The exterminator suggested have this on hand before dealing with the mattresses so that I could kill any live bugs I see and get maybe a few non-squeezed to death samples. I have cheapo plastic encasers for all the mattresses in the house. The exterminator says not to invest in the expensive ones until I get treatment for the house. First I pull out everything from under my bed and look for evidence on them, find a little, spray spots down in case there are small live bugs there. Then I go to work carefully lifting up my mattress and spraying any live bug I see as well as any spotted area (where they have defecated) in case there are some live ones there. There are only two areas I see and I get 3 more live bugs from them. yuck yuck yuck. I carefully remove the dust ruffle from between the mattress and box springs and get it into the plastic bag with the sheets. I spray down all the seam area around the mattress, in that crease area is a prime place for the bugs and their eggs. Then I prop the mattress up on one end and get up on the box springs and go about getting the plastic cover on and then pull it back down to get it zip on around the end. 1 down. Then that comes off the bed and now I have to figure out how to do the box spring. Thank goodness I only have a full sized bed, I do not think I could have done a queen by myself. The exterminator warned my that there may be places on the bedframe that would tear the plastic, so to be very careful. Actually what seemed to want to tear the plastic on mine was these plastic caps on the bottom corners of the box spring itself. I raised up both ends of the box spring and librally sprayed the alcohol down all edges and slats. Little by little pulling here, easing there, I get the cover on the box spring and zip it up. I already feel a lot better. I see one hole on the top of the plastic wrap on the box spring, so I get some heavy clear tape and seal it up. Mattress back on.

Next up is laundry for the comforter, sheets, mattress pad, and dust ruffle. All the items that I know have had live bugs on them. I kept the items sealed up in the plastic bags until I am at the machines and the doors are open. I dump the stuff in as fast as possible close it up and get that hot water flowing. Then I toss the plastic space bags I used for transport into the garbage.

When it was time to move them to the dryer, I bring down all the throw pillows from my bed and I put them in for an hour in the dryer on high also. Things end up being in the dryers overnight.

I make my now plastic wrapped bed in light colored sheets so that I will be able to watch carefully for evidence.

My son's bed has no live bugs (that I find) and no evidence in the form of spots. Still he gets a new plastic wrap for his bed and everything in his room will be treated.

Money spent today:

2 bottles 90% rubbing alcohol - $9.00

spray bottles - $5.41 (for 3)

4 vinyl mattress zipper close covers - $62.65

Space Bags - $83.66

rubber gloves - $6.50

The Realization

Early Saturday morning my son came into my room and woke me up. He'd wet his bed, needed to go to the bathroom and needed me to be there in the scary dark. All cleaned up and ready for more sleep he heads with me to my bed (as his is wet and the plastic mattress pad got torn, so now the mattress has a wet spot too). It's a warm and humid summer night, the A/C is on, but I keep it at 77/78, so there is no need for the down comforter that is still on my bed. It is piled in a mess off to one side and as my son slides into bed I flop the comforter over some to get it more at the end of the bed and out of the way. That is when I see them, two black bugs about the size of lentils. Instinctively I swat at them and I catch one. There is a blood stain now on my comforter. hmm my tired brain says, small bug in my bed that is full of blood, I know what that is. ugh gross yuck, oh no, please no, really no no no.

My son is quickly back to sleep, but not so for me. I am up and on the internet. Google "Bed Bugs". I read for maybe 15 minutes, realize that I need to get a sample of the bugs to make sure that is what it is (otherwise, the sites tell me, I will need an exterminator to do a full inspection). I also need to contain them to as quickly as possible stop the spreading. So back to the bedroom, this time with some clear tape in hand and a large Space Bag. Luckily I had some unused ones in the front closet. I go to the comforter and slowly, carefully open up a folded area in the dark, nothing in the first one, but the second one reveals another 2 lentil sized bugs and what seems to be smaller ones, or maybe they are eggs. ugh gross gag. I grab a tissue and squeeze it down as hard as possible over the area, then I transfer the two large ones to the clear tape and fold that over on them squeezing again as hard as I can just in case they are still alive. Then I fold that area back down and the rest of the comforter around it and smoosh it as slowly as I can muster into the space bag and then zip that mother shut. Then, to be perfectly honest, I do a small heeby jeeby dance.

There is still no chance that I am going to sleep, so I go back to the internet. I find bedbugger.com and I read, and read, and read some more. I Google "Bed Bug Exterminators New York City" and several variations thereof. I find an exterminator highly recommended by people in more that one website. Bookmark that. I find advice about the tons of work I will need to be doing to contain and avoid the spreading.

When my son wakes up, early, but no longer dark outside, I am still online reading and bookmarking and making mental lists. I get him settled in for Saturday morning cartoons and my first day on my Bed Bug Journey begins.