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Help ! Bed bugs in house

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  • Nov 14th, 2020 3:35 pm
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Deal Addict
Aug 17, 2008
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Fibretech101 wrote: Update:
So we had a Professional exterminator come out to our place 2 weeks ago . He did the treatment using powder and this clear spray all over the room, in all cracks ,baseboards ,wall corners and around beds and furniture. So far no signs of them and no more complaints from tenants about any bites ! :)
Good to hear. How much did it cost for this treatment (in basement only?)

You might also want to do some research into precautions to take, and talk to your tenants about it as well. The bed bugs didn't come into your basement themselves; they were brought into your home, likely by one of the tenants. And neither you nor your tenants want to go through this again. I try to ensure that my family is very aware of all steps they should take to minimize the risk of bringing bed bugs home.
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Mar 3, 2012
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Fibretech101 wrote: Update:
So we had a Professional exterminator come out to our place 2 weeks ago . He did the treatment using powder and this clear spray all over the room, in all cracks ,baseboards ,wall corners and around beds and furniture. So far no signs of them and no more complaints from tenants about any bites ! :)
Almost summer now, are you still bug free? Care to share what it cost you?
I love RFD! :)
Jr. Member
Jun 16, 2015
172 posts
93 upvotes
Scarborough, ON
Hey guys , yes sure ill do a breakdown.
So we only got that one big infested room 19×13 ft treated . The exterminator also checked the other 2 smaller rooms but didn't find any signs and said we didn't need to treat there.He also sprayed the outer wall ,doorway and baseboards of that big room.We paid $300 for that. Plus from him we bought high quality zippered bed bug mattress encasements for 2 single beds in that room which were $100 = $50 each.That was $400 total for the professional treatment .

Now for what we tried and spent on treating it ourselves first by reading online recommendations and tips.

Raid bed bug sprays $60 and bought a steamer to steam that whole room and its furniture like the bed,boxes, frames And headboards $80 .Also 99% alcohol to spray the whole room $50 . We also initially bought cheap mattress and box encasements from Wal-Mart which were plastic so ripped easily $120. Also threw out the 1 box that was infested so new one was $50 .Also the amount of time and effort in doing all that was very tiring and a pain.

So on our own treatment we spent $370.

Total $770 ish. Let's say $800...

Hope that helps !
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Feb 8, 2014
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Imsmarterthanyou wrote: A tip I read in a mag a long time ago was saying to take your pillows, put them in a garbage bag (to protect them) and leave them outside in winter for at least 24 hours when it is at least -10C.
I don't know if this method your proposing would actually work but your freezer operates at about -18C.
You might want to empty first so your pillow will fit
In fact in Rand McNally they wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2004
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East Gwillimbury
Your pillow should be replaced every few years because of the feces that bugs and mites leave behind

It is simple to test. Buy a new pillow and weigh it. Then weigh it every year you own it. You will see the weight is increasing year over year. This is because it is a breeding ground for bugs and mites

The best way to avoid or minimise your exposure is to use a high density foam pillow. Not too many bugs can survive in that.
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Feb 8, 2014
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Imsmarterthanyou wrote: I've been doing it many times and I can tell you that I feel a difference after I've let the mattress, box spring and pillows out at -20C for 36 hours. I guess the liquid dripping from my mouth as I sleep is feeding many bugs.

A chest freezer would definitely work for the pillows, but it doesn't make sense if you need to empty it first. And I doubt very much you'll manage to fit in a mattress and a box spring in it ;)
You can feel the bugs being dead?
In fact in Rand McNally they wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people
Deal Addict
Aug 17, 2008
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Imsmarterthanyou wrote: out at -20C for 36 hours.
Cold works, but it takes a lot more than 36 hours if you want to be sure to kill all the buggers, including any eggs (eggs can survive a lot longer in the cold than live bugs). Here's an article that suggests minimum 3.5 days at -18C, or minimum 2 days at a consistent -20C (and leaving it outside, temperature might may not be as low during the day). That's standard practice for museum collections and food commodities to kill any hidden bugs.
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/wild-t ... t-too-long

Heat works much faster, but you need +60C, so it's not as easy as leaving stuff outside in the winter. But you can buy heating boxes in which you can put luggage or bags in, that will kill any hidden bed bugs in a few hours. Not big enough for an entire mattress though. I bought one in the US a few years ago that I use as a prevention tool, and will put my bags/luggage in it after travel.
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Dec 11, 2009
216 posts
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hamilton
Bed bugs are epidemic in my city. Every time someone visits, or if you have things delivered, moved, etc. you stand a chance of getting them. Landlords and tenants are particularly vulnerable, because the life cycle can be 6-8 weeks, and it is impossible to know - in any case - who's "fault" it is. But it's everybody's responsibility. People pick them up in waiting rooms, hospitals, airports, and yeah, college dorms. Not everybody gets bites - some people are immune, Only by setting adhesive traps and/or catching the little buggers in the act will you know for sure.

Frankly, I'm shocked at how lax hotels are - protocols include maids checking bedding and "periodically" checking headboards as industry standards. But I digress. Reality: consider them a probability, not a sin. Yet living in fear sucks, too.

The only way to effectively treat them is to heat the entire house to 120F/50C and hold that temperature - 1 hr? 4hrs? They say you can't just do the one room because the little buggers will migrate into the next room, etc. That's why treating apartments is so difficult - the whole village can get affected. And it kills them - at least, until somebody brings in just one more, and the whole thing starts all over again.

The good news - if you can call it that - it kills everything. Spiders, mice, silverfish.
Deal Addict
Aug 29, 2019
1006 posts
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cobs00 wrote: I use to work in a homeless shelter and bedbugs were a very common thing. So far you have done a lot of things right, bit in my opinion you need to kick it up a few notches. Bedbugs are extremely difficult to eliminate and have an insane tolerance to heat and cold. I brought one back to my home a few years ago and did the following things that seem to work

Whatever the affected areas are, throw out everything. Bed, frames, mattress, couches, tables (wood especially), etc

Take a steamer and steam every corner of the affected area

Wash all your clothing, linen in hot water

Re-paint all the walls and re-silicone baseboards

Lastly, as pointed out, get a pro to come out and heat fog the rooms or the entire house

When dealing with bedbugs you need to go overboard in how to eliminate them I would rather live in a house infested with cockroaches and mice then 1 bedbug. I would go as far to say that if I could not eliminate the problem I would sell my house and throw out every belonging and start fresh.
How do you get bed bugs beside carrying them in on you or an object like used furniture? If a neighbours house is infected, does that mean they can walk over and infest your house like mice or roaches?
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Apr 26, 2003
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People can carry bed buds on their clothes and transfer them as they drop off in other places. It's pretty horrible to have that level of infestation that they're on your clothes and you're carrying them around with you.

#feelingtichyjustthinkingaboutit

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