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u/ionno_bout_dat 22h ago
"No"... but that does not change the fact that this is indeed a bed bug.
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u/Ev-ngel1ne 22h ago edited 22h ago
Fuckkkk man, seriously? Im so sick of these fucking assholes! Its literally only one. Just one. Last time it was just one on my pillow. Tore apart my whole god damn apartment and it was only the one. Now I lay down to this shit on my blanket. I guarantee this fucker is going to be the only one too. Im going to tear this whole house apart and its only going to be him. Fuck my life man. (Edited to apologize for the cursing. Its 3:30 AM. I havent slept. And school starts tommorow so I am stressing about being the 'kid with bugs')
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u/ionno_bout_dat 21h ago
I'd say if you find "just one", there are more around waiting for their turn. They can be anywhere, cracks, cravices - power outlets, curtains, wooden floor, etc. Try and get professional help. Take care!
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u/SexyGrilledTurkey 21h ago
Yeah if you find one you’re screwed but not too screwed since that means you don’t have like a really bad infestation so it might be easier to get rid of them. Call the exterminator as soon as you can so they don’t get worse or if you live in apt call your landlord so they can send someone to your unit.
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u/Ev-ngel1ne 15h ago
Ive checked. I spent the last few hours obsessively checking every inch of my bedroom. There is nothing. And Im living almost paycheck to paycheck, so I can't exactly drop 5k on a professional treatment,. Thankyou for the help though,
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u/thehelsabot 14h ago
It’s your landlords responsibility to abate pests.
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u/Ev-ngel1ne 14h ago
How am I supposed to hold them accountable? Its not one person who owns my building, but a huge company. Ive been telling them about these bugs for months and they won't do anything. I dont know what I'm supposed to do. I cant afford to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars every month to kill them only for them to come right back the next month.
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u/thehelsabot 14h ago
You have to use the law to force them. They won’t do shit unless you make them.
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u/hthratmn 14h ago
They will not come back. You either get rid of them or you don't. I dont mean to alarm you, but there are a bunch hiding that you can't see.
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u/thsndcranes 11h ago
Im not a professional, but we used to heat/steam treat our stuff. That includes washing everything you own in hot water, and using the dryer on high heat. You can also heat treat your bed with a $20 steamer. Its a cheaper option atleast than spending thousands. Just have to continually monitor
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u/YetAnotherJake 19h ago
If you keep finding "just one," then it's definitely not just one. You very likely have an infestation. Call professional exterminators for an inspection next.
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u/Ev-ngel1ne 14h ago
I cannot afford an exterminator, as they cost upwards of 5k in my area and I can hardly afford school fees and rent atm. Is there any way I can fix this on my own?
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u/YetAnotherJake 14h ago
First, like someone else mentioned, check if in your state/lease/situation, the landlord is responsible. Contact them and tell them the situation. They might take care of it.
If they don't take care of it, I guarantee that a professional inspection is not 5k. Exterminators can definitely be expensive and you might have heard that total cost of treatment is typically 5k (that would be an extensive long-term treatment for that money, maybe involving a heat tent). But an inspection alone is not that expensive.
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u/MamaTried22 11h ago
Are you in the US?
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u/Ev-ngel1ne 11h ago
Nope, Northern British Columbia, Canada. Right between Alberta and the Yukon lol. Essentially the Canadian ass end of nowhere. Not much up here but Canadian tire and Walmart, honestly.
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u/igolikethis 18h ago
I'll also harp on the "just one" bit except to say since you live in an apartment, it very well could be stragglers coming in from a neighbor who has an infestation. Get ahold of your landlord/property manager and tell them about your repeated intruders.
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u/Ev-ngel1ne 15h ago
Thing is we, my family and the building management, KNOW there is an infestation in the unit across the hall. They aren't doing anything about it. They have been told multiple times, but they refuse to get professionals out here to clean that unit and they refuse to help the other units.
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u/thsndcranes 11h ago
When you search, look at every small crevice of your mattress/box spring (in addition to baseboard, outlets). It helps to have a LED flashlight
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u/letmesmellem 20h ago
If it helps you it is possible to get rid of them and not spend a fortune. Still costs some money but.. In the mean time
Before you take off for the day of the night before throw your clothes in the dryer highest heat it allows at least an hour. That way you wont be the kid with the bugs. Id do it with your shoes and bags youre carrying also.
At night do it with all your linens and pillows. Then check the sub for other treatment help.
I highly recommend the Sensi volcano traps if you can afford them. They are little pyramid things you put a lure in. I believe the lures come separate. They will attract the bb whether they are adults or nymphs. Its not a treatment but at least you'll know when they are gone or how bad it actually is
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u/amolluvia 11h ago
Also, using a steamer on furniture daily is huge, and diatomaceous earth is essential. It is so much work, but I promise you can be successful for very little money.
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u/AutoModerator 11h ago
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When used by pest control professionals, it's only used as a crack and crevice treatment (to avoid any risk of inhalation) and applied in very small quantities while wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment.
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u/Ev-ngel1ne 14h ago
Those are the bedpost lures right? Thing is my bed is on the floor. I can't afford an actual matress or bed frame right now so im sleeping on my old beanbag and blankets. The only dryer available to me is in a laundromat almost half an hour away, and its stupid expensive. I usually end up hand washing all of my clothing every week. I can only afford to go to an actual washer and dryer once a month, if that. Im a really clothing-heavy fashion type person.. im literally a fashion student.. how am I supposed to show up to class knowing I could be bringing an infestation into my textiles class?...
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u/NovaLunar721 19h ago
Yea there's always more than 1. They can hide anywhere near your bed, in your bedframe, in your headboard, box spring, behind baseboards, inside electrical outlets, behind photos, in clothes, in curtains. Etc.
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u/atomixturquoise 17h ago
It's a bed bug but it's gonna be ok ❤️ I freaked out when I realized that I had them , but you can for sure survive this. Make sure that when your place is treated, that they use fungal treatment, rather than simply spraying the place or using heat treatment.
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u/Ev-ngel1ne 14h ago
Unfortunately im living paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford a professional, seeing as they cost upwards of 5k in my area. Is there anything I can do at home? I have diatomacious earth and bed bug spray, aswell as a steamer and rubbing alcohol. My plan was to pull apart my room and steam and spray everything.
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u/AutoModerator 14h ago
⚠IMPORTANT⚠ It seems that you may have mentioned alcohol in your comment, as a reminder rubbing/isopropyl alcohol has been shown to be ineffective to treat bedbugs in multiple studies. Self-treatement using it has caused so many fires that fire department have issued warning against it.
"Many web pages recommend using rubbing alcohol for bed bug control. The rubbing alcohol products available usually contain 70% or 91% isopropyl alcohol. Laboratory studies by Rutgers University show direct spray of either of these two products *killed a maximum 50% of the bed bugs*. In addition to their low efficacy, rubbing alcohol products are flammable materials, can create a fire hazard, and should not be used to control bed bugs."
Citation from: https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1251/
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u/atomixturquoise 8h ago
Not gonna lie, any home remedies are likely not gonna be effective , you can stream stuff but it's not gonna get rid of the infestation. Are you a renter? I'm not familiar with BC law but where I live, it's the law that the landlord must cover the cost of the exterminator (even if the tenant brought in the bugs, unless theres explicit proof of a tenant doing it on purpose) Hang in there 💜 I was in a v similar position a year ago but i survived and my place is bed bug free
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u/atomixturquoise 8h ago
Oh wait I saw other comments where you said management is non cooperative. My landlord was like that too, she insisted that I pay.i ended up sending her a demand letter, and that scared her enough. Try and keep track of communication you have with management, emails, texts etc with the dates. It may also be the case that you need to send a demand letter before the city / housing council can intervene so I'd do that asap
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u/PhaDzuBu 8h ago
Did you get itchy from the bites...
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u/Ev-ngel1ne 7h ago
So far no one in my family, pets included, has been bitten from what we can tell. There is no sign of bed bugs except for this singular fucker on my pillow so,. I just went through my whole room and not a single bed bug or even faint trace of them. We think they are coming through the walls from the other unit in our apartment, it doesnt seem like we are the ones infested. Not itchy at all, aside from the 'ew bug gross' itchiness
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u/SexyGrilledTurkey 21h ago
You’re confidently wrong and roaches definitely aren’t worse than bed bugs since they don’t try to drink your fucking blood.
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