Bedbugs?

[Posh Jibbons]

Last night I had a hard time sleeping. After about 10 minutes in the sack I felt my legs start to itch, so I got up, put some sweatpants on, and called it a night. I figured it was just my sheets. After all, I haven't washed them in a couple weeks so I didn't think much of it. This afternoon I noticed a couple mosquito/spider-bite-looking marks on my forearms. Maybe I had some creepy crawlies in my sheets last night? Because I was hanging around a couple dogs the day before and it had occurred to me that some fleas might've hitched a ride or something.

Either way, I've attached some pics for your viewing pleasure. Maybe those of you with pets have had experience with fleas, mosquitoes, spiders, etc. I'd just like to know if I need to go to the vet or just wash my sheets(which I've done already). Or something a little more serious like getting a new mattress. Thanks.

Wait a sec for the pics... problems uploading.
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/5166/1000059xu0.th.jpg (http://img53.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000059xu0.jpg)

[Tommy]

Posh,

They look like bedbug bites to me although you can not tell from a picture.

You need to remove your sheets and mattress pad and look for small rice sized bugs hiding in the folds of the mattress and other places in your room. You need to look carefully for them as they hide very well.

They will either be translucent ro they may be reddish brown if they have just fed on you as they will be full of your blood.

You can do a chemical treatment for them but I woudl also recommend doing annon-chemical approach just in case the ones you have are already resistent to chemcials. www.kleen-free.com (http://www.kleen-free.com) has some good non-chemical sprays for bedbugs and other insects (in case these are fleas etc)

Good luck - sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite - again!

Thomas

[Halo007]

What I did to solve this problem was I took apart each mattress steam pressed with either an iron or something else and just covered every inch, washed my sheets in extremely hot water and fabric softener. This will help solve your problem. Remember every mattress cover and on both sides. It also helps to buy a can of this spray I used as well on your bed, its non harmful smells good and keeps the bed bugs from doin' their thing. Just ask someone from walmart or a camp supplies store, I'm sure either of these places will have an insect repellent for beds.

[DarkReality]

If we're thinking about the same animals here, then these things are a pain in the ass to get rid of. You should definitely call a professional to do it for you, as even a few eggs resisting the insecticides can lead to a new outbreak a few weeks later. If you DO do it yourself, then make sure you clean your mattress and sheets multiple times to try and get them all.

Apparently, raising the room temperature above 55°C for 2 days kills them and their eggs off.

[Halo007]

What DR said. Remember to do it multiple times.

[*blank*]

Wait there's really bed bugs? I thought it was just something people said.

[Screech]

I've seen old war videos of soldiers heating up irons and pressing their blankets & uniforms to get rid of bugs in the trenches. Theres a neat hissing sound.

Good for giggles, I doubt the most practical.

An excerpt from an artical about bedbug bites:
"A bed bug bite symptom may be your first clue that you have the insects in your room and on your bed or mattress. A bed bug bite is not very painful or not painful at all and may simply just feel itchy. Bed bug bites may first look like a series of organized or lined welts that are not significantly raised. The welts may be reddish and swollen at first but will fade in a few days. People with sensitive skins may lose some skin tissue or get skin blisters especially if they violently scratch the welts. Infections and allergies have also been known to occur in some cases.". (http://www.articlegarden.com/Article/Bed-Bug-Bite-Symptom/77536)
Some of the pictures on google images match your picture, but alot others look more liek what was described in the article. Bad reaction, or misdiagnosis?

This article (http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/INSECTS/get_rid_of_bed_bugs.htm) sais the only way to get rid of bedbugs are to find them and kill them. You might not be far off of getting the iron planks after all.

[theryman]

My sister had an outbreak of bedbugs in her apartment, and they called a professional. It took five treatments over the course of a couple of weeks to completely eradicate them. Bedbugs used to be a thing of the past, but they are reemerging and becoming rather common. I hope for the best!

[Blastedt]

Those are not flea bites - our cats track in fleas every damn year, and there's never a sign from fleas - just extremely uncomfortable itching.

[Dan]

Is the problem still persisting?

[TheLegendKiller]

Have you been to Ireland or Europe at all lately???

[denacioust]

Why Ireland? What would we have to do with it?

[Justin]

Those look way too big to be bedbug bites. Unless they're some kind of Godzilla-like Japanese superbugs.

[Someone Not Important...]

Why Ireland? What would we have to do with it?

siged

[TheLegendKiller]

siged

It's important because if you recently visited Ireland or Europe and didn't wash you colthes you have a good chance of getting bedbugs

[moonm325]

Those just look like mosquito bites to me.

[*blank*]

It's important because if you recently visited Ireland or Europe and didn't wash you colthes you have a good chance of getting bedbugsWhat about other places in the world, also I'd like to see where you get your facts.

[DarkReality]

http://www.google.de/search?hl=de&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=bed+bugs+in+great+britain&spell=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedbugs#Resurgence_of_bedbug_infestations

Imagine that. Google 'n ####.

Great Britain has been plagued by an outbreak of bedbugs lately. I don't know if it's any worse than the rest of Europe or the US, though. I can't say I've heard of many cases here in Germany.