Hello. I've posted on this site several times before because I was concerned that we brought home bed bugs from a trip we took back at the beginning of August. Let me tell you why I think we have bed bugs and what I have done so far:
We traveled to the Outer Banks back at the end of July-beginning of August. I checked all the hotels we stayed at on the BedBug Registry. None of the hotels had any reports of bed bugs. I kept all bags off the floor. I also checked each room for signs of bed bugs and found none. Upon returning home, everything including book bags, clothes and duffle bag were washed and dried on high heat.
My daughters have been getting bite-like spots. Now, I should mention that the mosquitoes have been horrible this year in NC and although its almost Thanksgiving, it has been in the 70's here. I know that some of the spots are from mosquitoes. One of my daughter was mostly getting spots on her neck, with a few on her body. They looked like pimples. My other daughter has been getting random spots on her body. They look like mosquito bites. Both of my daughters wear long sleeve/long pant PJ's to bed. No spots on me or my husband.
Well, I convinced myself that we had bedbugs. I tried to hire a K9 bedbug team to come out, but they told me I had too many pets. Since September, I have checked my bed, my daughters' beds and the sofa multiple times for signs of bedbugs. I thought I found fecal staining on my boxspring, but when I tested it with Bed Bug Blue, it was not positive.
I finally decided to buy passive monitors and placed them on my bed and my daughters' bed. Each time I have checked them, they have been clean. No fecal stains and no bugs.
I took my daughter to the doctor on Thursday and he diagnosed her spots as impetigo and eczema. He gave her some cream and for the most part, the rash on her neck is completely gone, but she still has a few spots on her body. I thought my other daughter was clear until I found a big bite like spot on the upper part of her bottom. It lasted one day and is now a tiny bump. She was rolling in the grass the day before, so maybe something bit her?
I am driving myself crazy wondering if we have bedbugs and if I am somehow missing something? My gut tells me that if we brought them home in August, I would've found something by now. I've thoroughly checked our beds multiple times and checked the couch multiple times and found nothing. Our passive monitors are clear. I should be confident that this means we don't have bed bugs.
Am I being paranoid or am I missing something? Are we bedbug-free based on the fact there are no visual signs on the beds/boxsprings and the fact that our passive monitors are clear?
Help!