What do I do?! BEDBUGS

[housedramas]

Morning everyone - need some advice please as I don't know how far I go in gutting my house!

Early hours of Friday morning and DD walks into my room complaining that she is itching everywhere, especially in her hair. I look and can see several crawlies, almost white in colour crawling through her hair. Straight in the shower and hair washed plus blasted dry with the hairdryer - definitely NOT head lice. Popped her into my bed to sleep. In the morning then I stripped her bed to find several pinpricks of black, smaller than the white things, burrowing into her mattress. Chucked mattress straight out, opened windows and sprayed room. Yesterday afternoon then I decided that I needed to check my bed as thought they were dust mites maybe. Several really tiny dead bugs on my mattress - really freaked out now so sprayed mine. Went up to make bed a few hours later and saw a black crawly on my pillow, squished it and blood came out - this is bedbugs right?! Spoke to pest control last night who thinks they may be young ones but says the blood is a sign, they are coming out Monday. Other two beds in house (2x DS's) completely clear.

Background - we've never had bedbugs or anything remotely similar before. Moved house three weeks ago into a house which needs a good refurb - think 20 plus year old carpets. We've had to move in as no where else to go and as a single, full time working mum I've been literally rushed off my feet so our stuff is everywhere - think clean washing over lounge floor as I am literally so pushed for time. I've started hot washing everything from DD's room like sheets and teddies and pillows. She had a clothes rail - do I need to wash all this too? I'm thinking of hiring a skip and literally just ripping all the carpets etc out to try some damage limitation - not that I know how far they have gone! House is just covered in 'stuff'. I could cry, I've worked really hard to get us here and I knew we had lots of work to do but the thought that I have brought my children into a potentially bedbug infested house feels soul destroying - I'm well aware of how dramatic this sounds! Should a just get a skip? What should I do?!

If these are head lice I'd be extremely surprised! They aren't like any I've ever seen. No evidence of eggs or anything further in DD's hair... Always the possibility I'm wrong of course but I really think it's doubtful

Had bed bugs years ago!
Definitely keep in a jar to show pest control.
Hate the little fuckers

I actually think these are fleas. I've had bedbugs a few times (not in my house, thankfully) and they we're bigger than the ones you've pictured. Fleas will also product blood when squished. Were they walking when you saw them? Or sort of jumping?

Also - bedbug bites don't really appear or get itchy until the evening. Apparently this is to entice them out of an evening 🤮. So each day I would think they were healing, and by evening I'd be scratching like crazy. The bites were bigger and rounder than the ones you've pictured.

Also - bedbugs aren't white and wouldn't be in hair! So i've no idea what that is. It's very odd. Please update when you find out!

Everyone who says fleas - I'm thinking this may be possible... DDog is treated monthly with frontline plus which we have from the vet. However, he tends to favour other DC's bed to sleep on, which is clear! They are small and black though when we are finding anything, which has not been loads! If we had either would we be able to see lots of both?

With our fleas we hoovered constantly and we could see them jumping in the hoover. If you have one that is clear sided, that might give you an idea if it's fleas

Frontline does work

doesn't

Can't see any in our shark hoover... Ah no, can you recommend a better one? I have given him a tablet today - read the reviews and they are really good and it was fairly pricey for a tablet.

My vets used to supply Frontline but now they supply Bravecto which works for ticks as well as fleas. My dog gets it every 3 months. I have her on a ver care olan though. Pay £17 a month and get examinations every 6 months, the flea treatment and it uncludes her annual booster shot. They work it out on the weight of the dog.
Sounds like you have the right advice about clearing the house. Anywhere the dog generally lies may be particularly flea infested. Wash blankets/bedding etc. Everybodys! I use a flea spray every few days if this happens and keep hoovering often. It will soon clear.

This thread is making me feel itchy!!! 😬

IT ISN'T BEDBUGS! It's bird mites instead. Phew! We had an issue with birds nesting in the guttering when we first moved in. When we started stripping the wallpaper about a week ago we noticed a hole in the plasterboard where some water had got in between some of the roof tiles (roof needs repairing). Obviously we've uncovered the hole and the bird mites has been making their way through it. Stupidly we'd moved back into that room last night, to spray mine out, and ended up getting bitten all night. I was convinced it was in my head!

Wow! I've never even heard of bird mites. Really interesting, but also horrid for you.

How did you find out for sure? Will it be easily sorted now that you know?

Thank goodness for that. At least you know and can deal with strategically.

That's a relief it is much easier to get rid of bird mites than bed bugs!

Had pest control out! They showed me them crawling all over a little bit of paper and it's what I'd seen in my DD's hair. Apparently they like hair... They sprayed mine and DD's bedrooms and the corners of one DS's. Sealed up and let an aerosol bomb off in the attic. Loads of dead ones now. I'm just spraying and hoovering again now!

Well this is horrendously itchyfying! I can't help feel sorry for the poor birds who must live all the time being itchy!

WHYYYYYYY did I read this? I'm so itchy!!

Glad you're getting sorted OP

Bloke at work had these last week!

Ugh. But at least it's not bed bugs

We're still itching! I've really had enough. DD is COVERED in bites. I really can't see anything at all, I know what they look like now too! Hot washed and tumble dried all bedding, sprayed again earlier! I've been trying not to decamp to my parents but... DS's are STILL fine!

Would antihistamines help?