Okay... I think I have a general gameplan.

[conuly]

Edit: Added bedbuggerfeed. It is amazing what is out there!

1. We've got to bag up everything cloth that we either are certain is not contaminated, or that we don't intend to use within the next 18 months (and which we really ought to just ditch, then).

2. Then we should begin to wash the remaining cloth items in HOT water before drying them in a HOT dryer. After this, it goes in a plastic bag to avoid re-contamination. When we're done, we start that process with the bagged things that we think probably aren't contaminated - better safe than sorry.

3. Meanwhile, we can vacuum places we know or suspect are contaminated - all the bedrooms, for safety, along the baseboards and beds especially. The vacuum bags get immediately doublebagged (sorry, world, the island in the ocean is about to get bigger) and removed from the house. Every place we vacuum we put the whatever-it-is earth down. We cover the mattresses in plastic, very securely, after vacuuming. This will remain in place for a full year-and-a-half.

4. Immediately afterwards, we fumigate the entire house. We can't leave a place for them to run to.

5. We then proceed to re-apply the dusty stuff so that we're not having poisoned whatever-it-is earth lying where the kids can eat it. That goes along all the walls, beds, drawers, etc.

6. 10 - 14 days later we re-fumigate (preferably the house, but at least just the affected areas of it, that can get pricy) and re-apply the whatever-it-is earth.

7. We continue to exercise constant vigilance for at least a year and a half afterwards. Bedbugs are impressive little critters!

What do you think?

Comments

[conuly]

http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth/Bed-Bug.html (I'd go with one "puffer bottle" and one of the higher grade bags)

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/bedbugs/#manage
Reduce clutter to limit hiding places for bed bugs.

Thoroughly clean the infested rooms as well as others in the residence. Scrub infested surfaces with a stiff brush to dislodge eggs, and use a powerful vacuum to remove bed bugs from cracks and crevices. Dismantling bed frames will expose additional bug hiding sites. Remove drawers from desks and dressers and turn furniture over, if possible, to inspect and clean all hiding spots.

Raid will work for the fumigation.

[conuly]

More is not better in the case of DE: bed bugs won’t walk through a thicker coating and so it won’t have a chance to kill them.

[conuly]

For those with active infestations, the DE (the DE20) with pyrethroids might be the most useful, alongside other treatments.

[conuly]

http://www.homedefensemax.com/scotts-sites/ortho-hdm/index.cfm?event=faq

A residue pesticide around the beds and cracks-in-walls downstairs, in addition to a light dusting of DE will help keep the problem down.

[conuly]

The first step to control is to know where bedbug harborages are located. These areas include but are not limited to:

* Tufts, seams/buttons on mattresses
* Cracks in hardwood flooring
* Under carpet along walls
* Wall voids behind switch plates/outlets
* Window/door molding
* Behind wallpaper and pictures
* Box springs
* Bed frames and covers
* Couches and chairs
* Luggage

[conuly]

Steam applications can be used to treat mattresses.

I would suggest taking the mattresses outside first.

[conuly]

http://www.e-bug.net/catalog/Gentrol-Aerosol.html

[conuly]

http://www.e-bug.net/pests/bedbugs.shtml

[conuly]

http://manhattan.about.com/od/citylife1/a/bedbugsbites.htm
http://www.pestquest.info/bedbugs.htm

http://whitehousebedbugs.blogspot.com/

[ganas-de-ti.livejournal.com]

damn, those things are ugly. how do they survive for a year without oxygen/food? or do they come back really easily?
glad i'm not in ny for a while :) but good luck!

[conuly]

Because they are totally some of the coolest little critters on the planet.

Unfortunately, they survive by eating the blood of me and mine, so I just want them gone.

[adina77.livejournal.com]

Connie, I'll be over this coming weekend (since school is winding down and I have no plans to travel this weekend) to come and get my stuff hell or high water without the help. I'll call your mom after 9 to see if its ok.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

how on earth did you get bedbugs? I have never heard of them past the "good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite" thing!

[conuly]

Bedbugs have become frighteningly common in the US, especially in the NYC area.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Eeks. :( So, they're like fleas/lice...but stronger? Say, the roaches version of them, since they seem so resiliant?

[conuly]

Yup.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Gross gross. That is one thing i do NOT miss about NYC. The bugs! The worst bugs we get in the house up here are ants, and that is because the kitchen counter was not installed properly, an dthere is a gap they can get in through. But ants are such much better to deal with than say...bedbugs, roaches, the general NYC ickies. :(

[conuly]

And I will always prefer roaches to ants, because roaches are generally harmless.

Honestly, though, *anybody* can get bedbugs, *anywhere*. They used to be rampant all around the country, and if they're coming back, I doubt they'll only come back in the cities. They're just, like everything else, easier to get rid of outside of cities because you're not so close to your neighbors (especially when it comes to apartments - hoo boy!)

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Roaches bodies just squick me out. :( I don't like ants either, but roaches are just ugly! :(

Sadly, if we get bedbugs, we're fucking SCREWED. We live in an 8 apartment building! (4 ups 4 downs)

[sayga.livejournal.com]

yuck! that is a lot of work to get rid of them. >:P

kira doesn't understand about bed bugs. when we say, "don't let the bed bugs bite," she replies, "okay, you don't let the bed bite you either." no wonder she's scared of the dark: the bed might eat her at any moment!

[conuly]

http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth/Bed-Bug.html (I'd go with one "puffer bottle" and one of the higher grade bags)

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/bedbugs/#manage
Reduce clutter to limit hiding places for bed bugs.

Thoroughly clean the infested rooms as well as others in the residence. Scrub infested surfaces with a stiff brush to dislodge eggs, and use a powerful vacuum to remove bed bugs from cracks and crevices. Dismantling bed frames will expose additional bug hiding sites. Remove drawers from desks and dressers and turn furniture over, if possible, to inspect and clean all hiding spots.

Raid will work for the fumigation.

[conuly]

More is not better in the case of DE: bed bugs won’t walk through a thicker coating and so it won’t have a chance to kill them.

[conuly]

For those with active infestations, the DE (the DE20) with pyrethroids might be the most useful, alongside other treatments.

[conuly]

http://www.homedefensemax.com/scotts-sites/ortho-hdm/index.cfm?event=faq

A residue pesticide around the beds and cracks-in-walls downstairs, in addition to a light dusting of DE will help keep the problem down.

[conuly]

The first step to control is to know where bedbug harborages are located. These areas include but are not limited to:

* Tufts, seams/buttons on mattresses
* Cracks in hardwood flooring
* Under carpet along walls
* Wall voids behind switch plates/outlets
* Window/door molding
* Behind wallpaper and pictures
* Box springs
* Bed frames and covers
* Couches and chairs
* Luggage

[conuly]

Steam applications can be used to treat mattresses.

I would suggest taking the mattresses outside first.

[conuly]

http://www.e-bug.net/catalog/Gentrol-Aerosol.html

[conuly]

http://www.e-bug.net/pests/bedbugs.shtml

[conuly]

http://manhattan.about.com/od/citylife1/a/bedbugsbites.htm
http://www.pestquest.info/bedbugs.htm

http://whitehousebedbugs.blogspot.com/

[ganas-de-ti.livejournal.com]

damn, those things are ugly. how do they survive for a year without oxygen/food? or do they come back really easily?
glad i'm not in ny for a while :) but good luck!

[conuly]

Because they are totally some of the coolest little critters on the planet.

Unfortunately, they survive by eating the blood of me and mine, so I just want them gone.

[adina77.livejournal.com]

Connie, I'll be over this coming weekend (since school is winding down and I have no plans to travel this weekend) to come and get my stuff hell or high water without the help. I'll call your mom after 9 to see if its ok.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

how on earth did you get bedbugs? I have never heard of them past the "good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite" thing!

[conuly]

Bedbugs have become frighteningly common in the US, especially in the NYC area.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Eeks. :( So, they're like fleas/lice...but stronger? Say, the roaches version of them, since they seem so resiliant?

[conuly]

Yup.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Gross gross. That is one thing i do NOT miss about NYC. The bugs! The worst bugs we get in the house up here are ants, and that is because the kitchen counter was not installed properly, an dthere is a gap they can get in through. But ants are such much better to deal with than say...bedbugs, roaches, the general NYC ickies. :(

[conuly]

And I will always prefer roaches to ants, because roaches are generally harmless.

Honestly, though, *anybody* can get bedbugs, *anywhere*. They used to be rampant all around the country, and if they're coming back, I doubt they'll only come back in the cities. They're just, like everything else, easier to get rid of outside of cities because you're not so close to your neighbors (especially when it comes to apartments - hoo boy!)

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Roaches bodies just squick me out. :( I don't like ants either, but roaches are just ugly! :(

Sadly, if we get bedbugs, we're fucking SCREWED. We live in an 8 apartment building! (4 ups 4 downs)

[sayga.livejournal.com]

yuck! that is a lot of work to get rid of them. >:P

kira doesn't understand about bed bugs. when we say, "don't let the bed bugs bite," she replies, "okay, you don't let the bed bite you either." no wonder she's scared of the dark: the bed might eat her at any moment!