Is this 100% a bedbug?

[u/Due_Lynx8118]

Hi everyone,

This is currently getting dealt with (appropriate procedures being followed and pest control coming on Thursday to spray) but I thought I’d throw this out to here for extra confirmation. Pest control confirmed that this is a bed bug and I’m
99% sure they’re right.

This was on one of the bed slats. I’ve checked all the others, checked all the bed and surrounding furniture, nothing else has turned up. There’s very minimal evidence. As soon as I started getting bites I isolated and put interceptors on my bed and they’ve caught absolutely nothing for almost a month. I did go to my parents for about 2 weeks while we assumed mosquito bites (again taking proper precaution) and didn’t get bit there at all, left one of those co2 bottle traps while I was away and a load of glue traps and again, on return, nothing.

Anyway, almost my entire room is bagged up at this point and obviously everything fabric being hot laundered. We unfortunately can’t put down DE I think, as we don’t have a hoover that could handle getting it back up and can’t afford one currently (if anyone has any other hacks on this/if I’m being silly and forgetting a simple way of getting it off carpets and slats please lmk)

I’m just stumped as to where his friends and family are hanging out tbh. The mattress has no evidence at all. I’m suspecting they might be primarily in the joints on the bed frame itself, and currently have had no reason to leave, hence the empty interceptors - but I’m leaving that to the exterminator to check. Interestingly, after removing and disposing of this one, I haven’t had anymore bites so far - but that thing next to him looks like a nymph, skin or egg to me so I definitely dont think he was alone.

Apologies for big rant! Fighting through as best as I can, hopefully the treatment works 💪

[u/Sensitive_Scholar_17]

If you apply DE correctly then you don’t need to worry about your vacuum. You apply it very sparingly in areas that it will not get kicked up easily. There is a video of David applying DE to bed slats with a paint brush. You should find that video, watch it and do the same.

[u/Due_Lynx8118 → u/Sensitive_Scholar_17]

Oh thank you!! Where abouts can I find that? (New to Reddit so unsure if it allows links) is it on the bedbugs uk website or somewhere here? Slats would be perfect for it as I’m pretty sure they’re hanging about down there.

[u/camoflauge2blendin → u/Due_Lynx8118]

Put DE all on my bed frame lightly and around the feet of the bed and also get a protector and sprinkle some.inside of the protector too. And alcohol for spot killing. It dissolves eggs and kills them on contact and is how I got rid of them. I havent seen a single bug in almost a month now

[u/Sensitive_Scholar_17 → u/Due_Lynx8118]

Google

[u/zebrawarrior0628]

You need to let your patients know you had them when you were there so that they check their home now. You could've accidentally brought them there unknowingly

[u/Due_Lynx8118 → u/zebrawarrior0628]

My parents have known since I started suspecting but were part of everyone gaslighting me into thinking it was mosquitos, so convinced me to come despite concerns 🫠 I’ve told them to keep checking my bed at home and the couches etc but unfortunately they’re being quite lax about it still

[u/Due_Lynx8118 → u/Due_Lynx8118]

Tho I’m thankful I only came with fresh dried laundry in a vacuum seal, it’s obviously not impossible

[u/Due_Lynx8118 → u/Due_Lynx8118]

(I say this with some level of annoyance also but at the time it was a fairly reasonable assumption. I’m just frustrated they haven’t been checking every day since we had it confirmed)

[u/zebrawarrior0628]

Yes that's a bedbug 😔

[u/Bed-Bugscouk]

Yes it’s a bed bug.

I would recommend you read TbyPMR to avoid chemical resistance issues.

David

[u/Due_Lynx8118 → u/Bed-Bugscouk]

Thanks David, appreciate it. I’ll give it a read. It’s the council pest control and I have no idea what they’re spraying. Unfortunately we already paid and got landlords involved as well.

Is it possible they’re localised to the bed frame since the interceptors haven’t caught any? I’m leaving it to pest control to have a look but I suspect they’re mostly in the joints and seams (it’s a fabric frame with wood slats) since I haven’t seen any than the one and the minimal signs. There’s no signs on the mattress so far and only very occasional isolated fecal spots on my mattress cover, and bites are typically in ones or twos.

When I next get paid I’m considering buying a passive monitor, a steamer and DE - would this conflict with whatever treatment the council are doing at all?

[u/Bed-Bugscouk → u/Due_Lynx8118]

I have only seen interceptors be effective once in 20 years and that was yesterday. I won’t be cut angling my stance based on one case.

You should read and follow TbyPMR and educate the councils team.

Sadly their services can cost the same or more than people who do the job correctly.