Bed Bugs: Arachnids From ****

[JD Spydo]

This is a subject that just really confounds me. Because I had never ever encountered a bed bug in my entire life until about 5 years ago. In the place I was working back then we had sleeping quarters and furniture with cloth surfaces. When some of the really poor people we were helping at the time told us that they were having problems with bed bugs I really didn't pay much attention because I just figured that any insect or arachnid (spider & tick family) could easily be eliminated. And boy was I ever wrong. It was a literal nightmare to rid that house of those bed bugs>> because the house I was working in at the time got them from the people we were helping :eek: And they multiplied very quickly.

And I found out by talking to an exterminator that we hired that these bed bugs were showing up all over the Kansas City, MO metro area at that time and I'm still hearing of bed bugs being a problem in several areas of Kansas City. They were even showing up in the rich part of town in McMansions and brand new homes as well. They were finding them on the metro bus system, taxi cabs, restaurants, health spas and several other places you normally wouldn't expect to find any "creep-crawly" type pest.

We also got to speak to a guy from the Kansas City Health Department and he told me off the record ( confidentially) that he was pretty sure that many of these illegal aliens who were coming the Kansas City to find work were bringing them from their home country. I tend to believe that because many of the older people I've spoke to tell me that bed bugs were pretty much eradicated in the USA for the most part by the late 1930s/early 1940s. And I believe that because I had never encountered any bed bug until about the year 2015. Let's talk about these horrible creatures that can literally lower the quality of your life. And these bed bugs seem to be truly intelligent and also seem to have keen instinct.

[The Mastiff]

My son works pest control. His company has bed bug specialists who go to classes and get certified. That is all they do.

You are correct that they were all but gone here in the US. There are other things that are coming into this country possibly worse than bedbugs. I say worse because bedbugs really don't vector diseases like some other things.

They have no problems going through walls or up and down floors. In hotels they have to treat all adjacent rooms as well as rooms above and below the room found to be infested.

If you regularly stay in hotels you should learn how to inspect for bedbugs and take precautions with your suitcases and laptop carriers because that is one way they travel. Yes, aircraft, subways, buses and trains and office buildings are all places you might find them. They are once again very common unfortunately.

[JD Spydo]

My son works pest control. His company has bed bug specialists who go to classes and get certified. That is all they do.

You are correct that they were all but gone here in the US. There are other things that are coming into this country possibly worse than bedbugs. I say worse because bedbugs really don't vector diseases like some other things.

Until I actually was given the job of eliminating them from this place of my work at the time I was completely unaware of the monster I was up against. I thought for sure I could get rid of them in short order. Again I was wrong and I had completely under-estimated my opponent :o .

We had two different exterminators and neither one of them were able to completely eradicate them. The only home remedy we found to have any substantial effect on them was a product known as "Diatomaceous Earth" which you can get at most hardware stores>> and many garden nursery type stores also carry it. Apparently there is something in the DE that literally opens them up and they lose their body fluids. But it's far from being 100% effective>> but it did get rid of a lot of them.

Like I said earlier the Kansas City metroplex literally has had them showing up everywhere. I've even wondered if this might be a Biblical plague which was prophesied?

[soc_monki]

Diatomecous Earth is actually Diatomes, small hard shelled organisms that are ground up, creating a fine powder. It is actually small, sharp shards, pretty harmless to us, but to insects it is deadly. They crawl through it, and the shards tear open their exoskeletons and cause them to dehydrate and die. Useful on not only bedbugs, but ants or other pests.

It is very effective, and very safe as well. You don't want to inhale it though! Very irritating.

[bearfacedkiller]

I mix diatomaceous earth in with the wood shavings in my chicken coop. Chickens are prone to a few types of lice and mites. It works well and is a safe product.

A friend of mine got bed bugs in his house. He told me all about how hard they were to eradicate. He jokingly said that he was gonna burn his house down and build a new one. They spent a ton of money fighting them and had to stay out of their house for a whole week while they bug bombed it multiple times.

I bought a camper years ago. The main reason was because I am a dog person and I wanted to be able to travel with my dogs. At that time I had a Doberman and a Rott/pit mix and hotels generally wouldn’t let them in even if they were pet friendly. Then my friend told me about his bedbug troubles. Ughh... I just avoid hotels whenever possible.

[OldHoosier62]

Diatomaceous earth is fairly handy stuff to have around the farm/house. We keep a few buckets of it around the barn, in the kennel building, and the garage. Great for crawling insect control, I treat the dog runs and yard 3 or 4 times a year using a broadcast spreader and we haven't had a flea issue in years. But definitely use a respirator and sealed goggles as it is very irritating to your sinuses and eyes when airborne.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

[JD Spydo]

Diatomecous Earth is actually Diatomes, small hard shelled organisms that are ground up, creating a fine powder. It is actually small, sharp shards, pretty harmless to us, but to insects it is deadly. They crawl through it, and the shards tear open their exoskeletons and cause them to dehydrate and die. Useful on not only bedbugs, but ants or other pests.

It is very effective, and very safe as well. You don't want to inhale it though! Very irritating.

Oh I noticed an immediate difference when I put that diatomaceous earth powder all over the infected areas. I was finding dozens of dead bed bugs within the first two days. But we would still find them in various places of the house. If you find out where they are hiding and it's usually not too hard to find them if you look hard enough. I find that taking a spray bottle and making a bleach solution also kills them quite rapidly.

But they tend to find many places to hide which is where your problem lies. I've also heard that there are natural remedies for them. I"ve not yet used them but there is a company in Montana known as Bozeman Biotech who is supposed to have all kinds of natural type insecticides that have been proven effective. But I've found that bed bugs are even harder to get rid than about any other pest I've ever encountered including rats, mice and various other pests.

[JD Spydo]

Diatomaceous earth is fairly handy stuff to have around the farm/house. We keep a few buckets of it around the barn, in the kennel building, and the garage. Great for crawling insect control, I treat the dog runs and yard 3 or 4 times a year using a broadcast spreader and we haven't had a flea issue in years. But definitely use a respirator and sealed goggles as it is very irritating to your sinuses and eyes when airborne.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

Another thing about "diatomaceous earth" ( DE) that most people are completely unaware of. There are different grades of it. I took some survival classes a few years back and they showed how to use DE to preserve certain types of food like rice, dry beans and other foods that you can store long term. The instructor really emphasized that you must use "Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth" for food preservation.

And you are 100% correct about using proper respirators and other safety gear when handling DE. Whenever I get any DE I always try to get it from a reputable source. The many uses of DE is probably the subject for a thread of it's own. Because it is highly useful for a wide variety of uses. And for someone who lives on a farm like you do it would be an item I would have on hand at all times. And thanks for sharing that with us Old Hoosier :)

[Doc Dan]

Not only do you need to know how to look for bedbugs in a hotel room, you should NEVER unpack. Always keep your suitcase in a large garbage bag and tied up if you are not actually getting something out of it. They will get into your suitcase and you take them home with you and then you have a nightmare that seemingly never ends.

They may not spread diseases but a lot of people are allergic to their bites. A serious allergic reaction can mean a trip to the ER to save a life.

If they get into a mattress, it might be best to burn it. At the very least it needs to be sealed up in plastic and disposed of. They are that hard to eradicate.

[JD Spydo]

Not only do you need to know how to look for bedbugs in a hotel room, you should NEVER unpack. Always keep your suitcase in a large garbage bag and tied up if you are not actually getting something out of it. They will get into your suitcase and you take them home with you and then you have a nightmare that seemingly never ends.

They may not spread diseases but a lot of people are allergic to their bites. A serious allergic reaction can mean a trip to the ER to save a life.

If they get into a mattress, it might be best to burn it. At the very least it needs to be sealed up in plastic and disposed of. They are that hard to eradicate.

That's something that could potentially be a horrible problem for those in the "hospitality" sector ( mostly hotels, motels and extended stay facilities). Just one rumor that a hotel chain has bed bugs could be devastating to their bottom line.

When you take the bed bug issue coupled with the COVID problem you're talking possible billions of dollars in losses for those that make their living in the hospitality sector. And yes I had a lady friend who worked for a major airline for years and they were finding bed bugs aboard many of their commercial jets as recent as two years ago. If they get into a person's clothing they could end up being found anywhere.

This is no longer a problem for poor people on the bottom rung of society like it mostly was in the past because those bed bugs are showing up virtually everywhere in all sectors of the economic spectrum. The bugs are not discriminating at all.

[Doc Dan]

Not only do you need to know how to look for bedbugs in a hotel room, you should NEVER unpack. Always keep your suitcase in a large garbage bag and tied up if you are not actually getting something out of it. They will get into your suitcase and you take them home with you and then you have a nightmare that seemingly never ends.

They may not spread diseases but a lot of people are allergic to their bites. A serious allergic reaction can mean a trip to the ER to save a life.

If they get into a mattress, it might be best to burn it. At the very least it needs to be sealed up in plastic and disposed of. They are that hard to eradicate.

That's something that could potentially be a horrible problem for those in the "hospitality" sector ( mostly hotels, motels and extended stay facilities). Just one rumor that a hotel chain has bed bugs could be devastating to their bottom line.

When you take the bed bug issue coupled with the COVID problem you're talking possible billions of dollars in losses for those that make their living in the hospitality sector. And yes I had a lady friend who worked for a major airline for years and they were finding bed bugs aboard many of their commercial jets as recent as two years ago. If they get into a person's clothing they could end up being found anywhere.

This is no longer a problem for poor people on the bottom rung of society like it mostly was in the past because those bed bugs are showing up virtually everywhere in all sectors of the economic spectrum. The bugs are not discriminating at all.

There is a huge family of Indians that have been buying up hotels and motels in America. They loot them, then run back to India. Now, Indians are usually very good folk, as I happen to know very well. But these characters will not invest the money into getting rid of bed bugs because it takes away from the money they can carry back to India with them. Unsuspecting guests, who many have stayed at the hotel under previous ownership, come it, get infested, then take the bed bugs elsewhere.

The law needs to have required periodic inspections for bed bugs and force the owners to get rid of mattresses, bedding, and poison the rooms until there is no more sign of the bed bugs. Tenting is probably needed.

[JD Spydo]

Not only do you need to know how to look for bedbugs in a hotel room, you should NEVER unpack. Always keep your suitcase in a large garbage bag and tied up if you are not actually getting something out of it. They will get into your suitcase and you take them home with you and then you have a nightmare that seemingly never ends.

They may not spread diseases but a lot of people are allergic to their bites. A serious allergic reaction can mean a trip to the ER to save a life.

If they get into a mattress, it might be best to burn it. At the very least it needs to be sealed up in plastic and disposed of. They are that hard to eradicate.

That's something that could potentially be a horrible problem for those in the "hospitality" sector ( mostly hotels, motels and extended stay facilities). Just one rumor that a hotel chain has bed bugs could be devastating to their bottom line.

When you take the bed bug issue coupled with the COVID problem you're talking possible billions of dollars in losses for those that make their living in the hospitality sector. And yes I had a lady friend who worked for a major airline for years and they were finding bed bugs aboard many of their commercial jets as recent as two years ago. If they get into a person's clothing they could end up being found anywhere.

This is no longer a problem for poor people on the bottom rung of society like it mostly was in the past because those bed bugs are showing up virtually everywhere in all sectors of the economic spectrum. The bugs are not discriminating at all.

There is a huge family of Indians that have been buying up hotels and motels in America. They loot them, then run back to India. Now, Indians are usually very good folk, as I happen to know very well. But these characters will not invest the money into getting rid of bed bugs because it takes away from the money they can carry back to India with them. Unsuspecting guests, who many have stayed at the hotel under previous ownership, come it, get infested, then take the bed bugs elsewhere.

The law needs to have required periodic inspections for bed bugs and force the owners to get rid of mattresses, bedding, and poison the rooms until there is no more sign of the bed bugs. Tenting is probably needed.

You're preaching to choir on that one Doc Dan :mad: . We had some people from that same country come here to my home town and got a big govt loan and took over a Super 8 motel that was only 3 years old at the time ( virtually new). I had also heard that the motel got infested with bed bugs so badly that the health department finally shut them down >> I'm not sure what all transpired in the entire scenario but when I came back here to Blue Springs, MO the only thing left where the Super 8 motel was is the bare floor concrete foundation. They never took care of the facility on the outside or inside and motel literally deteriorated. Bed Bugs wasn't the only problem they had but it was a big part of it from everything I was told. The Indians literally abandoned the motel and they went back to their home country leaving everyone holding the bag Several of the people that lived close to the motel told me that they had bed bugs so bad in that facility that they just left the country owing a fortune and left the mortgage holders holding the bag ( especially the taxpayers).

As big as that motel was I'm sure that it would have costs up around 6 digits or maybe 7 digits in funds to exterminate the entire motel because every room in the facility had them. How could you let a blue chip business like a motel in thriving community go completely down just over bed bugs>> but from all I've been told it was the biggest reason the business collapsed Makes you wonder how many businesses have that same problem here in the USA?

[SharpFrank]

Diatomecous Earth is actually Diatomes, small hard shelled organisms that are ground up, creating a fine powder(review). It is actually small, sharp shards, pretty harmless to us, but to insects it is deadly. They crawl through it, and the shards tear open their exoskeletons and cause them to dehydrate and die. Useful on not only bedbugs, but ants or other pests.

It is very effective, and very safe as well. You don't want to inhale it though! Very irritating.

Rumors said that it's toxic anyways, and there are a lot of opposite opinions. I faced it a few days ago after only 1 night in a motel. I started scratching, and it’s like they’re already in bed. It’s a good thing the wife and kids are still living with Mom. But what to do next?

[soc_monki]

Diatomecous Earth is actually Diatomes, small hard shelled organisms that are ground up, creating a fine powder(review). It is actually small, sharp shards, pretty harmless to us, but to insects it is deadly. They crawl through it, and the shards tear open their exoskeletons and cause them to dehydrate and die. Useful on not only bedbugs, but ants or other pests.

It is very effective, and very safe as well. You don't want to inhale it though! Very irritating.

Rumors said that it's toxic anyways, and there are a lot of opposite opinions. I faced it a few days ago after only 1 night in a motel. I started scratching, and it’s like they’re already in bed. It’s a good thing the wife and kids are still living with Mom. But what to do next?

depends on the grade. food grade is fine. filter grade is toxic.

[Water Bug]

Bed bugs are actually insects, not arachnids. I do agree that they are **** and difficult to control.