Hello,
I'm moving and need some advice. I am upside down in my house after the recession. I've gone on as long as I possibly can and now I just have to give the place back.
For ten years, I've had no real bug problems beyond ants. A month ago, I suddenly started getting bites, blood stains on the sheets. I have a cluttered home and am, of course, suspecting bed bugs. I don't know where they came from. I don't travel but my brother does stay at friend's places. I suspect that he may have brought hitchhikers home. He has experienced no bites. Maybe they just like me.
I need some experts to look at my plan and advise me.
As I am moving out shortly, I really can't afford to go the rounds with a pest control operative. I've been hearing that they need to come 4+ times to get it done right and I will be moving before that can happen. I also cannot afford that, only to find that I need to do other things when moving.
If there is an infestation, it is a light one, I think. I haven't seen any live bugs or eggs yet, just the bites and blood on the sheets so far. This only cropped up in the last month (maybe not quite a full 28 days even). I'm wondering if these are just juveniles at this point.
Here is my plan. Please let me know what you think (experts, please, not the OMG, I can't get rid of the bugs doomsday people).
1. I have a steam cleaner, a bagged vacuum cleaner with attachments, lots of plastic tubs that I have stuff in and planned to move stuff in, a bunch of very large zip loc bags, and some diatomaceous earth (food grade). I'm planning to order encasements.
2. I have pretty minimal furniture. I already had planned to buy a new bed and chair. I don't plan to keep my current bed or dresser (it is too rickety and will fall apart in the move). I'm now planning on getting rid of the sofa and loveseat which are in pretty rough condition. I don't see that they are worth treating and then taking with me and then finding out that the treatment wasn't good enough.
3. I am cleaning up the clutter in my bedroom and throwing out the junk right now. I am staying in my bed so as not to have them follow me to another room.
4. I am planning to vacuum the room thoroughly just as soon as the junk is out of the way. I'll hit the wooden frame that I have for my bed (just a box that my box springs sit in, really) with both vac and steam cleaner. I'll steam everything I can see as well. Then I plan to put down diatomaceous earth. I'll encase the existing box springs and mattress. When I am ready to move in a couple months, I will send the bed and springs and frame to the dump.
5. I plan to steam and bag all of my stuff, toss in a dash of diatomaceous earth, seal the zip loc bags, and then put those bags in my plastic tubs with some more DE. I won't need a lot of my stuff for awhile. It will all be in a garage or shed (where I plan to put down DE on the floor) for awhile and I plan to go through them one at a time looking for bugs and deciding whether or not I need the items in question anymore.
6. I'm already washing my clothing in hot water and running it through at least 30 minutes on high in the dryer. I'm currently bagging all of my clothing in zip loc bags.
7. My biggest concern is my books in my office. I don't want to bring them into the new place and have them be a vector for bed bugs. How would you approach this? Do I bag all of the books with DE and seal them as well? Someone mention baking their books at very low in their oven for half an hour. Does that work?
Any thoughts on how to move myself safely and deal with my stuff as outlined above?
Thanks,
Erik