# Bed Bug Problem



## imsotired (Oct 2, 2019)

For about a week or two, I've been noticing bug bites, mostly on my leg, but also on my arms and one or two on my hips, but I have animals, and we just had a little flea problem so I figured that's what it was, and acted accordingly. 
Just last night, I noticed a single (unfed) bed bug on the couch, where I usually sleep. I killed it immediately and grabbed a spray bottle i keep with rubbing alcohol in it (70%). I know that if you spray them directly, it kills them, so my goal was to spray and pray essentially. I killed another unfed adult with this. I sprayed into the cracks and mostly under the cushions, not very thoroughly but a fair amount. During the night I kept waking up with new itchy spots on my leg and arm that were closest to the back of the couch, so in the morning I checked the couch again. I found one bed bug that looked like it had just fed, and two or three itty-bitty baby bed bugs. 
I sprayed the whole area where the fed bug was, so I hope I managed to hit it before it could hide somewhere. i tore apart the couch basically and sprayed everything down, into all the cracks, underneath each cushion, on the undersides and edges of the cushions, and in between the back cushions. I also sprayed the top part of the back and all the dolls I had sitting across it. 
Right now I've got sheets and blankets in the dryer on hot, and I've got a load of clothes that were on and near the couch in the washer (I can't wash them on hot, but I will dry them on hot, I'm hoping just submerging them in water will help at least some). My next step is to clean up all the clutter I have near the couch, and probably clean the nearby chair as well, to give the bugs less places to hide. 
I'm a teenager, and I don't make the kind of money I'd need to hire exterminators, and I don't want to scare my grandmother because as far as I know, the bed bugs are isolated to my sleeping area currently. I also don't have a vacuum since we tore out all our carpet years ago, but I have been sweeping as much as I can, and once I clear up the clutter, I'm planning on mopping all the floor in that room. Is it a good idea to bag up the items I'm keeping to put them away?
When I was spraying down the couch, I kept an eye out for any clusters of bed bugs, but I didn't see any, nor did I see any eggs. I know that doesn't mean there aren't any, but I looked all over the couch with a flashlight while I was spraying and didn't see more than one bug at a time. I'm hoping that means the problem isn't too big yet? In total, I've only seen six or seven bugs.
Sorry for the length, but I feel like I should give all the details before asking for advice. I've been reading on some ways to deal with them all morning, but I feel like this forum could help more than a general webpage. So if you know anything to help get rid of these bugs, please let me know.


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

If you see em on the outside, good bet they're already on the inside of the couch >.<

Sadly they're extremely difficult to get rid of... Steaming the entire couch is probably your best bet. If you're in a hot environment maybe you could take it outside to sit in the sun while steaming to increase your chances of getting them all. (Need to get 180*F for at least 2 minutes - steamers can hit 230*F) 

In the winter up here in Alaska some folks put their infected stuff outside/in the shed for a week or so. (Need to get 0*F for 4 days, so figure outside temp needs to hold at sub-zero, with no sunlight hitting the item or nearby dark colored siding/dark shingles/dark covering/etc., for 4 or more days for this method to work.)


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## Chris Egg (Sep 18, 2019)

As you said, you haven't seen any but they exist. So, it might happen they are hiding somewhere else. You should inspect the potential nearby area to eliminate the problem completely. You can employ steaming, and spray containing pyrethroid insecticide and isopropyl alcohol to terminate and sanitize the area.


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## D. Soloma (6 mo ago)

I think if someone doesn't want to pay much money and they can make their own home therapy by using hot water and the sunlight. I couldn't remove it completely but managed to remove it mostly. Bed Bugs are sensitive to heat, so I used the heat idea. First I washed all the washable things in very hot water and dried them in the sun. And those that cannot be soaked in water, I just dried them using the sunlight. Then I washed the full apartment using hot water with mixed detergent. It reduced a lot and after you can use bed bug interceptor cheap paste to keep it clear. you can try that idea, Hope it will work very nicely.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

@D. Soloma Great that you were able to get rid of the problem. This is a 3 year old thread and hopefully the OP has succeeded in the same thing. Check the dates.


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## Frank Lavorngia (7 mo ago)

chandler48 said:


> @D. Soloma Great that you were able to get rid of the problem. This is a 3 year old thread and hopefully the OP has succeeded in the same thing. Check the dates.


Every time we have a surge in Illegal immigration we have a surge in bedbugs and diseases that have previously been erradicated from the US. Just rexcently some one in the US was diagnosed with Polio


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