Ok Here is what happened to me. I traveled to Chicago and stayed 2 nights with a family member, on her futon in the living room. On the first night I placed my backpack on the floor near the futon (NOOB error, can't believe I did that), I also charge my ipod and my phone, (my kindle was in my backpack). I wake up 6:15 to a huge welt on my upper thigh. It was numb, did not hurt or itch once. Because of my insane fear of beg bugs and reading so much on them years earlier (when they were showing up in Victoria's Secret in NYC etc), I know I have been bitten. Problem is I still need to sleep one more night at my aunts. I start placing all clothing worn in bed in plastic garbage bags, and on the second night I hang my purse from the oscillating fan and hang my backpack on the back of the bathroom door. I 'sleep' terrified and clutching my phone (another Noob move but I was texting with my husband so as not to break down in tears) ON A COFFEE TABLE in the middle of the room, its awful. And I still wake up to one biting me under my boob area, I squish it in the dark and proceed to take a hot shower and bag up all my clothes.
I had booked a night in a hotel for my last night and never have been more excited to check in! As I am saying goodbye to my Aunt at the metro stop, I SEE A BEDBUG crawling on my Aunts pants!! Once on my own I proceed to throw every item of clothing worn in bed and worn in her house away in the garbage at the metro(bagged of course). Once I check into the hotel I place my backpack in the bathtub, load the contents into double plastic garbage bags and literally throw everything away except my purse, and my electronics. I also have a ceremonial US flag that had been given to me and I triple bag this and leave it in the bathtub. I put all other items, phone, kindle, toiletries in ziploc bags and go and buy an entire new outfit, new tote bag and new backpack for the remainder of my trip. Everything is in bags, in new luggage and I'm wearing all new clothes. That night I sleep like a baby with no bites. I buy a 2nd dress and flip flops to change into once I land (and throw my travel outfit away) and when I get to my front yard I throw the new tote bag and backpack away. I place the flag in ANOTHER bag, put that inside a storage box (clear plastic kind), hotglue gun the seal and then put Gorilla Glue Tape over that. That is not being opened for 2 years and will remain outside in the hot sun.
So my question is...
Am I safe? I still have my kindle, my ipod and my phone in ziploc bags, its been like 6 weeks. I had them outside in the heat (100-105 in the summer here)...and I'm scared to unbag them. I still have 2 dark scars from where I was bit and I just don't want to risk getting them in my home.