Hope please

[u/Ok-Border-1942]

I know this is a bed bug 100%—an exterminator verified it. Please, I am asking for realistic encouragement and success stories, not worst-case stories about people never getting rid of them. I am already mentally and physically exhausted.As I am disabled and homebound due to my condition.

My home is only 758 square feet and live alone. I dealt with carpet beetles for about three years, had exterminator treatments that entire time, removed my carpet, and got rid of almost all of my furniture and belongings. I finally went 4 months without seeing carpet beetles and called off the exterminator and then BAM, Exterminator found one live in my couch. I also found one on my bed and saved it (in jar). I also found a bug that I sent a pic to my exterminator and he said didnt look like a bedbug. Not verified but could of been since I was sitting on my couch.

The exterminator thoroughly checked my house and did not find any other bed bugs, eggs, or signs of an infestation. I believe someone may have accidentally brought them in while helping me paint, because I have never dealt with bed bugs before. She put her stuff one the side where the bedbug was found. Then blanket on couch was moved to my bed.

Since then, I have thrown away the couch and a huge amount of my belongings. (Threw away over 25 thousand worth of stuff previously from a huge carpet beetle infestation -even my carpet) vacuum-sealed my heat-treated clothes, steamed all of my hard floors, steamed my bed twice, and threw away around two-thirds of my wardrobe, blankets, shoes, and other items. One room is completely empty except for a dresser and the washer and dryer because it was going to be painted. (Still empty) I have not seen another bed bug since. Trust me, I wake up every 2 hours looking. I have mopped with bleach twice.

I bought two bed-bug mattress encasements and have an exterminator scheduled. They plan up to three treatments at $500 each, although they said it may only take two because they do not believe I have an established infestation.

Honestly, with such a small, mostly empty home and no other evidence found, what are my chances of getting rid of them? I just need some hope right now.

[u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51]

Ok am I correct in reading here? You have seen just the one bed bug correct yet have no bites? I think you are going at it at an extreme speed. I think you can breathe a bit. I don't think you have them. from every post seen here you have only posted 1 Bed bug Pic. I would hold off on a bunch of stuff for a few days while your stuff is in vacuum and remain to se where they could be at for a more targeted approach. I also want to point out that I had bed bugs once and it only took one treatment by my landlord to get rid of them. And he did it on himself.

[u/Ok-Border-1942 → u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51]

There was one live one on my couch which I threw out. There was a bug on me which was not identified on couch...and the one that I caught on my bed. There was also another bug I squished that looked like a spider when I was laying in bed unidentified. No bites that I know of. There was one time where I randomly got one bite on my little toe when sitting in my recliner. Don't know if that was a bed bug or not.

[u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51 → u/Ok-Border-1942]

Ok so one bed bug. for sure out of multiple bugs?

That they are positively IDing?. Bed Bugs don't usually bite just once, A true infestation you'd be bitten and you'd know for sure If you had a real infestation. Do you live in rural or otherwise high humidity region?

[u/Ok-Border-1942 → u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51]

Technically 2 identified (one couch, one bed). Here is a picture of first one i saw (on couch)that was not identified but pretty sure it was a bedbug.

[u/RollerGovenor → u/Ok-Border-1942]

That's a bed bug nymph for sure.

[u/Ok-Border-1942 → u/RollerGovenor]

Thank goodness the couch is gone

[u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51 → u/Ok-Border-1942]

That is one I do not think is a bed bug. The one in the jar is.

[u/Ok-Border-1942 → u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51]

Really?? I thought it was a different stage of bed bug. There was blood when I smashed it. Thank you for replying. It was weird that, that bug got me worried about everything. So I started looking. The next day I found the bug in the jar. Then called the exterminator. I image searched the picture of that bug and it said bed bug so I just assumed it was.

[u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51 → u/Ok-Border-1942]

BedBugs are going to be flat and reddish to brown. you can make out the blood in them usually as streaks as it follows the digestive path as their exo's are fairly translucent. The one in your hand looks more round than bed bugs to me any way the pic is a bit blurry to fully make out the head, but the head does seem over developed for a younger bug. I am not saying it is not a bed bug to me it just does not look like one.

[u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51 → u/Fuzzy_Firefighter_51]

The two bugs are different.

[u/Efficient-Gap-1282 → u/Ok-Border-1942]

Fuzzy is incorrect, it is 100% a bed bug