I started out having bites that were extremely itchy and the more I scratched, the more irritated and larger the bites became. As days went by, I would get more bites, some larger than others! I searched everywhere for bedbugs and could not find any! I finally after driving my husband and kids batty, convinced them that I the only explanation was bedbugs and hired an exterminator.

The exterminator looked at my bites and their pattern and identified them as bedbug bites, because he has seen so many! Funny thing was I had to get an employee physical and did show the bites to my physician and he said they were not bedbug bites, but I doubt he really had ever really seen any! I had my whole home, 3500 square feet treated! After the treatment, a week went by without bites, which the exterminator was honest and said he would probably have to come back to treat it again!

I sleep on the couch and I made sure I slept there and did not go to another room so I could determine if I was still being bitten, since I was the only one with bites….the second treatment took two weeks before bites showed up again… After the third spraying, I have not had anymore bites, but I still check myself and get a little paranoid if I have an itch! These bites are probably the worst itching I have ever experienced! It has been several months since I have received any bites but I know we are not out of the woods yet! I have a touch of OCD and vanpool for bedbugs for hours on my house… To this day I have not seen one in my home! BUT the bites have stopped after three treatments!

One thing I did notice was that I had all different sizes of bites from different stages of the bedbugs and my exterminator said that is very common!

Horrible experience and I was very thankful that I was the only one that this affected in my home, even though I drove my family nuts!

I have bite marks all over me. I wrap up in a sheet and blanket now every night. If any areas are exposed they still end up biting me. It is terrible, can you imagine 3 years worth of grief. I tried mattress covers but they tore apart. I never see the bed bugs moving, only after they are dead and lying on mattress. There are none in the tufts of my mattress at all, no signs at all. But, there used to be.

I washed my mattress with bleach about a year ago. I can never find out where they are hiding. I have the DE all around the perimeter of my bedroom and around all of the bed posts. Still, I am being bitten. So now again I have wrapped my bed posts with tape to catch them. I still don’t see anything stuck on them — still being bitten.

I’ve used the foggers in the entire house. Some say really hot or cold temperatures will kill them. I tried leaving my bedroom window open in 20 degree weather (or less) for about 3 days and that didn’t work (a year ago). I guess it wasn’t cold enough to kill them or the eggs. I’ve also heard they get (hide) inside anything under the bed, in the woodwork, etc. That includes books, clothing, under rugs and electronics (computers, tape players, etc.) too. I’ve washed all clothing and kept them in the basement – still itching and bitten.

Now I will take apart my dresser and probably put it in the basement to see if I can locate them there. This furniture is my mother’s so I don’t want to throw it out. I am going crazy with these bugs, and like I said it’s been three or more years. I had been making trips on a Greyhound bus and I think that’s the only way I could have gotten them. Probably hitch-hiked on my luggage. My clothes when I leave them on the bed cause me to itch something terrible. I don’t see anything ever moving so it must be that they’re laying eggs or something. I don’t know what that is anyway almost out of options.

If bed bugs can thrive a year without a blood meal that’s pretty bad. That means that they could last forever laying eggs year after year. If I could put someone in my bed, I would stay up all night just to see if I could catch them. And, find out where they are coming from. They say that the carbon dioxide that you breath out let’s them know you’re asleep and its time for them to eat.

Any suggestions? Perhaps it’s time to hire a professional extermination company?

Really only needed a fraction of it. I spread it around my house. Around all furniture, walls, carpet, outlets, doors and windows. After a couple of weeks I noticed a remarkable decrease in the population and lessening in bites. I repowered the house after about a month and they NEVER came back! I will keep this on hand because you never know when or where you might get them.

You don’t “get” bed bugs because you are dirty, you just pick them up from someplace you have been, but if you keep your house uncluttered they will have less places to hide. I hope this information does help because I had a complete nightmare trying to get rid of them and no one wanted to come to my house. It was very embarrassing.

Sounds like an interesting business. I have been chatting with Jill Laibson Coyle on Facebook and she told me about your Bed Shield business. I hope you are successful! Those bugs look NASTY. If you have a brochure, let me know. I can be reached at the above E-mail address.

Cheers!
Annie