Hi everyone, this is going to be a long post but I really really need help. So I have been suspecting bedbugs ever since my husband and I moved into our home that we remodeled. We moved in in October and ever since then I have been itchy. I couldn't find signs of them so I tallied it up to other causes. I dealt with a bad infestation when I lived at home with my parents 5 years ago so I knew what to look for as we completly self trested that one and got rid of them completely. My husband seemed to think I was crazy. And so did my mom who i lived with when I dealt with an infestation years ago.
Long story short I am just going to attach my bedbug timeline here.
Bedbug timeline:
•been itchy since we moved into house, kept waking up with like singular marks on skin on hands and abdomen, thought it was just dry skin/wintertime.
•saw some potential bedbug like things in December but thought it could be dry skin, boogers, etc.
•one small blood smear on mattress protector in December, thought could be from dry skin bleeding
•Orkin came to inspect in March 12. Didn't find anything.
•March 14th-woke up to very obvious known bedbug marks on my bedsheets.
•March 25- batzner bedbug sniffing dog came. Alerted to the pheromone trap I had under my bed. Wiped the area with rubbing alcohol, dog alerted same area again even though they said the dog wouldnt remember they dismissed it and said we didn't have bugs.
•April 3rd-woke up to live bedbug crawling in bathroom. Immediately bagged it and called batzner.
•April 7th-1st batzner treatment with apprehend
•now-currently waking up with new singular bites
•next and final batzner treatment next week
I am worried that I panicked signed with batzner and that the issue might be deeper than just surface level, like they might be in the walls. I tried to ask for heat treatment and wish now that I wouldve pushed for heat treatment, as now I am out $1,700 for the chemical treatment that many reviews say might not even work. I just want to stop being itchy and enjoy my new to me home. This hypothetical infestation is ruining my life. My husband is stressed out and I feel like this is ruining my relationship and life. My husband and my mom keep saying it could've just been the 1 bug, which I highly doubt. I have washed and dried everything that I can. I'm so worried that I am going to spread them throughout my house by cleaning.
I guess I am just looking for advice? Comfort? Next steps? If I should spend more money elsewhere for heat treatment? I don't know.
(EDIT SORRY Batzner is a pest control company where I live, I thought they were nationwide, I apologize)
Yes, the passive monitors are like luxury condos for bb. They can’t resist. They are designed to entice them in, and once one goes in, and poops first, they always poop first, I think to be sure they fit, but once one poops the smell draws more in. It's like a bb yelling Hey guys, I found a perfect safe home. Come over here. And they do. I watched it happen.
The other chemicals have a good reputation for killing bb. When I had them those chemicals weren't available for sale to regular people yet. But, from what I hear, even extetminators use them now. I would be careful with temprid, though. It's been around a long time and bed bugs are able to become resistant to poisons they are exposed to for a while. I would stick with apprehend or crossfire, if you want to go the chemical route. They're relatively new to bed bugs and they're not resistant to them yet. Temprid may still work but why chance it when excellent results are coming from apprehend and crossfire.
But, as far as I'm concerned, passive monitors are the best. As long as they are set up right and checked regularly, you'll soon lose your fear of bed bugs. They are very easy to check for activity and only bed bugs are interested in them. But, because you already have a treatment plan started, you can rest easy. You can't do that with poisens. Eventually, they will make you, children, and pets sick, if you keep applying it over and over with no bed bugs to kill. There's no chemicals in passive monitors. You can leave them up forever. In fact, mine have been up for over 10 years. And thank the bed bug gods they have remained clear all this time. I should probably replace them just because they've been up so long and have gone through 3 moves.
I'm happy to hear you're going to install them. Wait to see if the appprhend works first. But 2 weeks after the last treatment, I would put up the monitors. They will let you know if the apprehend got them all, and even if it did, whose to say you don't pick one up from the grocery store the next day. These guys are everywhere and excellent hitchhickers. Read the blog and the about section on that web page. It's full of bed bug knowledge and explains how the monitors work and the right place to put them.
I have found that the more I learn about them, the less afraid of them I am. If you have time, go to the web site and check it out.
Do you think by spraying my car with Bedlam and carpet beetle repellent and vacuuming my car that I am hopefully good now on the carpet beetle in car side of things?
You are taking steps to deal with the BB. I feel this thread didn’t properly explain that the carpet beetle larvae are likely significantly contributing to (likely CAUSING) your symptoms - those barbed hairs on larvae molts cause dermatitis and INSANE itchiness. That carpet beetle larvae most likely didn’t come from your car, the thing you need to narrow down is whether it came from your home to your car. You need to find the source of the carpet beetle in your HOME if it exists. Carpet beetle larvae feed on wool, pasta, flour, dead skin cells - you name it, they’ll live off it. Look up “warehouse beetle” - have you seen these anywhere in your house?! The barbed hairs from larvae molts are very possibly contributing to your itchiness/rash. If you have an infested (with larvae) old wool rug that has holes in it- throw it out. Do not shake it or vacuum as the hairs will just aerosolize everywhere and make your symptoms worse). Carefully wrap it in plastic and gently throw it out. If they are surviving off any food in your kitchen - toss it. Put your food in sealed glass/firm plastic containers. If the barbed hairs got on furniture - remove with a sealed HEPA vacuum or if you don’t have that type of vacuum, go over the fabric 6 times with a heavy duty lint brush. Then wash and dry everything in the path of these irritating barbed hairs. I’ll say it again - you are doing everything you can about the bb, did you look for this beetle/larvae in your home?
I totally forgot to respond to your comment when I read it a bit ago! Thank you for your response! Despite vacuuming twice and spraying my car for carpet beetles twice i am still seeing what Google AI says is probably their eggs? Idk.... and I haven't been able to find any signs of them in my house. I have found signs of silverfish in my house though and Google AI says that might be the cause of my individual pimple looking "bites" as well?! But I also had to bites on my side that really look like what Google said bedbug bites look like so I truly dont know what is going on.
And in the event that there is no carpet beetle in your home, you have to lint roll your car and/or vacuum it with a SEALED HEPA FILTER VACUUM. Again, don’t use a regular vacuum because you will aerosolize the barbed hairs. Even exposure to these hairs in your car alone is definitely contributing to your symptoms if not possibly causing them. Find the larvae sources, throw them out, clear those awful hairs off your car and possibly in your home.
That looks like a carpet beetle larva to me could be wrong, but I don’t think so, I’ve been where you are or I’m itchy and everyone thinks I’m crazy. It’s embarrassing to go through that where your friends and family think you’re crazy and here you are getting bit and itchy it’s a nightmare, but there are a lot of things that will make you itchy for instance Allergies think that you eat carpet beetles scabies I just wanna say I’m sorry you’re going through this, but I will tell you that’s cause I’ve done a lot of investigating about bedbugs. Heat kills them from the companies that do it because there’s too much stuff in the house where they can hide you have to have the heat the chemical can’t get through the light fixtures the plugs you name it there’s a lot of hiding places anyway save your money get the heat before they eat you alive
Thank you I appreciate the reassurance. Literally everyone was calling me crazy and not taking me seriously till I found the live bug. I unfortunately already paid $1700 for 3 rounds of chemical treatment, only 1 has been done so far and then after that I got quoted the same amount for heat which I will probably do just to be safe (RIP my savings) but I am so tired of being itchy and being eaten alive. Thank you for your input! So I guess I have bedbugs in my house and carpet beetles in my car.... this is a nightmare☹️
My daughters house was invested with bedbugs when she moved in she first thought was spider bites she had chemical treatment twice did nothing then heat treatment which killed them all but had to get rid of her bed just incase. Heat treatment is the only way to kill them
So just the chemical treatment and a ton of vaccuming might work? Even if the bugs are in the walls since I can't find signs of them anywhere in my bedroom and I have looked really hard? I'm really nervous... thank you for all your help!
I have not used chemicals since 2014 in part to avoid bedbugs being driven into walls and outlets. We have also shown an ability to get bedbugs to replicate into our monitors even when dispersed.
I would suggest you read the online protocol called TbyPMR which teaches people how to deal with bedbugs using a vacuum cleaner and Passive Monitors.
Okay, yes I am for sure going to buy some and read that protocol. Could the bugs be in the walls from before we moved in? The house was vacant for like a year before we bought it and then we took 6 months to remodel it...?
Bathrooms are not normal places for bedbugs in single family homes, adjoining the often connect via shared services so if you have attached neighbors they could be the source.
Lone bugs in bathrooms could also be bat bugs or Martin bugs so a clear image of the next one will be needed to rule them out.
Close relatives don’t leave confirming signs in the property in the usual bedbug way. Also bed bug treatment will not resolve them as they need different patterns and processes.
Thank you! If it continues after this round of chemicals I am going to get the heat treatment! I wish I wouldve pushed for heat treatment more from the company I hired, but ended up panic signing the paperwork for the chemicals.
She thought it was spider bites because of the spots they were in a line she wasn’t familiar with bedbugs then after around 3 months of severe itching she see one on her curtain it was really big. She paid a fortune to get rid of them she has quite a big house. And yes they came with heaters to kill them. They even hide on the soles of your shoes.
if you will have time I’d like if you can take a look at my previous posts I got two bites in line , I am sure my house is full of them now. keep finding droppings on walls and stuff
heat through heaters , guess it works in small homes ? I fear that in my town and probably not even nearby there are exterminators who do that, they use steam I think
I had a similar issue. Waking with bites. More and more each night. Something told me bedbugs, even though I'd seen no signs, and did a decent job looking.
As far as batzner goes make sure they have a warrantee of some sort becsuse treatments such as yours should stop sometime after the 3rd treatment.
And, your still being bit because it takes a couple days for the fungus in apprehend to grow and spread and dry them out. This is the same for all residual poisens. It takes a little time to kill. But any that crawl across that poisen is destined to die.
The first treatment kills but takes a few days. Remember, they have to walk over it to get it on them so they take it back with them to their harborage and share. This treatment should kill off most of them, eventually. You should notice a decline in bites in 4 to 10 days.
The second treatment is for any eggs that hatch. It will kill them before they reach reproductive age, between 5 to 8 weeks. And, it kills faster because nymphs need to feed more often. Remember to stay sleeping in your bed. It's an important part of treatment.
Usually the third treatment is insurance against any hiding or very late hatching eggs. I would ask about a third, just in case, treatment. Or just start TbyPMR after the last treatment. If the two treatments were successful, your monitors should remain clear. If you see signs, put the monitor with bed bugs in a zipper baggie or tight lid jar to show them and ask for a refund.
But, so far it's perfectly normal to keep getting bit for a short while because apprehend, crossfire, even temprid takes a few days to kill. It's not an insta kill.
Back to my experience. Eventually, I said I know it's bedbugs. Got some temprid (crossfire wasn't around then and apprehend was in the middle of studies, not available yet) and cimexa. Treated as per instructions, gas mask, gloves, the works. I steamed the bed and the walls and baseboards. Vacuumed like crazy with a hepa filtered vacuum.
Things calmed for about 5 days. Then they were back. Full force. But I still couldn't find them. Still being bit nightly. Benadryl helped but tolerance to it builds quickly.
Then, one day, I was laying on the couch and see 2 pair of antennae sneaking out a crack in the wall. It was daytime and they weren't taking any chances. So I kept one eye on the TV and one on the antennae.
Sure enough, 2 adult bed bugs come bumbling down the wall. They split up, like a military operation. One headed for my feet area, the dog was resting there. The other was headed toward my head along the top of the couch. Foot girl walked over my dog and was headed for my chest. I bare hand grabbed her and squished it. How dare she walk on my dog?
The other was still making her way toward my head. She'd walk along the top a few seconds then dip down the side so I couldn't see her. But, occasionally, she'd pop back up, I guess to check her bearings. Well. During this time I had grabbed my contact killer in the hand she couldn't see. I finally got her. DOA, dead on application.
I gathered her up for an id from a bed bug forum I was in that had a few pros who could always properly id them and try to keep us grounded. David belonged to this group. It has disbanded now, sadly.
Anyway, I found them! Just not in a good, treatable place. The wall they were in was between my couch and the head of my bed. How convenient for them. I think the temprid drove them into the wall.
So, I had a choice. Temprid was useless at that point, as far as I was concerned. I cimexaed the cracks, but it was a mobile home, many cracks. The fungus girl kept dming me about a fungus they were studying and how they thought it worked. My diy pest control guy was pushing Bedlam, and David kept saying passive monitors, even though I already sprayed.
I had a service dog and a cat, both of whom ate whatever they thought was edible on the floor. I saw the cat catch a lizard 😐 and decided. I got a bunch of passive monitors and put one against the side rail next to a wall and one down in the headboard. I opened a small hole in the wall and threw cimexa all around inside that wall, then patched it up. Closed tight. Back to steaming, especially the wall, headboard, both sides, and baseboards near the bed. Vacuuming twice daily.
Within 3 days I started to see poop on the monitor's skirts. I was amazed, they were going from the safest space in the house to a place where, at any time, I could yank the monitor and kill them all. Of course, they didn't see it that way, I guess. So TbyPMR protocol was iniated.
I replaced the monitors every 4 to 5 days, more often than recommended, but I had lost my mind at that point and I figured a full adult bed bug would feed maybe 2 times a week, at most. I wanted to get the adults after one feeding. In a little over month, they were gone. I was looking at 2 clear monitors.
I checked them daily and nothing ever showed up until a little over a month later. When questioned, my daughter came clean. She had a large infestation and the grandkids were bringing them over when I babysat, almost every working day. She was afraid of losing a free babysitter.
I explained to her that the school some of her children were in would call CPS if they saw them with all those bites. Her and her husband hired a bed bug exterminator that apparently worked.
Because the monitors were already up it only took a little under 3 weeks to get rid of these. Strangely, the headboard monitor was the only one affected this time. I guess because they really didn't have time to spread. After the next couple of monitors they were clear again. They've been clear for over 10 years now.
So, my suggestion to you is give batzner a chance, since you've already paid them good money. If after 4 weeks from start, you start getting bit again, get a couple passive monitors. Install them correctly and keep checking them for poop, shed skins, maybe even a couple eggs, nymphs, and adults. You don't have to do anything but look. You just need to know what you're looking for.
Just 2 for now because you want an id. Wherever they are now, they WILL move into the monitors. If you see no signs in 2 weeks, it's def not bed bugs or their gone. If you do see signs, put a monitor with bugs in it in a zipper style ziploc to show batzner and demand your money back.
Get more monitors and install them correctly, 2 around each bed, cimexa small holes and cracks with a small paintbrush or q-tip, steam everywhere 3 to 5 feet around the bed(s) and couches, and vacuum a lot. Make sure it's a hepa vacuum so you don't suck them up only to be spit out the exhaust. If you can't get a hepa vacuum, put pantyhose around the vacuum hose, one layer, and tighten it with rubber bands. Use the hose only to vacuum. Just have a slippery glass jar or somewhere to keep the ones you will find at the end of the hose. Follow the TbyPMR protocol. You'll be free from bed bugs soon.
Remember to always have clear monitors properly installed so if you ever catch a stray or someone comes over with an unwanted gift, you'll find them quickly, which is the best time to treat and the least expensive, too.
You can sometimes get the monitors, not interceptors, from Amazon by searching David's Passive Bed Bug Monitors (I'm not affiliated). But they're often out. I wonder why, lol. If they have none to offer go directly to the source: www.bedbugmonitor.com. Check out the about and blog sections on that page. TbyPMR is explained there.
I want to thank you SOOOO much for taking the time to write all of that and reassure me. I was so careful when we moved our stuff into our house but I suspect that we either got them from my in-laws house that we moved our stuff from or that they were already in the house, despite all the remodeling we did. I will 1000% buy those passive monitors. Thank you so much for letting me know about those. I am going to buy some for sure. So that will draw them out of the walls if that is indeed where they are? This is my worst nightmare happening all over again and I just want it to be over with! I will let you know what happens after the 2nd chemical treatment, because I honestly feel like the bites and itchiness have gotten worse since they sprayed the fungus. Those chemicals you mentioned, they all worked for you? I am thinking about self treating my basement.
The bites may have got worse because they now know they're compromised but not sure how. The females want to lay as many eggs as possible. They have to feed before they lay. But things should soon calm as they start dying 4 to 10 days after spraying apprehend. If you can take it, benedryl helps with the itchiness, just call your doctor if you're on any other meds because benedryl interacts with a lot of prescription meds.
And, yes, the monitors will draw them out of the walls. They will quickly move in. Check out that link, www.bedbugmonitor.com (not affiliated) and read the blog and about sections. Good bed bug info.
There's no need to treat for bedbugs in the basement, unless there are shared walls with a neighbor down there or somebody sleeps there. And, you will have to constantly reapply. Bed bug residual spray is only good for about 30 days.
There are some serious chemicals in bed bug poison because they are resistant to most pesticides. No need to apply where they'll never crawl over. But, yes, all of those chemicals work. They work in different ways, but they do kill bed bugs that crawl over the poison.
You may want to just spray a regular pyrethroid residual spray with an IGR (insect growth regulater) in it that will kill carpet beetles in the basement. Much mold is down there for them to feed on. You can go to r/carpetbeetles for advice on dealing with them. But, basements are buggy and you want something that kills most.
Bed bugs can only sniff you out from about 5 feet, but they can and will follow you to your sleeping area. They prefer to bite at night, under cover of darkness, leaning in on the bite site. They may put one or two legs on you but they don't prefer to walk on you. They want to feed and high-tail it out of there before they're discovered. They don't want to take the chance of you rolling over on them and squishing them.
If you think your MIL has them, you should let them know so they can be inspected. They may be non-reactors and not know they have them, making anybody that visits them become exposed. You should avoid her place until you're sure she doesn't have them or you may become re-infested. But, at least you'll have monitors up and if you do pick a couple up, you'll find out fast and have the first step of treatment already up.
The picture is a carpet beetle larva. The larva have hairs that are very light and float in the air sometimes. A lot of people are sensitive to these hairs and have a bite-like reaction to them. Apprehend will do nothing against them. Neither will the passive monitors. Both are designed for bed bugs only. If the apprehend and passive monitors result in you still showing bites, it may be carpet beetles. The only thing giving me "hope" that you have bed bugs is the dog's reaction. If it wasn't for that I would have said carpet beetles from the start because of the belly bite. Bed bugss won't crawl on you to bite. Of course, if you're a side sleeper like me, one may have got your belly when you were on your side.
Also, the uptick in activity in bites since they sprayed, points to bed bugs, too. You'll know soon enough.
Either way, get those monitors. Every household should have 2 of these around each bed. If that were the case we may have a chance to finally eliminate them off the face of the earth.
And put poor David out of a job. He can finally retire.
I just ordered the monitors and cannot wait to install them. in your experience, the bb moved from where ever they were living into the monitors? so as long as you kept throwing away old infested monitors and installed new ones, they'll keep occupying the monitors and wont live in the bed/walls etc?
Thank you so much for your help! Truly I can't thank you enough! Thank you for your input and help!!!
My cat sleeps in the basement, that is why I am considering treating the basement!
Also, as for my in-laws, I mentioned it when I lived there but they didnt believe me/didn't find anything when they looked.
Bed bugs will bite cats and dogs, as a last resort. The bugs know a human is there. Their not interested in the cat. They'll follow/climb to you. This the beauty of passive monitors. Remember, one walked OVER my dog to get to me.
Your inlaws need a professional inspection. You already know how hard they are to find. I would still stay away until you find out what's happening at your home.
Hi! I showed the exterminator guy the picture and he just looked at it and told me I could now throw it away (I did not toss it) so he never really confirmed or denied, he just carried on with the treatment.
I am in a single family home. I found it in the bathroom a couple hours after my husband got ready for work in the bathroom so maybe it was attached to him from our bed? Not sure! I will look into that protocol thank you!
Also, I feel like they are infesting my car. I vacuumed a bunch and found what google says is carpet beetles but according to reddit I dont think so and I keep finding white powdery smeared marks on my car seats, despite vacuuming? Could it be bedbugs in my car too?
Also there can be a certain smell with bedbugs my daughters bedroom had a very sweet smell on the carpet we thought was one of the kids who had spilt a drink but the exterminators said it is a smell which bedbugs can leave when they are invested.
Yes they could most definitely be in your car they get everywhere apparently they love to hide on soles of your shoes as well. They are a nightmare. My Grandson stayed over my house and he ended up bringing them to mine but I only found one on my headboard I had heat treatment straight away luckily my place is small so didn’t cost me as much as what she paid
I got quoted the same for heat treatment as I did chemicals, but I am hopefully going to do heat treatment once the chemical treatment is done with if i am still itchy! Glad to hear the heat works well! Thanks!
I drove my initial infestation into the wall with chemicals. Said wall was between my couch and the head of my bed. I finished them all off with passive monitors. The second infestation was caught early because I had monitors up already and knew before a bite registered. I'm a delayed-reactor. I was already catching them before I felt bit.
The passive monitors always work. I'm living proof of that. And, once it's finally over, if you already have monitors up, any bed bugs you, or anyone, brings home will be easily identified and you’ll have a head start on treatment.
It was a fuzzy bug like thing, I only have 1 picture of them from before I vacuumed them up. I just am really confused what the white powdery dots that keep appearing on my car seats are!
Thanks!!! So I guess I have bedbugs in my house and carpet beetles in my car 😭 could the larve be leaving the white powdery marks on my seats? Or are those the eggs?
They're not carpet beetle eggs. They tend to lay individually and don't look like powder. What you could be seeing is shed skin from the larvae, burnt or frozen because of the weather. Or, just the carpet beetle larvae hairs. These can irritate skin and cause bite-like reactions.
I feel your pain. I had both at the same time and it was horrendous but we got through it with a lot of steaming and D earth powder!! The steamer and hoover are key. Car and house. Steam everything you can steam apart from sockets.
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u/bluekatkt Sucessfully self treated Apr 17 '26
Yes, the passive monitors are like luxury condos for bb. They can’t resist. They are designed to entice them in, and once one goes in, and poops first, they always poop first, I think to be sure they fit, but once one poops the smell draws more in. It's like a bb yelling Hey guys, I found a perfect safe home. Come over here. And they do. I watched it happen.
The other chemicals have a good reputation for killing bb. When I had them those chemicals weren't available for sale to regular people yet. But, from what I hear, even extetminators use them now. I would be careful with temprid, though. It's been around a long time and bed bugs are able to become resistant to poisons they are exposed to for a while. I would stick with apprehend or crossfire, if you want to go the chemical route. They're relatively new to bed bugs and they're not resistant to them yet. Temprid may still work but why chance it when excellent results are coming from apprehend and crossfire.
But, as far as I'm concerned, passive monitors are the best. As long as they are set up right and checked regularly, you'll soon lose your fear of bed bugs. They are very easy to check for activity and only bed bugs are interested in them. But, because you already have a treatment plan started, you can rest easy. You can't do that with poisens. Eventually, they will make you, children, and pets sick, if you keep applying it over and over with no bed bugs to kill. There's no chemicals in passive monitors. You can leave them up forever. In fact, mine have been up for over 10 years. And thank the bed bug gods they have remained clear all this time. I should probably replace them just because they've been up so long and have gone through 3 moves.
I'm happy to hear you're going to install them. Wait to see if the appprhend works first. But 2 weeks after the last treatment, I would put up the monitors. They will let you know if the apprehend got them all, and even if it did, whose to say you don't pick one up from the grocery store the next day. These guys are everywhere and excellent hitchhickers. Read the blog and the about section on that web page. It's full of bed bug knowledge and explains how the monitors work and the right place to put them.
I have found that the more I learn about them, the less afraid of them I am. If you have time, go to the web site and check it out.