I just wanted to share some of the information I learned in my bug battle, in case it should be helpful to anyone. Below you will find info about carpet beetle \"bites\" (allergic reaction), BB and CB treatments as explained by Orkin, and how our PCO diagnosed us with CBs. <\/p>\n
Mysterious Bites: Several months ago I started getting bites at night that I was sure were caused by a spider. Large, itchy, but with a burning sensation that told me they weren't mosquito bites. It started with the occasional bite, then I started getting GROUPS of bites that were often in a line, or a C shape. They were always on my legs, and usually on just one leg, which I think must be the side I was sleeping on. Here's the strange part, though--while I looked like I had the chicken pox from the waist down, my husband had NO bites at all!! At one point I had about 40 distinct red welts, some mushed together. (Please let me know if you would like pictures of these bites; I will try to post them.) <\/p>\n
I cleaned and vacuumed everything in the room and changed the sheets, but the next morning I still had a few bites. I went to the internet, and found that this was NOT the work of a spider, but possibly bed bugs. (The bites looked very similar to mine.) At this point I started freaking out, and my husband and I moved into the guest room. We quarantined the bedroom after thoroughly cleaning and spraying everything (flea\/BB spray from Home Depot), but found no evidence of ANY bugs. Meanwhile, in the guest room I started getting bites. <\/p>\n
After more research: I realized it was VITAL to find out what we were dealing with, and that BBs are a serious problem. I contacted Orkin for an inspection. I would recommend this to ANYONE that suspects they have BBs or CBs, as the treatments are very different. It was $130, and worth every penny for our peace of mind. <\/p>\n
According to Orkin it takes MONTHS of extremely thorough full-house treatments to be sure that BBs are gone, because new ones hatch every 10 days or so. The whole company shows up at your house and they go over every square inch with steam and\/or spray. This is NOT something you want to treat with home remedies or a few cans of spray. I was prepared for the worst. <\/p>\n
The verdict: Here was the key to our diagnosis: Our PCO suspected Carpet Beetles instead of BBs due to the fact that I was getting the \"bites\" and my husband was not. Some people are allergic to CBs and some are not. She says that EVERYONE is allergic to BBs to some degree, so we would both have the bites. She looked at pictures of the bites, and after much searching she found a few dead carpet beetles in the guest room (where I hadn't cleaned yet). And no BBs. <\/p>\n
Supposedly the CBs like to be near you when you are sleeping because of the CO2 gas you exhale, and they are very shy little guys, so they are hard to find. They Don't bite, but the larvae have prickly little hairs that cause a reaction in some people that looks very much like BB bites. Also, they only come out in the wee hours of the morning (same as BBs). They really aren't associated with carpets, as most of them are made of synthetic fibers these days. They eat natural fibers, like wool. Adults look kind of like tiny yellow and black ladybugs. <\/p>\n
I can't explain the relief in knowing we only had these friendly little guys wandering around. They weren't biting me at all. I found that an organic bug repellent kept them away at night, even just a little on my sheets. Finally, I am able to sleep without anxiety. My husband signed up for a treatment plan, but we have not started it yet, as the prep list is VERY detailed. I have steam-cleaned the carpets and haven't had any bites since I started using the repellent. In hindsight, I probably would have held off on the plan for CBs, or at least explored some \"greener\" options. (I picked Orkin because they were the only place in our area that seemed to have solid experience with BBs.) <\/p>\n
The CB treatment plan (as it reads on my contract) includes 6 treatments (every other month for a year) at $78 each. Plus the initial service (inspection) of $130, is $598. You can request info about the chemicals, but it is not on the contract. It is also effective on ants, rats, and some other pests. It sounds like it is a powder that they dust around the baseboards and other areas. Supposedly it won't hurt pets or kids. Among other things, the prep list includes taking everything out of ALL your drawers, kitchen cabinets, closets, etc. and putting it in plastic bags. <\/p>\n
To anyone who is dealing with CBs or BBs, please call a PCO that has experience with BB and get an inspection ASAP. Every day counts. Once you know what you are dealing with, you can decide how to proceed. Good luck in the battle, we are behind you!! <\/p>\n
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