Infants bed bugs, please help.?

Question

My mattress is infested with bed bugs. I have a 16 month old baby sleeping in the room with me in her own crib. It is a wooden crib, simple crib, no place for bugs to hide... except the mattress. Tonight I saw some type of bug on my daughter's neck. I could not tell if it was a bed bug, it was small. She has a plastic mattress, can they invade those? We are trying to control these pests, so it isn't like we aren't doing anything. Is there anything we can do to prevent anymore from invading her bed, if they are bed bugs? Please help. I'm losing sleep over this mess.

Answer 1

Bed bugs can't crawl on smooth surfaces, however they can be in your linens and clothes so it is possible to get into the crib.



This is from a website on how to get rid of them .





Furniture that is inspected should be inspected thoroughly. Remove pull out drawers and inspect any and all small creases and openings.



Taking apart furniture is often advised you want to get at the source of the bed bugs infestation. Doing this in a garage or outdoors is preferred if possible.



The covering on the bottom a box spring bed should be taken off for inspection and treatment measures. If the infestation is severe, you may want to dispose of the mattress.



Bed bugs are many times also found underneath the edges carpets, where ceilings and walls meet, behind light switch covers and outlets, in clothes, inside appliances, and behind baseboards and carpet stays.



If possible, it is usually recommended that you hire a professional pest control company. They will know where and how to look for bed bug infestations and will have the equipment required to remove the critters. Homeowners should get rid of any clutter (boxes, clothing, papers and junk) in order to help the process.



It often takes a professional 4-6 hours to do a thorough inspection and initial treatment. Please be advised that additional inspections and treatments are usually necessary.



Bed bugs infested bedding materials and cloths will need to be thoroughly cleaned. Take them to a laundry mat if you don’t want to bed bugs in your washer and dryer. But never use insecticides on materials that would come in contact with your body. Also, if you have pets, be sure to understand the possible affects chemicals may have on them.



A thorough vacuuming effectively removes both bed bugs and their eggs from mattresses, walls, and carpeting. Special attention should be given to creases and crevices. Be sure to get rid of the vacuum bag/contents in a sealed garbage bag. A professional hot water carpet extraction is also recommended if possible.

Answer 2

I had bedbugs once and struggles with them for at least 2 years. I spent a lot of time and money on the problem. Eventually I called a professional exterminator. The first one sprayed my apartment with some nasty spray and I had to stay away for a day.



That worked for a while but they came back in 3 months. We tried another approach with a different professional. Heat treatment. It took 3 tries, each 3 months apart but that got rid of them and we have been bedbug free now for over 3 years. Just passed an annual inspection yesterday.



The heat treatment is where they bring a bunch of big electric heaters and a trailer mounted generator to your home. They close up all the windows and heat your home to 140F and keep it there for at least 6 hours. Usually 2 treatments does it but I needed 3. At $1300 each. It is not cheap but it is the only way I found that actually works.



If you rent you may be able to get the owner to pay for it but only if you report it to them as soon as you saw them.

Answer 3

Bed bugs will quickly invade your entire home. They can hide nearly anywhere - behind the baseboards, in cracks, in mattresses, in furniture, etc. You need to get pest control in there NOW.



I highly suggest finding a place to stay in the meantime. You can loose your child if you continue to live in a home infested with bed bugs. Bed bugs do bite and can cause very itchy allergic reactions and irritation.



Another option, which I don't suggest because it doesn't always work in the long run is:



1) Vacuum (throw out the vacuumed up stuff outside) the entire house.

2) Bag up all fabric items (clothing, blankets, clothes) that can be washed on HIGH heat in a washing machine.

3) Buy a couple cans of bed bug killer, spray it everywhere in your home, and leave for 6-8 hours. These cost about $10/per can. Here is a couple products that would work (and I suggest using all three):



Spray: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Harris-Egg-Kill-Bed-Bug-Killer-16-oz/26779792

Flogger: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hot-Shot-Bedbug-Flea-Fogger-Insecticide-3-count-6-oz/22569723

Powder: http://www.walmart.com/ip/P.-F.-Harris-Mfg.-HDE-8-8-Oz.-Bottle-Bedbug-Killer-Powder/38470735



You would put the floggers in the room, spray where the flogger don't get, and put the powder along the baseboard, and doorway. They also make traps which might also be useful. At the end of the day, expect to pay around $60 for all the products.



4) When you get home, open the windows, wipe down the surfaces (to get rid of chemical residue from the spray), and put away all your clean fabric items.

5) Vacuum again, and dispose of all vacuumed up stuff outside.

6) Place bed bug mattress covers on all mattress to avoid infestation within your home.



The sooner you try to get rid of them the better, because very quickly they can infest the home.

Answer 4

Bed bugs is a serious problem in our home. If you want to get rid of them then you can put your infested things in direct sunlight as the bed bugs cant resist with the high temperature or you can decrease the temperature of your room as these bugs cant indure the low temperature also.