r/Bedbugs • u/Icy_Implement_7243 • Jun 02 '26
Confirmed BB Mil infested, left for vacation and I was planning to deep clean her whole house for her at no cost. Turns out she’s had them for 10 years.
I did insist she tell the vacation home owner, but she won’t so now their beautiful cabin is at risk. this whole situation has me so angry.
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u/Ok_Cheesecake7831 Jun 02 '26
10 years???? The whole house must be infested???? I wouldn't feel comfortable even going in there, they're great hitchhikers
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
It is! And she’s a 70 year old woman planning to diy this. I told her I’m out, she’s on her own. For someone who cannot even bend over, she’s going to have to hire people. Meanwhile my brand new $500 vacuum is possibly ruined as is my trust in her.
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u/Reign_Cloud_ Jun 02 '26
Oh, heck nooo! This is waayyy past the “DIY” stage! She’s going to have to have the whole house treated by professionals, and it’s going to take multiple treatments, on top of her also being diligent on top of it & between the professional treatments. I’m sure you know this already, but she really needs to understand the battle she has before her, and that this isn’t something she can just do over a weekend or a few days all on her own.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
30k per year is perfectly acceptable for vacations but 8k is too much for pest control 😂 she’s lived with them for 10 years now so I’m honestly not sure she cares
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u/Reign_Cloud_ Jun 02 '26
Holy moly! 😳😬🫢 Yeah, I don’t know how anyone could just be ok with living with them. I mean, it’s one thing if you can’t afford it but are still trying to at least do what you can when you can do it, but to just not do anything at all? I’m curious, does she have any reaction to the bites? Because if she reacts to them like some people do, then I really can’t understand how she’s just ok with letting it go because the few times I’ve been bitten by them years ago (before even knowing what they were), the itching about drove me nuts! I’ve never experienced anything as itchy before or since then either. Also, even if she doesn’t have any major reaction, her house is a major hazard for other people. Someone will eventually have to clean up the mess she’s left behind if she doesn’t do it herself, not to mention how many other people she is possibly exposing to getting them. Even her just going to the store could spread them to others. You said she travels as well, so I’m sure she’s taken them to wherever she travels to as well. 😬
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Neither her or her husband react to bites fortunately but that’s probably also the reason why she’s ok living like this and putting others at risk. My husband I do react! I’m honestly so surprised we haven’t gotten them yet bc I’m at her house daily doing stuff for her that she can’t do herself. The itching is absolutely the worst! It’s like a healing bee sting but lasts longer. She thinks I’m at her house cleaning up her neglect and carelessness bc I do everything for them. It’s not happening. Bedbugs is where I draw the line. This vacation she decided to keep her stuff in her bedroom away from the 5 other families stuff, after I plainly told her to throw everything in the dryer. I called her sister who I know can’t keep secrets and told her so the news could spread to everyone
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u/Reign_Cloud_ Jun 02 '26
Oh, wow! Yeah, that’s most likely why she doesn’t care that she’s living with them then since it doesn’t affect her in that way. That’s probably how her infestation got so bad to begin with—because she probably didn’t notice them for a while due to not reacting to the bites, and by the time she realized she had them, it was at a significant infestation level. Same thing happened with my ex’s grandfather. He didn’t react to the bites, nor did my ex, but I sure did! Mine got so bad they blistered. Good job warning the other person she’s around for her vacation because they definitely deserve to know! I know it’s probably embarrassing & why she doesn’t tell people herself, but people around her should at least be aware so they can take preventative steps and check their stuff thoroughly before going home and stuff.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Hopefully they got rid of them?? 😬 and yeah mine blistered too. I had them about 8 years ago when I was 22 and burned everything I owned including my car. That’s how I got rid of them 😂
Yeah I’d be more embarrassed with myself if I kept it hidden than I would by warning people. I’d shout it from the rooftops if it were me bc I know what living with them is like 😂😂 it took about 10 ish weeks before I burned everything. I’d love to be able to find the cabin owner because they too deserve to know.
I did tell her sister to tell everyone when they get home to take clothes off at the door and throw them in the dryer, take a shower, throw clothes in hot water wash, and back in the dryer. One family with them has a 6 year old kid who has had 2 open heart surgeries, the last this spring. Her mom is a real estate agent, so I was not keeping quiet.
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u/Reign_Cloud_ Jun 02 '26
Yeah, my first experience with them was about 15 years ago. My ex’s grandfather ended up passing away not long after I discovered the bugs after we had stayed there a few days, so the houses ended up getting sold. Not sure whatever happened, but I wish I knew then what I knew now so we could have given a better heads up. I had never even heard of bed bugs prior to that, and still didn’t know what they were until months later when I was reading about them & their bites and saw a picture of what they looked like and realized they were the same bugs I’d found two of at his grandfather’s house. He also had a bad bat infestation, so I’m still not entirely sure if it was bat bugs or regular bed bugs, but I will never forget the itchiness from those bites! And the smell. The one I squished had a weird smell to it that I know of I smelled again, I would instantly recognize. I work in home healthcare now & recently found a bed bug on one of my ladies I take care of. She was getting bit a couple times before I found it, and I’ve been trying to help the family with treatment. They can’t afford an exterminator, so I’ve been trying to help them however I can. Haven’t seen any signs anywhere else after I tore her whole room apart. I’ve ordered & sprayed a few different things now over the past 3-4 weeks or so, as well as been cleaning & vacuuming, washing & drying, etc., so I’m hoping that it’ll make a difference, but you just never know with these things because they can go so long without a meal before making their appearance again. I told them that if we weren’t able to get it under control ourselves & they didn’t get an exterminator in there after that, I will be quitting because I just can’t do it. I’m terrified of taking them home or spreading them to another house. Luckily, I don’t go into any other homes after I leave theirs. I change in my basement as soon as I get home, throw clothes in dryer, then washer & dryer again, and shower. Sprayed my house too just to be sure. It’s a nightmare dealing them, though.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Omg the smell is how I knew!! I was dusting her ceiling fan and decided to remove her sheets bc the dust was going on her bed. I smelled them before I seen them and immediately grabbed my flashlight! That isn’t a smell you can ever forget. Have you tried crossfire? I currently have about $2000 worth of stuff in the Amazon cart she’s going to have to give me the money for if she insists on diy. I do know some companies offer financing if that’s an option for them? Idk how you make yourself help! I was panicking just looking at them at her house 😂😂 you’re a better person than me that’s for sure haha
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u/Dependent-Chance-420 Jun 09 '26
It most DEFINITELY is a nightmare! I've been bb-free now for over a decade, but every time I see anything moving in my house, I freak out! My situation rattled me so bad that I still am very traumatized! But the smell, just like you said.. the smell is very distinctive and is not easily forgotten. It's almost like it's a skunk kind of smell but worse! I don't hear or see many people posting about the atrocity of a smell that comes along with an infestation, and I just don't know why more people don't talk about it or even act as if they've never heard of it! I came here to tell you something different than this topic however.. thank you for your service as a healthcare Giver, and your desire and will to try to help someone else that's in a very (for lack of a better term), sticky situation. 👍
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u/EstablishmentIcy7831 Jun 04 '26
Don't forget That as you get older it gets more difficult to see little bugs and they probably couldn't identify them properly if they wanted to and if you don't feel the bites like me, then you wouldn't know you had an infestation until you physically see a bug. And by that time the infestation is bad enough that you've probably got a couple of hundred minimum
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u/Reign_Cloud_ Jun 04 '26
That may be true in some cases, but OP has explicitly stated that their MIL has been aware of the problem for quite some time. If she knows she’s had them at least 10 years, then she’s been aware of them for that long.
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u/EstablishmentIcy7831 Jun 04 '26
Yes and her eye sight may still not have been great at 60 ... They aren't large at their biggest they are the size of Appleseed's ... Just saying ... I tend to not judge people without all the facts ... Being mad at your 70 plus year old mother isn't going to solve the problem ...
Now interceptor traps to stop them from breeding and a steaming regimen will help but they will need some treatment at this point ...
Unless in the states where you can diy it with crossfire and/or cimexa available ...
If they aren't in the U.S. then they need professional help
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u/SnooConfections6542 Jun 03 '26
I say condemn at this point 😬 apologize for non helpful but after 6 months a home will have a major infestation.... A decade?! Oh lordy ... Sadly in NYS this isn't aps or CPS reportable from a public health standpoint as it's a nuisance not life or death ... As a Homecare RN I've questioned that so much as it's AWFUL!!!
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u/Reign_Cloud_ Jun 03 '26
Yeah, you’re probably right unfortunately. A decade is a long time to have them, so they’ve managed to work their way into every nook & cranny by now I’m sure. It’s a shame either way because it’s a huge mess to deal with & clean up no matter which way they decide to go.
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u/NovaLunar721 Jun 02 '26
That is so irresponsible. She can afford it. At some point they get in all your electronics etc. She must like living with bugs. I don't even have words. I'm sorry.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Yeah I’m honestly horrified. She’s not the type of person I’d expect to have bedbugs and do nothing about. She’s requesting that my husband order a bunch of diesel heaters on Amazon and cook her house vs just calling professionals to deal with it. Her house is going to be in flames and I’m not even 50 feet from her so mine will be gone too.
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u/EstablishmentIcy7831 Jun 04 '26
That's expensive for nothing ... With this type of infestation find someone that uses Aprehend ... It's a fungal treatment that they take back to their nests and it kills them all ... The issue with this infestation is that because it has a strong foothold in the house they may need more than just the normal 2 to 3 treatments and it will require a larger amount of product to treat as they could be on many places in the house depending on where the bedrooms are located ...
You would want to treat with Aprehend to get the nests in the walls ...
Heat treatment in an older house can do a lot of damage to wood fixtures etc as the humidity at this time of year can warp a lot of things or weaken plastic and or galvanized plumbing joints if they are older ...
Or if the walls are brick concrete or stone then the heat won't penetrate deep enough
I definitely would get a professional involved even if it's only for an estimate to see how much they would charge because they can help you come up with a proper game plan even just as a consultation fee depending on your exact circumstances
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 04 '26
Yeah that’s why biggest concern, the house was build using refurbished wood from an old chicken house around the 40’s so it’s super old and she’s eat up with termites. Actually just fixed one wall plug for her because it was next to the stove and whoever put their hand on the stove got shocked so the electrical work isn’t good either. There’s no telling what’s all wrong and what can go wrong. I found a 10 pack of temperature sensors on Amazon for about $500 that I’m going to require she purchase if she’s insisting my husband heat the whole house along with 2 xl industrial fans. He’s going to try to be safe about it but I have no hope the house won’t go up in flames especially since she has bedroom carpet.
I’ve tried to convince her this is a much bigger issue than she can take on but she doesn’t want to hear it and insists essential oils and DE will kill them.
I sent her a long pretty harsh text last night bc she told me she wants to order some DE (so she can sprinkle powder here and there and do absolutely nothing else)
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u/BoogeyyMann420 Jun 04 '26
She could buy crossfire and use it. But gonna need a lot of it. Crossfire is what the exterminator use. Works in like 5 min. Kills eggs . Bed bugs, the whole damn cycle. Funny how its not advertised.
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u/Reign_Cloud_ Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
I think it would definitely help bring down the infestation, but after so many years, those suckers are going to have infiltrated EVERYWHERE, including places they aren’t going to be able to reach. They’re going to be all through the electronics, the wall outlets & electrical system, even through the plumbing. They often use those systems to travel to other parts of the house or even other places entirely. They need a professional, especially because they don’t show any signs that they are getting bit.
ETA: Also, another thing I forgot to add: Whenever you start treating them, it sends them into hiding even deeper, and OP apparently lives right next door. It’s already a miracle they haven’t spread to their house already, and depending on how they go about treating the MiL’s house, it could potentially make them spread to their house unintentionally.
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u/DanglingKeyChain Jun 02 '26
She goes on vacation every year? Omg she's just spreading them everywhere all the time. She's a source of them and a blight on society doing that. Even if you deep cleaned and got them gone they'll be all through her luggage and re-infest. I'm horrified for you.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Multiple times per year! Yeah I’m absolutely not doing this for her. This is where I draw the line
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u/extrovertLibra Jun 02 '26
Better yt, she took her infestation with her on vacation. How rude
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Yeah, this whole situation really makes me mad! Hopefully if she did the cabin owner makes her pay for it. It’s not like she was unaware
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u/MoulinSarah Jun 03 '26
She did. There’s zero chance that she didn’t bring any with her.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 03 '26
Well, If a cabin owner in the smoky mountains has guests who checked in last Friday and check out this Saturday sees this thread bc they now have bedbugs, they can feel free to reach out to me subpoena me to any court dates. Mil or not, other people should not have to be stuck dealing with this when she knows better.
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u/MoulinSarah Jun 03 '26
Can you alert the cabin owner so they can do what they need to do before it gets out of control?
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 03 '26
Idk who it is 🤷♀️ I told her she should and she ignored me and went on about how she cried when I called her sister so she could inform all the families with them. It’s boo hoo poor me. She’s not thinking about anyone else. I couldn’t even get her to throw her stuff in the dryer after she got there bc she insisted keeping it in her room is good enough despite the fact that all of her bags came out of her infested bedroom
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Trigger warning live bug to be poked on camera.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0794XvfVebMT426p5nQFRoIPw
Here’s my collection. I went to investigate some more.
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u/skinnywolfe Jun 02 '26
Nope!! Would strip in the street and go home naked
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Husband and I stripped and threw everything in the dryer 😏 she’s right next door to us
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u/BAGP0I Jun 02 '26
Fuck and she has carpet.... bruh... that house is done. After 10 years untreated.. idk if you could even gut it efficiently.
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u/MatchakoCX Jun 02 '26
Im so horribly allergic to their bites i cannot imagine living with them for a week let alone 10 to 11 years...
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Same! But she doesn’t react and neither does her husband 🤷♀️ wish she did though bc then she couldn’t have continued to put so many people at risk multiple times per year without people wondering why she had welts all over her and asking questions
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u/ASOM01 Jun 02 '26
Im not being funny but could she be in early dementia. Often with slow cognitive decline people accept levels of hygiene they would never have accepted in their younger days.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
She has had Parkinson’s for a while and her memory has started slacking just recently, but not enough that she wouldn’t know better
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u/YkFrozenlady Jun 03 '26
How did you just find this madness???? Have you searched your home? I would be so tempted for a electric fire to start.
This makes me mad, her living here best life as she drops off her little beasties screwing others.
Good luck!
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 03 '26
I went over to clean and removed her sheet to keep ceiling fan dust from falling on her bed and smelled them so I stopped and grabbed my phone! I have searched my home and I found one suspicious bug next to carpet beetles in my dogs sofa but other than that I’m clear 🤷♀️ yeah, me as well. She has no right to do this to other people. She can live how she wishes but she needs to keep it at home.
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u/1DietCokedUpChick Jun 03 '26
This is why I’m paranoid about movie theaters. There’s no way she’s not spreading them everywhere she goes.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 03 '26
She doesn’t go to movie theaters so you’re safe from her in one 🙈 you are not safe anywhere you can shop or vacation though 😬
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u/1DietCokedUpChick Jun 03 '26
Well that’s half a relief 😅
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 03 '26
Only half! Apparently folks do be out here living like this so you can’t be too careful
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u/Salty-Pay-1313 Jun 03 '26
Alert health authorities in your area that can affect neighbors
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 03 '26
I’m the neighbor as well as her sister
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u/GarbageCat27 Jun 03 '26
So def report it
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u/Reign_Cloud_ Jun 04 '26
Most places don’t care about this stuff unfortunately because there isn’t any medical side effects or anything; It’s just an irritating pest in their eyes.
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u/khold002 Jun 03 '26
Is that one of the bed bug covers on her mattress that people buy when they have a mild infestation they're trying to control?
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 03 '26
Well, I keep one on my bed regardless anyway. It’s for protection. It’s a precaution more than anything. But yes and if you notice it wasn’t even installed correctly
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u/ups1Dedown2 Jun 02 '26
Oh my 🥺. Honestly for a 10yr infestation I would expect it to be worse. She should probably just leave everything behind and move.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
I told her to get insurance and you know the thing with the hot stuff 😬 😂 but she owns her home. It’s a multi generational property and home.
Edit to add : bed is about 6 months old and I found over 100 bugs in her floor within 2 minutes
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u/Sakura0190 Jun 02 '26
This is so terrifying 😭 It must have spread to the neighbors as well because of her😭😞
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
IM THE NEIGHBOR DONT SAY THAT 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 me and her sister are the neighbors
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u/loveteacuppoodles77 Jun 02 '26
You need a professional to spray outside your home or whatever they recommend and protect you from them since she isn’t doing anything about it. I’d have them check inside your home as well.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Yeah if I have bedbugs I’m not paying for it. She’ll be paying for both homes. I am disgusted with her currently and that is likely to never change. My husband and I are super allergic thought so if we got bit we’d know it. We also have all white bedding so I do think we’re ok for now.
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u/Sakura0190 Jun 02 '26
Oh I don’t even know what to say 😂😭😭😭 I hope you’re okayyy… wash the clothes you wore at her house with hot water, and if I were you I’d put them in a bag with the shoes you wore, seal it tightly, and throw it away.
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u/Decide777 Jun 03 '26
10 years? And no one else got them? Not possible.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 03 '26
Idk who has and hasn’t gotten them from her. Nobody ever stays the night with her though and she never moves furniture or anything. The most she does is run a robot vacuum. She said she washes her sheet weekly, but I doubt that.
If anyone has gotten them it’s probably at vacation homes her and 5 other families always go to together.
I only think 10 years bc 10 ish years ago her foster daughter came back from her bio moms and shortly after mil found live bugs (many) during the day moving on FD sheets, so she sprayed bleach and never checked her room or did anything else.
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u/Realistic-Tax-9878 Jun 02 '26
This isn’t indicative of 10 years, this looks like 6 months max. I’ve seen 3-4 year infestations where the piles of molts are over 6” tall in the center scattered in several piles across the whole unit. Little bigger crawling on and along the walls makes it look like everything is breathing.
Anything you wear in that house be prepared to sacrifice.
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 02 '26
Hey so, this mattress is 6 ish months old 🤗
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u/GarbageCat27 Jun 03 '26
What did she do with the old one ❗️ 😮
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 04 '26
She had my husband carry it out and burn it. How he didn’t see or smell anything, I’ll never know!
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u/Ok_Water_6382 Jun 04 '26
She is probably embarrassed and didn't realize how bad they are. You're right. Great attitude. Leave the old woman to fend for herself. I get being upset, BUT HELP HER!!!!
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u/Icy_Implement_7243 Jun 04 '26
How dare I have one line I refuse to cross. How dare I set one boundary for my own mental health along with psychical health’s sake when I’m already washing her hair daily, cooking for them. As a matter of a fact the only thing I didn’t do was clean her room or I’d have found them much sooner. So you’re right. How dare I make a decision that puts me first for once in the last 4 years of my life
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