Venting I think I have bed bugs

[lackadazeE]

I've been feeling like things are crawling on me in bed for a week now and I searched around and found some brown and white things that I think might be bed bugs I'm too scared to look up pictures because i have a phobia of all insects and I'm just freaking out right now crying. I don't know what to do to think I've been sleeping with them and they could be everywhere and even after taking a shower I still feel like they are crawling on me. I feel like the only way I can get out of this is to end my life and I really am not prepared for that right now. If anyone has advice or something please share I'm going crazy. I can't even sleep on the couch. I just want everything to stop I wish I didn't exist. Its almost 3am for me and I know I'm not gonna be able to sleep at all I'm so exhausted

 

[rozeske]

They have a uniquely stinky smell when you squish them, if you don't wish to look at pictures. You should contact pest control of your area asap as they are hard to get rid of on your own. Clean every thing at once. I've lived with them for a year, the whole block of our dormitory was infested with them, it was hell!

Edit: until you get a solution, sleep with the light on. It helps.

 

[Kavka]

Oh no, panic!

Have you noticed any rusty or reddish stains or dark spots on your sheets?

Bed bugs are brown/reddish and juvenile bed bugs (nymphs) are smaller, translucent or whitish-yellow in colour. If the things you found don't really match these sizes and colours (i.e. a larger whitish thing), then it's probably not bed bugs.

Thinking you have bed bugs and feeling like they're crawling all over you (even after a shower) is more evidence that you're freaking out than that there are actually bed bugs. I don't mean to trivialize your problem, but I feel like a bed bug panic is unfortunately a rite of passage for the neurotic. I know I've been there.

Is there anything you can do right now to distract yourself and calm down a bit? Maybe play some video games or watch a TV series? Maybe it's still possible to sleep (on the couch) afterwards, or if you're brave, have a better look to get rid of the uncertainty. Even in the worst case scenario, you can get rid of bed bugs.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I thought I had them at one point. Possibly after staying in a hotel. Maybe they came home with me on my luggage. Have you been bitten?

This is what I did though:

You can buy big zip up bags to completely encase your mattress in.

You can buy powders and sprays to kill them. Take the mattress off the bed and put it in the bag. Thoroughly clean the bed and carpet. Use the spray or powder down the edges.

If your bed has legs, stand them in plastic cups- to prevent them crawling up the legs. You can actually buy plastic trays for this.

There's a bunch of stuff you can buy to try and deal with them. But yeah, it is really stressful. I'm sorry. Have you noticed any rusty coloured stains anywhere?

 

[Praestat_Mori]

I think it's not worth to kys if there're bed bugs. Ask an exterminator or change all your bed stuff. It's not worth to kys for that!!!

 

[Kalista]

buy powders

the powder is diatomaceous earth. it's food grade and can be spread safely enough, but very drying on the skin and eyes. a very light powder that effectively dehydrates the insects that touches it. this can easily kill any insects in your room or house that touches it along with their eggs. i applied this on my cat once to try when he got fleas and thin layer all over my floor -- killed all of them without needing expensive flea medication.

i would say this is your solution for your fear of insects. when applying it, wear a mask as it can irritate your lungs if you inhale too much. also wear goggles as the powder will linger in the air if you apply it too aggressively causing it to poof up.
leave it for a few days, then vacuum all of it. reapply on certain areas as a precaution if you want.

 

[Thalassa]

I've been feeling like things are crawling on me in bed for a week now and I searched around and found some brown and white things that I think might be bed bugs I'm too scared to look up pictures because i have a phobia of all insects and I'm just freaking out right now crying. I don't know what to do to think I've been sleeping with them and they could be everywhere and even after taking a shower I still feel like they are crawling on me. I feel like the only way I can get out of this is to end my life and I really am not prepared for that right now. If anyone has advice or something please share I'm going crazy. I can't even sleep on the couch. I just want everything to stop I wish I didn't exist. Its almost 3am for me and I know I'm not gonna be able to sleep at all I'm so exhausted

Are finances a constraint right now? If not, or if you can use a credit card, my advice is to call an exterminator. That's what my sister did when she had bed bugs. If you're feeling up to it, I would check Yelp and try to find one with good reviews. If you're not feeling up to doing reaseach on Yelp, then just call an exterminator. They can tell you if you have bed bugs or not and then treat your place for them if you do.

 

[uglyugly]

I dealt with those damn things in 2012 and it was a royal nightmare for me since I was allergic, but I did get rid of them.

I agree with the suggestion of diatomaceous earth (DE). It's pretty cheap and you need very little. I dusted all over my room, but mainly in cracks and crevices, plus I put it in all the folds of the furniture. Unless it gets wet, it's good forever because it kills the insects by cutting their exoskeletons and they dehydrate and die. Works for fleas, roaches and other bugs, too. Make sure whatever DE you get is food grade. It will say it on the packaging. Don't get the stuff for pools because it has chemicals in it that should not be used inside. DE is exceptionally safe, but wear a really good mask when dusting since you should not breathe it at all.

I bought a special mattress and box springs encasement because I refused to get rid of my bed. They are not the cheapest but do work to keep them from living inside your bed. (Well, technically if they are there the encasement traps them inside and they are not able to get out, thus they die of starvation. Bed bugs don't have chewing mouth parts so they can't chew through anything.)

I personally would recommend getting someone to check into it. Some exterminators will do so for free. BUT, I do understand where you are coming from. I don't like anyone in my house or in my space and I do not like upsetting news. But, these things don't go away on their own. I'm not trying to freak you out or upset you, but please be aware if you do have them and decide to sleep in the couch instead, they will find you since they are attracted to your body heat and the carbon dioxide you exhale.

Ultimately, I was able to get rid of mine by using food grade DE and encasing my bed. I ran all my clothes through the dryer on high for at least a half hour, then bagged and sealed them. (They MUST be sealed with no way in or out of the bag). For whatever could not go into the dryer, I bagged and sealed my possessions rather than throwing anything out. It was a time consuming, annoying process, but I had a serious reaction to being bitten so it was worth it.

Good luck and I hope you don't have them.

 

[Thisisnotaname]

You should try to use lavande essentiel oils

 

[maniac116]

Bed bugs are parasites so if you do have them you may have bites on you

 

[xandermax]