Help Bed Bugs!!!!

[Lee11]

Rico and I just got home from being away for a week at Xmas to find that bed bugs had got into my apartment (apparantly my building has an issue).My problem is getting rid of them without harming Rico!
I have called for the building exterminator but realize I have to completely seal up all cracks etc once I do get rid of them. I have friends who had this issue years ago and overcame it by bug proofing their apt.
I put my mattress in a plastic cover but have been staying away from my bed as I dont want to attract them (I have actually slept in the bath tub the last two nights - extreme but the only place they wont follow you.)
I steamed with a ultra hot steamer and got quite a few of them who were nesting in an old phone connector box and I am steaming the place again today and using a supposedly pet friendly bug spray lightly to begin with....

Not sure if anyone has had the issue with a bird in the house and how they got rid of it. At my wits end here!

 

[JerseyWendy]

GULP!

I am genuinely VERY sorry you are going through this. I see you are in NY, and a friend of mine (on Staten Island) is going through the exact same thing right now.

Here is what she's done so far:
* Called exterminator who "iced" them (harmless to pets).
* She actually threw away her mattresses
* She and her family all slept in the living room for nearly a month.
* SANDY hit (her house sustained damage, and they JUST recently moved back in)
* Brought in brand new mattresses
* On day #3 of sleeping on new mattresses they found....BED BUGS again.

The initial exterminations cost her $700, and right now she is simply horrified and at her wits end.

 

[Lee11]

Wow....I am actually in Jersey City though I am in NY every day and often stay at my friends apt there when she is away (e.g over Xmas).
I borrowed her steamer last night and steamed the wall where they were . I found they had a nest in an old landline phone box on wall and removed it today and am steaming the heck out of it.

For your friend...moving to another room doesn't work as they simply follow you there. They sense body heat and track you...therefore you move them to more areas of your house - scarey but true. Thats why I took the extreme measure of sleeping in the tub - ridiculous, put sheets in there to pad it etc. I know that they cant follow you there as tub repels your heat and they cant climb on that surface. They say when you are travelling it is best to unpack luggage in bathtub for that reason.

I had this problem in another apartment but I didnt have a bird there so could be more extreme. I dont like the idea of the exterminator but I will talk to him. My plan is to steam, use pet safe spray then cauk all cracks and along all floors, under radiator caps etc....

These things are so common in the city and surrounding boroughs....I think I would rather roaches they are easier to get rid of!!

 

[MeganMango]

Bed bugs can survive incredibly high heat, but are sensitive to cold. You might have to move your birds out while you get rid of them. If your building has them, it will be pretty much impossible to keep them out. When we had bed bugs, I moved all my pets out, bleached EVERYTHING all in one day. I put down the diotomaceous earth, and double sided tape on everything. I opened all the windows in the middle of winter (it was really cold) and took off for a week to my parents house.

 

[Lee11]

Bed bugs can survive incredibly high heat, but are sensitive to cold. You might have to move your birds out while you get rid of them. If your building has them, it will be pretty much impossible to keep them out. When we had bed bugs, I moved all my pets out, bleached EVERYTHING all in one day. I put down the diotomaceous earth, and double sided tape on everything. I opened all the windows in the middle of winter (it was really cold) and took off for a week to my parents house.

The part about cold is the part of this I don't understand. We were both gone for a week and the window was left open so the apt was cold when I got back. I couldn't figure how they could be attracted to a place where there was no one home and it was cold.....

 

[Blue]

Ive heard diatomatous earth can be effective for bed bugs... not sure if its bird safe but you can put it right on dogs and cats for fleas and feed it to animals for internal parasites. You want the food grade stuff not the pool/ spa kind

Ok from several articles I just read its safe as long as it not inhaled by birds.

 

[MeganMango]

Bed bugs can survive incredibly high heat, but are sensitive to cold. You might have to move your birds out while you get rid of them. If your building has them, it will be pretty much impossible to keep them out. When we had bed bugs, I moved all my pets out, bleached EVERYTHING all in one day. I put down the diotomaceous earth, and double sided tape on everything. I opened all the windows in the middle of winter (it was really cold) and took off for a week to my parents house.

The part about cold is the part of this I don't understand. We were both gone for a week and the window was left open so the apt was cold when I got back. I couldn't figure how they could be attracted to a place where there was no one home and it was cold.....

I think it needs to be quite cold (far below zero) for some time (at least a few days). Also if you live in an apartment building they will just be everywhere. I think they sense the CO2 you breath out and your body heat. They are very good at finding food. We were at -10 for about three days, and we still had live ones when we got back. The diotomaceous earth is great. The really sticky double sided carpet tape traps them and you can prevent them from getting to you. I did the entire perimeter of baseboards, around the doors, the legs of the bed, the bed frame, pretty much everything. You could do the bird age to prevent them from getting bitten. Bed bugs love birds.

 

[Lee11]

Geez I thought the bird would be safe...I will pick up double sided tape. I seem to have got all live ones for now but I am not stupid enough to think that is it...I am sure I missed some eggs somewhere.
These things are a menace!

 

[Lee11]

Just an update...had the exterminator here this morning. Had to bag clothes and empty drawers etc. He said my problem didnt look too bad and didn't find any new bugs. He sprayed whole apartment, walls floors etc and put powder in electrical sockets. Super gave me key to an empty apt on same floor while its drying. Guy said it will be ok to go back in a few hours but I will leave it till late to be safe....
Having all cracks filled on Tuesday and maybe one more treatment in a couple of weeks.....

 

[Sassy]

Sorry to hear this. 97% rubbing alcohol is useful too but only on bugs that are visible. Diatomaceous earth is your friend too. Just have to watch it getting kicked up. I did see online the is a company that has traps and devices to detracting them. They get into everything including couches, furniture, and packaging. Freeze whatever you can't put in the dryer. Double bag everything when storing or transporting items. And only use a vacuum with a bag. I would also suggest getting the plastic containers to go on the feet of your bed and furniture.

Good luck in your fight.

 

[MikeyTN]

Bed bugs can survive incredibly high heat, but are sensitive to cold. You might have to move your birds out while you get rid of them. If your building has them, it will be pretty much impossible to keep them out. When we had bed bugs, I moved all my pets out, bleached EVERYTHING all in one day. I put down the diotomaceous earth, and double sided tape on everything. I opened all the windows in the middle of winter (it was really cold) and took off for a week to my parents house.

Actually at 140 degrees of heat, they die instantly! I watched the bed bug special on Animal planet awhile back. After watching it I started checking my mattress.....lol....There is a safer way to rid them which is to cook your house as they bring heat into your home to bring temperature pass 140 degrees and they pop out and die.

Yes they hate rubbing alcohol but a guy caught his house on fire because he was using it everywhere, highly flammable.....

On the recent tv show infested, a family got rid of them after using a dust from the pest company, and dust into plugins, any crevice, vacuum daily, bagging up ALL clothing, etc. They finally got rid of them. They even got the bed bug sniffing dogs to come out to inspect.

 

[Lee11]

Before the exterminater came I was using a high power steamer and at the temperature it creates I killed a good deal of them - at least I didnt see any after Wednesday. Now I hope with a pro in putting powder in electrical sockets and spraying the place I will be safe. I am making sure they come again though and getting all floors and cracks sealed.....