How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

December 12th, 2008 Posted in Bed Bugs & Fleas



Don’t worry…if there is a will there is a way, and I am going to tell you the way to prevent and to get rid of bed bugs as well as treat your clothing, furniture and other personal belongings that may have been contaminated.

Bed bugs can be difficult to find and identify but once you do there are some steps you need to take in order to get your home back to normal. Check out the EcoSMART blog article on identifying bed bugs. It will give you a detailed description of what they look like, where to find them, and other helpful facts. Once you read that and find out if you do indeed do have an infestation, read all of the following informative facts and suggestions for getting rid of bed bugs!


how to get rid of bed bugs



  • Be aware. Inspect items and people that come into your home. Bed bugs like to travel from location to location on a host. This host could be either a person or an item such as luggage or furniture.
  • Look closely at bedding. You can still go to hotels and stay at friends houses just check the bedding in order to make sure you don’t mistakenly carry something home with you.
  • Check around your house for cracks and crevices in the building interior and exterior. A flashlight and magnifying glass might even been helpful. You should caulk any holes you find in order to help keep bugs out.
  • Vacuum regularly. Once you have finished vacuuming do not let the full vacuum bag sit around your home. If you do that, you are letting the bugs sit around your home and allowing the chance for them to get back into the environment. Tightly seal the vacuum cleaner bag in a plastic bag and dispose of immediately outside of the house.
  • Inspect second-hand furniture. If you are bringing second-hand furniture into your home inspect it very closely. It is more likely you will find bugs in these items than in new, store-bought furniture.

  • Put screens up around your windows and chimneys. This will keep bats, birds, and other rodents from coming into your home and building nests. Bed bugs also feed on these types animals.
  • Look for tell-tale fecal spots on furniture, fabrics, and luggage. You may not see the bugs but you can find other unpleasant signs of their presence.
  • Sanitation can never hurt, but because bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and unsanitary areas this will not necessarily be enough.

  • Remove and destory any animal nests from your home, because bed bugs feed on other animals besides humans. These may be found in the basement or the attic.
  • Trap them. Some people have found sticky traps useful. They may not be the most effective method for catching these extremely tiny millimeter long bugs, but it couldn’t hurt.

Even if you have effectively identified your bug problem and found many of their creepy crawly hiding places, there are still some very important precautions you should take.

Treating your clothing, furniture, and personal items might be the key step in completely ridding your home of bed bugs as well as preventing another infestation.

How to Treat Clothing

  • Bed bugs cannot live in temperatures above 100°F so you should wash all clothes in hot water and dry on high for at least an hour (the time in the dryer is able to kill the bed bugs).

  • Remember bed bugs can live for a year without any food so if you seal up your clothes in air tight plastics for at least 18 months (the typical lifespan of one of these bugs) then when you reopen the packages the bugs should be dead.
  • Dry cleaning your clothes is an option for items you can not or do not wish to wash yourself. Make sure to inform the drycleaner that the items may be infested with bed bugs so that they treat it properly, and so that they are careful not infest clothes of other patrons.

How to Treat a Mattress

  • A stiff brush can be used to scrape and remove bugs from mattress seams. Once you have completely cleaned the mattress it should be sealed in plastics for at least 18 months (typical life spam of a bed bug).
  • Steam cleaning your mattress is not recommended because the moisture would be hard to get rid of and possible cause mildew. The warm moisture would not kill the bugs.

Pesticide Treatment

Severe infestations may need professional exterminating assistance…
Watch this video to learn more:

Pesticides are always an option in exterminating unwanted pests, but there are additional risks to be aware of when using chemicals, especially in areas where you sleep and normally come in close contact with. Although organic insecticides are helpful when dealing with most bugs, prevention is the best control method when dealing with the bed bug.

Check the label on any pesticide that is used to make sure it serves the purpose you intend it to and will not be harmful to you either. Bug problems are similar to any other hurdle you may run into. First, you have to identify what the situation is; secondly, educate yourself on the situation and solutions; then, evaluate how to attack your particular problem in order to be most successful; and finally, you act.

Bed bugs have a natural predator…but it’s one you won’t want to introduce into your home – the assassin, or kissing bug. These guys are bigger than bed bugs, and guess what? They also bite humans…around the mouth. So rather than introducing another vampire, it’s now up to you.

You are ready to be the bed bugs’ #1 predator, and it is now your duty to take them down! Don’t be scared and don’t be shy…you are much larger, much stronger, and much smarter. Good luck!


Ashley Hill

  1. 56 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By Larry Dickinson on Dec 16, 2008

    I do agree that bugs are a problem and can be a very expensive one if not treat asap. The problem for me is all the poisons that are not good for me nor my family. I am glad there are products that are effective and safe.

  3. By michelle langdon on Dec 17, 2008

    i am really curious to see just how this product will work.

  4. By nathalie on Dec 17, 2008

    omg these are the worst!!! i had some in my last home and it was terrible!!

  5. By kim on Dec 17, 2008

    Bed bugs are a big problem i hate them i would like to know more about them too

  6. By Elizabeth M. on Dec 17, 2008

    I remember two of the floors of my daughter’s university had an outbreak last year and it was a huge, scary deal. They got it under control immediately but it sure caused a sensation.

  7. By Eric Starker on Dec 17, 2008

    The only thing that got rid of these for good was a professional extermination. Even after that, I had to spray my bedding with rubbing alcohol for a while when I saw an occasional critter.

  8. By Becca Johnson on Dec 17, 2008

    I just saw a thing on TV saying bed bugs are a huge problem in the area I’m living in now! Help!!!
    I have 4 kids & lots of pets. I don’t want a lot of harsh chemicals in the house to deal with.

  9. By Debora Benacchio on Dec 18, 2008

    I also have a lot of bed bugs being talked about in my area. I don’t know if people are more aware or if it is becoming a problme

  10. By Iris Yuan on Dec 18, 2008

    I didn’t know about this until today. Thanks for bringing it up to my attention. Got to take action soon!

  11. By Angela Smith on Dec 18, 2008

    I am really into using natural products in my house because I 9 children and they are all so sensitive to chemicals.

  12. By Tammera on Dec 18, 2008

    I would have loved to have had a product like this a few years ago. My family took a vacation and we all woke up with bug bites every morning. I hope this product works well because if it does, it will be a must for every vacation that I take.

  13. By Madelon Couch on Dec 18, 2008

    I read recently that bed bugs are making a comeback…ugh! Hopefully, this product would work for anyone who needs it.

  14. By karissa on Dec 18, 2008

    I try to use only natural forms but have yet to find ones that work. I hope I get picked for the study so we can try these products out!

  15. By Chloe Pepe on Dec 19, 2008

    I can’t wait to try this product. I love that it’s all natural and no chemicals. I wouldn’t want to spray harsh chemicals around my little kids and pets.

  16. By Pat H on Dec 19, 2008

    Having a child and a pet concerns me when using pesticides in and around my home. Knowing that there are products like this that are effective without causing my loved ones is very exciting to me.

  17. By Tat2gurl on Dec 20, 2008

    Im extremely interested in this product

  18. By Carrie Darling on Dec 21, 2008

    Im looking for pet safe products

  19. By pam on Dec 26, 2008

    I can not wait to try this product, we have tried other ,but they didn’t work!!!

  20. By Dorothy on Jan 12, 2009

    Ditto! I can’t wait to get rid of thoes pesky creatures

  21. By Vicky on Jan 13, 2009

    How I could get bed bugs. I would like to buy it. Thanks

  22. By Liz on Jan 21, 2009

    Very intresting article. I can just imagine the bed bugs we have.

  23. By Ana Cheadle on Jan 23, 2009

    Bed Bugs!!!!

    Im checking my bed for sure!

  24. By craig on Jan 25, 2009

    i would like to know more about eco smart

  25. By EcoSMART Kara on Jan 26, 2009

    Craig, visit “How Does EcoSMART Work?” to learn more about their products. Thanks for commenting!

  26. By Barbara Platt on Jan 28, 2009

    I pray I never have to deal with this problem.

  27. By EcoSMART Kara on Jan 28, 2009

    Hopefully after reading this article, you’ll never have to!

  28. By Jennifer Roulier on Feb 4, 2009

    i would love to try one of your products i need it bad :(

  29. By EcoSMART Kara on Feb 4, 2009

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  30. By Gary Waugh on Mar 19, 2009

    Living in Arizona, I have a scorpion problem
    What do you suggest??
    Thank You.

  31. By bedding children's on Mar 23, 2009

    These products sound great. Thinking about bed bugs is very disturbing!

  32. By Anantha on May 14, 2009

    Which product is the best product for bedbugs

  33. By Scott Christian Bauer on Jul 2, 2009

    I was a residential staff member at a boarding home that developed a bedbug infestation. Here’s what they did to totally eradicate the problem:

    1. Move the bed and nearby furniture, especially wood furniture, at least six inches away from all walls.

    2. Encase every mattress, box spring, and pillow in bedbug-proof encasements. Protect-A-Bed encasements are best, as they have passed every conceivable test. (No, I do not work for Protect-A-Bed.) Do not let linens, blankets, etc. ever ever ever touch the floor. That means getting rid of bed skirts, long bedspreads, etc.

    3. Wash every piece of clothing and fabric in hot water, then dry in the dryer at least 50% longer than usual. KEEP WASHED AND UNWASHED CLOTHING AND FABRIC COMPLETELY SEPARATED, SUCH AS IN SEPARATE GARBAGE BAGS. Bedbugs are killed by moderately extended exposure to 120 degree heat. Do not return the clothing and fabric to the room until the rest of the steps have been completed.

    4. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Vacuum every square inch of flooring in the room every day for at least 60 days.

    5. Bring in a qualified exterminator who uses nontoxic anti-bedbug chemicals to thoroughly spray all headboards, all footboards, all rails, the bases of all non-metal furnishings, all baseboards, and into all non-electrical cracks and crevices. Bring the exterminator in weekly for at least four consecutive weeks.

    If you don’t use mattress, box spring, and pillow encasements, you MUST have the exterminator apply the chemicals to all exposed mattress, box spring, and pillow surfaces! The application must be sopping wet on the folds, tufts, and along the box springs where they rest on the rails. Though not enough to be sopping wet, a liberal amount MUST be sprayed into the inside of the box spring.

    6. Spread DE powder liberally along the baseboards, especially where they meet the flooring. All put DE powder into cracks and crevices, such as plug-ins and light switches. Keep replenishing the DE powder after every time the floor is vacuumed.

    Doing all the above completely eradicated the boarding home’s bedbug infestation in two months, and after slightly less than a year none have ever reappeared.

    One tell-tale sign of bedbugs I rarely see on web pages such as yours is blood spots on sheets and pillowcases. If mysterious blood spots start appearing with no explanation, chances are they’re caused by the sleeping person rolling over in their sleep and squashing bedbugs during or immediately after they’ve fed and are bloated with blood.

  34. By LATONIA GRACE on Jul 2, 2009

    Never used this or heard of it before but not only are they bad, they ate my blood so bad i had so many red marks on my body i scratch and scratch it was like the bites never went away. Had house exterminated but i still saw some afterwards boy was i upset these thins are very BAD

  35. By Denise on Jul 2, 2009

    We found out that we had bed bugs just this tuesday. I was horrified when I swatted my neck and came away with a blood smear. I went crazy when after i had clicked on the side table light there were a couple of crawly things on the bed. I grabbed the roll of cello-tape and stick one of the gross things to a bit of the tape. I rushed down stairs and surfed until i found what these things were. I couldn’t believe it. So much so that at one in the morning i was driving around town trying to find a flash light (all ours were broken, much to my chagrin. armed with a working flash light and my growing anxiety. I did not want to find evidance that this was really happening to my family.
    As you can imagine, I was all over our room, crawling on my hands, knees and sometimes stomache, praying that these were not bed bugs. I had left the room lights off, one to not disturb the love of my life but if they were present I wanted (not really) to catch them in the act. I was almost in the state of relief when i didn’t see anything on my side of the bed or the cursory search of the snoozing boyfriend’s side. But something nagged me. One of the articles said that these things shed their shells every so often. So I check the floor near the head of the bed. I was again feeling relief as the beam of light sweept the floor and dust bunnies (somethign i noted that needed to be cleaned, ugh)when a small white-ish tan fleck caught my attention. I moved closer to it and realized that it wasn’t just one, but a lot of them.
    I grabbed my trusty cello-tape and pressed the tape onto these things to being them to better light. My heart sank, and the horror set in. They were the cast off shells of various sizes. I woke up my man and ordered him out of the bed. Once he was out, I jerked the bed away from the wall and wanted to cry. Near the stupid tag of the box spring was a small collection of the nasty things and in all the different stages of being and the disgusting poop marks.
    I warned him not to disturb them to much but we had to get our bed out of the room, gather up the bedding, etc. I was in a total panic. He went down stairs to get plastic bags and something to collect a sample with to show the landlord in case he didn’t believe us. We dusted the ones on the tag into a baggie (these things are quick too for being so small)then proceeded to pull off and bag the bedding. We flipped the matress over an i was ill that there were four or five of these things underneeth. We picked them off (gloved hands thank you)and put them in with their buddies (more nasty) and shoved the mattress out side on the balcony. We picked up the box spring and low and behold we found several more small patches near the frame. I was almost in hysterics, demanding the box spring be launched as far from the house as possible, and then sitting down and crying.
    We are not nasty living people. Clutter monsters maybe, but not gross. I didnt realize that you didn’t have to be nasty to get these things.
    I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. My love called around to find an exterminator. We bought bed bags, sticky tape, and containers for the legs of the bed. We bagged everything that was on the floor (minus the stupid cat)what couldn’t be bagged was thrust out on the balcony to burn in the deep south sun.
    We couldn’t afford the exterminators (college students are always broke and so are most parents, I am both) and we couldn’t get a hold of the landlord. I was ready to move us then and there. One of the exterminators took pity on us (HAVARD pest control, bless you)and told us to use this chemical (I am sure it was commercial, or they wouldnt have sold it to us.) in a sprayer in the room and adjacent rooms every two weeks for a few months.
    After moving everything that couldn’t fit outside on the balcony, we vaccumed the crap out of the floor, then he went in and sprayed. We left the house to let it dry and to get my nerves under control. Once it was dry, we moved everything into place away from the walls and we have been sleeping (if you want to call what we do sleeping) in the middle of the room. I wake up every 20 mins to make sure the the coverlett is not touching the floor and freak if i even thought it had. I have cried myself to sleep for two days now. I miss my cat sleeping at the foot of my bed, and the feeling of security a home is meant to give you.
    I am not happy with spraying the chemical inside my home. I have children and a stupid cat (he really is dumb for a cat, but we love him anyways)not to mention that my beloved is sensitive to harsh chemical agents that i have had to use eco-safe cleaning supplies ( I clean because it lowers my anxieties). But I was not sleeping another night with these disgusting things in my home.
    I am normally hard to unnerve. Bats, snakes, spiders, scorpions, etc have no hold over me. I have swam with ‘gators, eels, and even looked down the throat of a great white from a cage and came away feeling god like. But I have been laid low, physicaly and mentally by a creepy, disgusting insectiod. I am ashamed even thought its not our fault (the next day after discovery a rather unpleasant neighbor scoffed at us, saying “oh, I see you found the bed bugs. that is why the last family left … sucks to be you”)and demoralized. Although I have not wanted to scratch the skin off my arms and hands for the last two days now, I am gun shy of everything that i find in my home or when a stray hair floats across my arm.
    I do hope that when you pick your candidtes for the product give-away that we make the cut. I do not want to use that chemical again if I can help it, but I will if I have to.
    This is a horrible experiance and I wouldn’t even wish this nightmare on the mean neighbor

  36. By CeCe on Jul 6, 2009

    I thought lice were bad, but bedbugs are a nightmare, and I am now a nervous, paranoid wreck! Having spent the past few days since making this unwelcome discovery researching non-toxic, human, pet and environmentally-friendly solutions. I am very happy to have found EcoSMART products. I will now have to find an exterminator who uses them, and I hope to win some here for the ensuing maintenance of a bedbug-free home. I’ll certainly have no money left. Bedbugs have stolen my health, my sanity and my vacation!

  37. By Rebecca on Jul 9, 2009

    I found out about 2 weeks ago that we had bedbugs! For the last month or so my arms and legs have itched so bad that I was scratching them to the point where I was bleeding and couldn’t stop due to the intense itching. I even went to the dr and he prescribed a $150 cream to put on my arms for them (which didn’t work) much to my surprise I found these nasty little creatures on my bedskirt around my bed! This is the most disgusting thing ever! We have just moved into this house 5 months ago, I think they were a ficticious thing as I always said as a child…Goodnight, Sleep Tight, Don’t let the Bed Bugs Bite. I have tried everything to get rid of them…except calling an exterminator as they are $950 to come out and spray my home…I cannot afford this. I desperatly need to sleep back in my own bed! I would appreciate it if I could try your spray as I need them gone!!

  38. By John King on Jul 9, 2009

    This looks like a wonderful product. I try it for sure.

  39. By Carmel on Jul 9, 2009

    I’m really into stuff that is friendly to the enviroment and chemical free

  40. By Susan West on Jul 11, 2009

    OMG these guys are sooooo scary,makes me itch,lol.

  41. By Dominique on Jul 12, 2009

    I got bed bugs from a hotel I stayed in for a week. When I left I had bites on my arms. I mut have brught one or two with me. One week later I have many bites on my arms and some on my legs. Can’t these bugs spread that fast????
    I can’t wait to get rid of these bugs and looking for a safe and efficient product!

  42. By Stefanie Schmidt on Jul 12, 2009

    Wow this product would be so great to get rid of all the creepy crawly bed bugs.

  43. By Lori Lavier on Jul 13, 2009

    Anything that can help with this problem is great. We travel a lot and it is always a concern.

  44. By Silvanus Kristanto on Jul 15, 2009

    I try this products on bed bugs it kills them on contact. But the problem is they hide very well and is very rarely you can spot them right away unless it’s heavily infested. Yes you can kill them with this products if you spray it directly to them, but it doesn’t help that much if you just spray it to your mattress and your room and expecting they gonna died because of it. Try to look for a little tiny black/brown spot on your mattress , pillow, crack on your wall/floor, behind electrical outlet. On the daytime they are not moving unless you touch it.Good luck.

  45. By holly payne on Jul 18, 2009

    I found out we had bed bugs after I took my child to the doctor to look at huge red welts. We packed and bagged all of our clothes threw out some furniture, clothes book and teddy bears. We have been living out of bags for four months. I spent more than 20 hours doing laundry. We have had our place sprayed four times. But they are still biting. I forget what it is like to live pest free.

  46. By Fran Crichlow on Jul 23, 2009

    help meeee! :( these bugs are ruining my life!

  47. By Marji on Jul 25, 2009

    Our neighbors were the first to identify bites and the bedbugs themselves. A week later, we noticed the same. Our building management office told us that an exterminator was being sent and had us bag up, wash and dry all of our clothes. We threw away our mattress and dresser and have been living out of plastic bags for almost 3 weeks. We are very interested in trying your product.

  48. By Evette Coleman on Jul 31, 2009

    HELP! I am at my wits end! I have been experiencing this problem with bed bugs for well over 4 months now. I never heard of bed bugs except in the little rhyme “Don’t let the bed bugs bite!”. I live in a rather large apartment building. I’ve notice back in late April, I woke up with red marks on my arms. I dismissed it as something I ate, an allergic reaction. So next few mornings of waking up with the marks, my 12 year daughter start experiencing these marks too! She and I share bedroom. Now it is May,
    so I am thinking it’s too early for mosquitoes. I let a week or so go by. Did my own experiment, kept the windows closed. Few nights nothing happenned…it started back up again with the bites..now it’s June. Never once did I see anything or knew to look. I mention to a friend about what had been happening. She said, “You know bed bugs are back!” I saw on the news about some of the finest of hotels are being infested. I finally contacted my building manager with my suspicions. A reputable exterminating company came in the first time was 6/9/09. Prior to his visit, I had to wash all the clothes in the entire house, cleaned out the closets. This was quite pricey. On his initial inspection, he called me at work to tell me the bad news…he also showed my daughter of the point of infestation in our mattress. Since then she has been sleeping on the couch. His second visit, was 13 days later 6/22/09, more spraying and laying down powder under the carpets near the baseboard. I was assured that everything should be fine. Problem some what subsided, but a few days later even saw some of the nasty bugs. Third visit on July 9th from the exterminator, I was recommended to get some encasement for the mattress and boxspring. Well those arrived on July 17th. I was sure this would bring the relief I so much needed. About 6 days after the encasement were placed on mattress and boxspring 7/25 more bugs and bits. I literally starting drinking to calm my nerves to get a somewhat peaceful sleep. Now just last night 7/30/09, since my daughter has been sleeping on the couch… I guess the bugs have routed to the living room. She show me two bugs which of course I killed. She is hysterical and every chance she gets..she goes to a friend’s house for a sleep over. I am thinking there are bugs in the carpet or might be in the head or foot boards. I have vacuumed…but I need something to use daily.. to get rid of these pest. I have bought Bendaryl gel to alleviate the itching from the bites. I am just tired…I about to call my building office again..today 7/31 is my birthday. This would be a wonderful gift to receive your product to try. August is just around the corner.. I haven’t had a good night sleep in months.. I keep my tv on and a flash light nearby…this is no way to live. It would be a true blessing to receive a sample of your product. Thanks in advance from my daughter and myself.

  49. By Lizzy on Aug 3, 2009

    I don’t know what to do!!! About two weeks ago I was laying on my bed and to my left I just saw something crawl…eeew..I looked at it and my first instinct was kill it..!! So I did..but I was just wonderring if it was a bed bug..so I googled it and omg it was!!!! I don’t wanna sleep with the thought of bugs crawling all over me!! I mean who would!!!!! But now today this morning my boyfriend goes to work at six but wakes up around five and he turned the light on and to my right…omg!!…this darn bug was bout to climb on my child..!!!! My first instinct was not to kill it on the bed cuz the last time it left a nasty blood stain on my sheets so I just picked it up and tossed it..!!! I’m so upset I didn’t kill it cuz I know it’s gonna come back but eeeew!!!!!!! I did wash my hands!!!!! So I’ve been reading about what to do but I’m home alone with a 1 year old..she can’t help..and I’m only 5 foot weighing 100 pounds..!! This queen size mattress will fall on me..LOL..but im gonna have to vaccum my life away I guess..I need help and fast before those tiny monsters get the best of my blood..my blood is not for you,you dirty looking bugs!!!! Leave me alone!!!! Go and find a dirty mattress outside somewhere!!!!!! Well that was my story!! Hope you guys can help this problem I have!!! Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :•( ugh!! I’m getting itchy just thinking about it!!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  50. By Laura on Aug 5, 2009

    I’d love to see if this product works. I just found out we had bed bugs today and I am at wits end trying to figure out how to get rid of these little guys. I can’t really call pest control as I don’t have the money for it, plus I’m sensitive to harsh chemicals. I really hope there is something that works to get rid of these things!

  51. By chub on Aug 20, 2009

    Goodnight, Sleep Tight, Don’t let the Bed Bugs Bite!

    Ezt a szólást kerestem már évtizedek óta, amit egy amerikai lánytól, Lotte ‘nénitől’ hallottam még itt Magyarországon.

  52. By Jane Van Heusen on Sep 12, 2009

    I was visiting my granddaughter this past January in North Carolina, when my daughter called and told me the one thing I never wanted to hear, we have bedbugs. She had a professional exterminator come in. They said they would come and spray again in two weeks. My daughter thought the problem was solved. I came home in March and they were still there. She had thrown out the couch and bought a new one. For awhile it seemed like it was ok in the house. Every once in awhile we see a stray one and we all freaked. My g/d that lives with me, had bites all over. Here we go again. I am hoping to receive your product. It isn’t as bad as it was but I feel they even just one of those nasty things is awful! Please Help!!

  53. By anthony musso on Sep 16, 2009

    bed bugs are a nightmare, trying everything to get rid of them

  54. By anthony musso on Sep 16, 2009

    i hate bed bugs

  55. By Cindy on Sep 25, 2009

    BEDBUG! BEDBUGS! What must I do? I’ve looked and looked and I found you. I too am in disbelief that I have bedbugs. I’ve called local exterminators and WHEW they’re extremely expensive. I’m on a set monthly income and I’ve been going out of my mind because I just didn’t know what to do. So I hiked my butt to the library because unfortunately I don’t have access to the internet at home. It’s pouring down raining, and yet I’m still determined to find out if there’s something that I can do to rid my house of these unwanted pesky creatures. So now that I’m searching and searching, I’ve now started to feel some relief. My son has severe chronic asthma and I can’t wait to try this EcoSmart product. I thought it was just a part of my son and husband’s imagination at night that they were somehow itching all the time. Then I started itching, saw the bedbugs and blood smears on the bed. I can’t wait to use product. Thanks!!

  56. By sandra on Oct 11, 2009

    I know this is long, but please read it is all important !! All of these stories have a simular sound as everyone knows life can bring many different trials, but I have to say the BB is the worse thing I have ever gone through. I don’t care if I get picked or not, Hope I do, but if I don’t I just wanted you all to hear how this effected my live. I am in my mid 50’s had worked all my ife in chemicals and I suppose I had a weak lung and after many years of being around chemicals my lung got very weak. I am now disabled with a lung disorder and have breathing difficults and all kinds of other problems due to my lung. I have to be very careful with almost everything, I can actually walk into a store now and tell you if I will be able to shop or stay in there for any length of time. I have gotten pretty good at it. Candles I have to be careful, perfumes, cleaning products and so forth. I wish I could afford organic cleaning and laundry products, but disability money is not enough to barely survive on let alone buy organiclly. However, my neighbor got BB’s and my apartment manager didn’t inform the other next door tenants like myself and we all got them about 5-6 weeks later. I had went to the ER room for itching and swelling and my nerves doctor putting my in the hospital for two days to see what was going on. All he could come up with was stress. Yes stress from itching and swelling. At this time I did not know I had beb bugs, until my son came over and spend several days/nights with me after I got out of the hospital. He woke up with about 8 bites and we thought maybe one of us had carried a flea in so we put on white socks and sit around couch to see if the flea would jump on us? Nothing? We repeated this for about 3-4 days, evenings and each day he would get up with more bites all together he got around 35-40 bites. My bites where alot different than his he got the worse infection I ever saw and had to be treated at the ER room. Mine where kinda like flea bites and would swell up then itch like crazy then start to go down and leave just a tiny little sore just like a flea bite. I got to wondering about my neighbor who had BB’s and wondered if maybe they came to my apartment. Well I sent my sone home and at this time we never saw anything, but I knew I had them after reading on the internet for days and pictures of my son’s bites according to what others were getting all looked the same. I informed my landlady and told her I would like to get rid of my cloth material things take them to the dump or burn them and then clean, vacuum and then have her to come in a spray she agreed and that is what I did. The night before I started the removal, cleaning I went to my bedroom and turned on the light and saw them run across my bed and it was about 2am in the morning. The only cloth materials I saved were my clothes and I doubled bagged them and doubled tied them into large garbage bags and I packed up my apartment leaving the boxes or tubs open and the chemical compamy I had them also to spray down in them. I left the apartment and left everything sitting there for 3.5 weeks. I went on a search to move and did move to anther county I had borrowed 2000 dollars to help me through this mess and to replace what I had lost.. yeah right that was a drop in the bucket compaired to what it really cost me. I am in my new place and I did manage to get new mattress, but with all the expenses of the move and hiring people to clean, pack, move, remove, haul, eats, hotel rooms, gas, the 2000 dollars wasn’t near enough. I still don’t have a living room set. I have one blanket, two pillows and my daughter gave me a set of sheets. I have two towels and bought a stack of wash clothes. Took all the clothes to the laundry mat dried them for 25 mintues or there around, and then sprayed with alcohal often. I did manage to save two antique chairs my mom had given me and I spray them 2-3 times a day with alcohal too. I check my bed each night before I get in, I spray alcohal all over my apartment and I have the worse mental damage over this I cannot sleep unless the light is on, I still itch and have searched and see nothing,but the itching is so severe at times I break out and leave scratch marks on my skin. I have develpoed that skin writing it is called, dermagraphtism not sure of the spelling but it is the skin writting you can actually write something on your skin and it becomes red and raised then about 15 minutes it might go away? I am just about ready to have a nervous break down over this and I am under doctors care she had to put me on strong nerve medicine and it barely works and I take benadryl all the time for itching. It did not help that I have always had a bug phobia since childhood and I couldn’t fathom the thought of using my quilts, blankets, pillows and such.. I threw out everything cloth except my clothes which were in my closet and I really don’t think they were in there, but still took caution. I would like to mention also the chemicals they used to spray my apartment and boxes I suppose I got that on my feet walking arouond even though I had sandles on it got on my feet and the skin peeled right off. I have pictures of everything from start to finish I left no stone unturned. I have been severely effected by this, mentally, physically and in ways I had not even thought of. People think they can jsut go spray and the problem is gone, well I am here to tell you it doesn’t work that way. I guess if you can lay in chemicals and like bugs crawling over you then it would be ok, but it isn’t ok for me personally and cannot be around such so all this has been a nightmare for me and I am still not at the end of my story. I hope one day I can say with 100% that I am bed bug free, but I am afraid to brag cause I am not so sure? I stay up until about 1-3am then take medicine to make me sleepy so when I do go to bed I can go right to sleep. What gets me is I can oil up my skin just to make sure it isn’t dry skin making me itch take my meds, check my bed, and then lay there feel soemthing bite me and get my mag light and look and see nothing? My question is>>> are they so small you cannot see them with even a light or rub your hand across you skin trying to feel and see something and the results are nothing? How can I know for sure 100% sure I don’t have them still. I think sometimes maybe I carried a egg in this apartment and that would be all it would take to start another outbreak? I tried to be so careful and trust me you cannot waver from caution there isn’t enough waver out there you will need all you can think of and then some. From the time I packed, sprayed and let sit for 3.5 weeks until today it has been almost 7 weeks. I am going to bomb my apartment today and spray alcohal over and over, of course I have to leave my home again because of the chemicals, but I don’t care to, I hate using the chemicals, but I don’t have much choice. I am trying all I know to do on my budget not spread these bugs into my new place and to my neighbors.. I don’t know what would happen if there were a out break here and my landlord kicked me out since he would think I brought them on site. Man I am not so sure if I could handle this again, I hate a weird thought at the onset of this BB and hate to admit it, but it was almost like I didn’t want to live fearing It would never go away and felt a moment of weakness and felt like escaping forever away from it. My son told me Mom your doing the best you can do and taking caution those bugs are smaller than you are so don’t let them defeat you, I just can’t stand knowing If they come back or are here, my neighbors getting them and me no where to go and no money. I cannot borrow more money on my income barely making it now. I don’t know, it has been a mess for me that is for sure. Thanks for listening and please take alllllllllll precaution on getting rid of your things and cleaning, leave nothing untouched !!!!!Don’t forget about your car too, it also needs attention !

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  2. Oct 22, 2009: Bed Bug Identification

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