Hi.
This is my first post ever on this forum, although I have been a lurker for a while. This is my story, and I really hope you can help me with next steps. In order to understand though, you need to read a lot about my backstory. Please please read all the way though. I really need your help.
I am about to start my senior year of college. While every year at this school has been demanding, I know senior year will require more from me than any other year, and the prospect of going through it with a bed bug infestation is enough to make me break down.
Context:
I have a confirmed bed bug infestation at home. My dad and I moved into the apartment the summer before my 3rd year in high school, and it was infested from the start, although we didn't find out until at least a year and a half later. Our landlord was receptive and a PCO was brought out to conduct the first of many chemical treatments. But they were never successful--we could never properly bag everything up. There was too much clutter, and my dad was too overworked and tired from his 12 hour shifts to do the mammoth amount of work you're supposed to do for them to be effective (and sometimes they aren't). And I couldn't do it on my own, and move over I was absorbed in what was then my toughest year of school ever. After one attempt to box everything up (the paper we got told us to "box" our items, not bag them! Shake my head.) we knew we couldn't do that again. Neither of us realized how important it was to really address our items. Although I tried to educate myself, my dad was too exhausted to be interested in what I was learning, and he didn't want to know how hard it would be to get rid of these terrible bugs. In the end, we lacked the tools and time to make it happen. We were probably also being reinfested, because other apartments in the building had the problem. (Found this out when we saw a disposed mattress in the back of the complex, covered with dead bed bugs.)
Anyway, eventually it came time for me to go to college, and I chose to go out of state. Back then, I didn't know this website existed. It never occurred to me that I might accidentally take the bed bugs with me to college, and when I didn't have a problem my first year, I assumed it was okay. College became my safe haven. But continued efforts to deal with the problem back home led me to educate myself further, and I spent hours and hours on this sight learning what I could. I became smart(er) about things: I began to dry my clothes on high and bag them in plastic bags (not ziploc though) before coming to school. But I wasn't careful enough (there were a lot of things I didn't think of, in hindsight) because my third year I realized I had a problem. I stripped my bedding and found the telltale fecal signs. I stuffed it in the dryer and found dead nymphs stuck to the bedding.
My haven melted away. I couldn't concentrate on my studies. I contacted my housing director, and they quickly ordered a series of chemical treatments. I have my doubts that they worked 100% because I continued to feel that characteristic itchy sensation (although less badly) but when the PCO did an inspection, he found nothing. Again, though, I have doubts about this conclusion. I am sure he's a fine PCO, but I barely consulted with him at all and he never asked me questions about my experiences or concerns. It was as if my school just had a pest control officer on hand that they called in to do treatments, and nothing more. He never sat down with me to analyze my situation and help me come up with next steps, and neither did my school. I realized then my school has never dealt with a bed bug issue before, and there is a real possibility I am now more knowledgable about these issues than the woman in charge.
Anyway, cue this summer: I was on the east coast, interning. Again, I was careful to avoid taking these things with me to my summer housing (more careful, in fact). But I needed a blanket, and was trying to save money, and that was my mistake. Although I threw it in the dryer (although probably not long enough because my dad didn't want me to burn the blanket), I immediately started feeling that characteristic itchy sensation when I slept in my bed that first night--and according to the landlord they've never had a previous bed bug issue). I couldn't see any visible bites on me, though, so I waited to see if it was just in my head. It wasn't. The itchiness grew and eventually I had visible bites. My landlord called in a canine to test my suspicions, and when they confirmed the presence of bbs they did a heat treatment. I was so relieved. I did everything they instructed me to do down to a T. I did my best to be thorough. But I don't think it worked, because I still felt that awful sensation (see the trend here?). I asked my landlord to request another treatment or get their money back, but it never happened. He didn't feel it was much of an issue.
THEN: (I know this is long, bear with me.)
I had to return home for a week before going back to school (where I am now), because my dad's health is in poor condition. I consulted this website to develop a plan and made sure to seal my luggage in giant garbage bags before I brought them into my infested home. I kept two tote bags with ziploc bags of clean clothes for the week, all of which I threw in the dryer before leaving, and resealed in ziploc bags again. All of my stuff in my luggage was also dried and sealed (wherever possible), if you're wondering.
Now, I'm here in my dorm room, and I'm really, really worried. I can't do this again. And I'm living with a roommate. If I can't confirm that I don't have a problem anymore, I don't feel like I can ethically live with her and risk exposing her to a possible infestation.
I felt that bed-bug-itchyness on my hand yesterday morning after waking up, and it has me distressed. How can I make sure I haven't accidentally brought a tiny, tiny nymph with me? I highly, highly doubt I brought any adults, but how can I be sure something tiny and basically invisible didn't go unnoticed? All of my things are sealed in ziplocs. Everything except for my hair dryer and laptop, which I didn't have bags for. I sealed my luggage in new garbage bags upon arrival. I am saving up for a Packtite and anything I haven't heat treated is quarantined in a ziploc until I can Packtite it.
All it takes is one little, tiny, invisble baby bed bug to fuck all of this up. Just one. And that one could be very difficult to detect by itself, and certainly impossible to spot even for a PCO. And I don't want to leave my fate up to our PCO, or anyone else at this college. I don't trust anyone on campus to know better than me at this point. My fear is that I might have brought a tiny little bed bug and won't know it until it's grown into a full blown issue, and then it won't just be my problem but my roommate's too.
So my question is, knowing what you know now, what do you think, Bedbugger community?
Should I ask if my school can do a heat treatment? (I don't even know if they would.) Should I ask if we can do a chemical treatment? Should I just wait to Packtite things and see if the problem worsens? Should I set up some passive monitors? The dry ice and a dog bowl? Should I request to move into a single?
I can't do senior year, the thesis, the stress, the responsibilities, the planning for my future beyond college, dealing with my father's ailing health, with this interfering with my ability to live life normally. I am worried about how this will affect my mental health if I don't do something more.
Your advice is much needed and appreciated.