Firstly, thanks to all who wrote in over the weekend for your sympathetic comments and suggestions re: my bed bug plight. Here’s what I’ve learned thus far:
Tossing thrifted goodies in your freezer to kill any potential bugs sounds like a phenomenal idea, particularly in lieu of Sudoku-ing your way through twelve loads at your local laundromat. Sadly, the requisite temp/time for ensuring blood sucker death is below zero degrees Fahrenheit for one to two weeks, i.e. the average household freezer just won’t cut it. For imminent annihilation, stick with heat. Where hassle-free, quick-kill techniques are concerned, microwaving your material purchases seems like the best option (one I intend to try after my next thrifting excursion).
Good news on the laundry front: All those “clean” clothes you haven’t worn recently don’t need to be washed AND dried. An undisputed study found on Pest Control Technology Online determined that a spin in a hot dryer alone was enough to kill the bugs. They say it only takes five minutes, but that’s in 175-degree heat. I don’t know the specifics of my laundromat’s dryers; if you’re in my boat, I’d recommend a half hour’s worth of quarters.
I’m starting to feel like I’m back in college writing a fucking research paper, so enough of this bug bullshit. Let’s talk some shopping and bash some fashion. Bruno’s up next.
just caught the bedbug story — poor cheap jap! i am glad you won’t stop thrifting, even after such a horrifying experience.
June 29th, 2009 - 1:05 PMGood luck killing them, they are as difficult as fleas to kill and super resistant to modern day pesticides. I strongly suggest you get yourself a bag of Diatomaceous Earth and start dusting around your base boards, corners and under your bed. If I were you I would throw the mattress and boxspring away, they are probably full of eggs since you got bit up so bad. Don’t take the chance of keeping it. You got a fight on your hands but the Diatomaceous Earth was the most successful way I was able to rid my home of fleas last summer after an infested my cat brought in. They ate me up for a few days but I used Diatomaceous Earth and a pesticide with insect growth regulator to stop the fleas reproduction cycle. Might help with your situation as well. You can kill them but you have to be persistant as hell. Best of luck to you!
June 30th, 2009 - 9:25 AMI am a New Yorker and have been dealing with bedbugs for several months now. Look into “D/EARTH – diatomaceous earth.” You can find it on pet-care websites. It’s completely safe for pets and humans, but kills bugs. I have seen proof that it helped in my apartment(dead bedbugs in the powder)…
June 30th, 2009 - 1:07 PMGood luck! I know how bad this sucks…