They are kind of hard to see, but it is six little red bumps in rows of three (the classic feeding style of the bed bug). This was after a night that I had gotten under all my covers for the first time since summer ended. At first I freaked out because the thought of having any bug that close to me is not a good feeling. Then, after talking to my friends and family I calmed down a bit because I was thinking maybe I had gotten bitten at work that Friday before, the bites showed up on a Saturday, and since I work at a University that recently had a bed bug problem in one of its apartment complexes. So, a couple days went by, no bites, then I got another one on the other arm in almost the exact same spot, but this time only one. Ok, now I am almost certain that I do have the little critters living with me, so my freaky panic is back.
I went online and read everything I could about the bugs, where they hide, breeding methods etc. and all the while trying to figure out where I could've gotten them from. I still haven't figured it out yet, but I know they have got to go! So, after convincing myself that I have them, even though having not seen any evidence (yet) other than the bite marks, I decided that I would just strip my bed and vacuum every inch of the room. This was going to be done on a weekend, since I didn't have to work the next day, so I tried to get some sleep, which has been really, really hard lately. I woke up Friday night around midnight to find one of the little suckers crawling up the sheet! I freaked, hit it with a piece of paper, but it didn't die, so I had to get a piece of tissue and grab it. The picture below is exactly what it looked like.
Adult bed bug feeding on a human. (M. Potter, Univ. of Kentucky)
Afterward, I had to go in the bathroom and calm down, prayed, and prayed some more. My sister tried to calm me down after I texted her, but it only worked for a short while. I tried to go back to sleep, and finally did around 4:30, but didn't get much rest. I got up the next morning and stripped everything off the bed, carefully looking for any signs of bed bug life. I luckily didn't find any, but trust me when I say that does not mean they weren't there. I took all the sheets, comforter, blankets, stuffed pillows, and animals and put them in plastic bags then took the bags outside. I vacuumed every inch of the mattress and surrounding areas before spraying it down with alcohol (someone told me this kills any live bugs), then put on brand new sheets and a blanket that wasn't even in the same room I was bitten. I also cleaned all the filters in the vacuum, then put them and the entire vacuum outside too. This seemed to ease my mind for a little while, that is until I saw the spots on the newly put down comforter.
Mine were only about 1/8 of this size and amount, but I knew then that they were not gone and even though I hadn't been bitten again (yet) it was only a matter of time, so I immediately ordered some Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth and these Mattress Covers. I put the DE all over my room yesterday (good thing its not toxic), and just waiting to see if it kills any of them, then I have to vacuum it up, change the bed (again) and repeat the vacuuming process, encase the mattress and boxspring, then put down more DE. I am praying this eliminates my problem, as it wasn't big to begin with, or so I hope.
