Could it be bedbugs? & they're coming to Christmas - UH OH

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

You are making me itch!

 

[HeatherLynn]

Man now I feel like doing the olive oil treatment just to fool my brain into not itching. I wonder if you can use that all over or just hair. I was telling my mom about it and she is downstairs right now itching. I am really sorry you guys are in this position. Dare I hope they have no kids.

 

[zzGypsy]

a gentleman who worked for me had his house infested with bedbugs from a used sofa they were given... it took a YEAR to get them out of the house, after multiple attemtps they finally got them out with the high-heat treatment.

DE won't work. most pesticides won't work and the only one that seems to work sometimes requires a professional applicator, you can NOT do it yourself and I wouldn't want it in my house. as far as treating your clothes after you go... well maybe microwave them. that is if they don't get off your clothes on the way home and into your car...

if they know it's bedbugs, I think I would not be going... you have NO idea how easy it is to bring them home, and how hard they are to get rid of once you do.

BTW, it's not the cleaning conditions of the home, but if you've picked them up somewhere. hotels, a friends house, you can have fabulous housekeeping standards and still get them.

 

[Cpprpnny19]

"I'm sorry Grandma, but so-and-so has a fever and has been up all night vomiting, so we can't make it"

"Love you Grandma"

"Miss you too"

 

[sourland]

My family and I would come down with the flu rather than risk bedbugs.

 

[BuffyGRL]

Bed Bugs are definately not easy to kill, and it is serious business. The eggs are not gonna be easily seen by the human eye. My workplace has done extensive training on this and Very High Heat is about the only way to eraticate them unless you get a professional. Even the pros I have heard start charging at something like $5,000. And there is no guarantee to rid of them. These creatures are nasty, they will go everywhere with you. They do not fly but they hide in cracks, walls, electrical sockets, behind trims and moldings, especially in furniture and mattresses.

I hope for your sake it isn't bed bugs. And Hopefully someone else in the family will be as worried about Grandma as you are. Bed Bugs can cause Anemia because they feed only at night.

As someone said, filth isn't the cause. They can affect anyone no matter how clean the house or person.

Here is a short video from National Geographic

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/bugs-animals/other-bugs/bedbugs.html

 

[calicokat]

It's just Gr'Ma, SIL's family (a mom, dad, 21 & 18 yr old kids & their boyfriend & girlfriend) and us gathering for Xmas.

We are the only ones freaking out. SIL's family & Gr'Ma think it is no big deal.

I've read up on the links above & how to treat it, but I'm telling you all that they are just going to "bomb" the cluttered house (which will not work) and wait for warm weather to turn up the furnace and kill them that way (which we know will also not work).

I think I might play dumb & print some of the articles & pictures for SIL "just to be helpful.". I can highlight the parts that talk about what they are planning to do, and how it won't work, but she probably wouldn't read it anyway. They really don't think it's any big deal *sigh*

 

[MeatKing]

So are you gonna stay home, ready to boy cot Grandma's house, or anyone else who may have picked it up there?

Still can't believe SIL is so relaxed.. I would be so sterssed out, if I was her. And I would seariously only order gifts, straight from store for people, I would be so worried if I was that family.. Afraid to even see folks in case of infecting someone..

 

[Shireshome]

My family and I stayed in a hotel earlier this year that had bedbugs and I can tell you there are few things so unpleasant as the bite from a bedbug. It does sound like a bedbug by the fact you said it started out as a blister. That is exactly how they start out. We were sort of lucky in that I figured out what was going on before we went home, so we were able to quarantine our belongings. First of all I wouldn't have anyone who has bedbugs over to my house, period. However, if your grandmother understands the situation and risk and still wants them over it's easy for you to protect yourself. You'll need to take a change of clothes and make sure you change your clothes you had on at the party before you go into your house, put the clothes in a bag and throw them right into the dryer. It only takes 90F for 20 mins for them to die. Also do not take your purse, or any other belongings into the house, or, you can leave them in a separate room where the individuals with the bugs will not be present. Understand this is a much bigger risk for your grandmother than it is for you, the chances of you getting them really aren't that great unless you were to take a pile of clothes or bedding home from the individual with the infestation. I hope this helps and if you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

 

[goldfinches]

To see if they're bedbugs, look at the bed. You will see red, star shaped stains where they've spit blood. gross, I know, sorry. They usually bite near elbows and knees. Feet. Extremities.
They come from the wall. Climb up bed legs. You can see them with your eye, they're small, maybe 1/4 inch. You may see some dead ones in the cracks of the mattress.

You can't get rid of them by bombing. You need to treat each item of clothing, black garbage bags in the sun reaching hot temps. Not really possible right now unless you live in the tropics. You need to have the carpets steam cleaned. You need to hire an exterminator, or, if you trust yourself buy the chemicals online. There's a powder to spray into wall cracks, liquid too. Treatment is a very long process, you have to kill them at a certain stage in their lifestyle, so you have to get them as adults, so treatment will be every couple of weeks.

Avoid all the things they try to give you. I don't care if it offends, protect yourself and your family. If they insist and you don't want to offend, just put the stuff in black bags, sealed, in the garbage, or try to treat it with chemicals.

You won't get them by standing near them, they don't hitch rides on people, I don't think. Just stuff.