I found a bed bug nymph (confirmed here) two nights ago, and now I'm doing what I can to rid of them and keep them from spreading to friends/family, work, and neighboring apartments.
I have to wait until Wednesday (it's currently Saturday) for PCO to come out and confirm this themselves, and start treatments.
So far my main plan is too bag, wash, and dry all my washables, then store them in plastic storage bins and tape them shut with duct tape.
Non washables go into sealed and taped plastic bins with Nuvan strips.
DE will be spread along the seams of the floor and wall, EVERYWHERE, the whole perimeter of my apartment.
I am going to toss most of my furniture, but I plan on keeping my bed frame and mattress, dining table and four chairs, dog crate, and my TV Stand (where the Xbox and cable box are).
So I would like recomendations on a mattress encasement/protector, and climb ups, and things like that.
I know for a fact my cats like to sleep on the Xbox and cable box, so I'd like to ask would I be better off just doing my best to keep them off of that area or should I get/make climb ups regardless of the cats coming and going?
I plan on blocking them out of the chairs all together.
I do have another cat that stays in the bathroom (doesn't get along with the other cats) while I'm awaiting a spot in a rescue to be available for her(though now ill probaby wa it until im deemed BB free to get her inot a resue or new home). I do bring her out and let her into the bed room (supervised), or keep her in a cat carrier in the living room for short periods of time(in hopes to socialize her with the other cats), so should I stop that to avoid bringing bugs into the bathroom?
Any suggestions to help keep them from biting my dog while he is in his crate to sleep?
Are there any products like Advantage that help keep bed bugs from biting pets?
How can I avoid my pets transporting them around the apartment
Also, I ride my bike to work, and I have been keeping it parked inside my workplace in the back, where we store lots of furniture (in plastic and cardboard), should I stop riding my bike all together and just walk, or should I just see if I can chain it up outside?
I normally store my bike inside my apartment, so if I chained it up outside of my apartment, would it be safe to bring it inside my place of work?
any and all other tips recommendations are appreciated!
Thanks inadvance