Unlucky in Bugs

I got three bed bug bites Sunday night, almost one year to the day since my second and last bed bug treatment last year.

I heard from an inside source that tonight’s (April 26, 2009) Law & Order: Criminal Intent (which since it now stars Jeff Goldblum I should really be checking out anyway) involves bed bugs in some way.

The entomologist is played by the husband of a good friend of my sister’s, who is one of the first people I heard of to get bed bugs way back in 2005… so there’s some nice bed bug karma for you. It’s his television debut!

Unlucky readers, feel free to plagiarize me. And write to your public representative now!!!

I guess I didn’t dream (hearing) this this morning.

I’m curious to see if Eric Gioia, my city council rep is one of those pushing Intro 873 through.

http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/01/04/wnyc-radio-has-news-item-about-intro-873/

After $2,000…

65 nights on an air mattress…

18+ loads of laundry…

7 trips to Bed, Bath and Beyond…

5 trips to Home Depot…

2 treatments…

4 letters to my landlord…

and lots and lots of sanity…

and no guarantees… (slept overnight in the East Village in mid-October and got a definite bed bug bite on my left forearm, but I didn’t get home until 4:00 pm that day, and because of the “bed bug sense” all bedbuggers develop after going through what we go through, I knew it wasn’t from my own apartment)

I’m feeling good these days. So for those of you still on Day 2, Day 8, Day 13… keep plugging on.

The best thing is that, after living through the reality of them, bed bugs aren’t my biggest nightmare anymore.

Went to Red Hook Ikea and got an encasable sofabed and new dresser (mine unfortunately began falling apart shortly before bed bugs).

How things look on Day 118:

Bedroom:

Living Room:

I found a cheap vinyl encasement from Bed, Bath, and Beyond in New Jersey, 9″ high, full-size, that ended up fitting the sofabed mattress perfectly. (Couldn’t find anything more shallow than 13″ in the 6th Avenue one in Manhattan.)

Disclaimer: slightly condensed for readability.

8:35 AM

Ring, ring.

Me: Hello?

Neighbor: Hi, I hope it’s not too early.  It’s your neighbor ________, from downstairs.

Me: Hi, how are you?

Neighbor: I’m calling because I found more bed bugs, and I wanted to get the name of your exterminator.  I found a few, and then my mother was here visiting me, and we found a whole family.  I’ve been getting bitten.  I’ve been sprayed three times already, and I don’t want to just get sprayed again if they will just come back again.  How about you, have you seen any?

Me: I haven’t seen any yet.  I have gotten a few itchy spots, but I don’t think they’re bed bug bites.  The name of my exterminator is _______________.  They offer a guarantee if you get rid of your mattress and all fabric furniture, but if the landlord is paying for it don’t feel pressured to get rid of your mattress.  They are really nice and will still help you, they just won’t give you a guarantee.

Neighbor: Yeah, I don’t think I can get rid of all that stuff.  But I think it would be good to have some kind of guarantee.

Me: Yeah, I am sleeping on an air mattress and it really sucks, but I think it helped.  Call _______________.  They are really nice and might have some more ideas on why it’s not working.  My exterminator said that your exterminator was using good chemicals for bed bugs, so I don’t know.

Neighbor: Ok, yeah, thank you, bye.

**********************************

Me: Oh shit.

So my PCO-mandated two-week period of daily vacuuming is over, and I have pushed all my furniture back to the walls. (I had been leaving a 1-2 foot space on most of the perimeter in my bedroom and living room to make it easier to vacuum so frequently.)

Although this will definitely make it easier to get around while not vacuuming, I think I expected my apartment to feel more comfortable than it does after reaching this milestone.

After all, how normal can life be when you keep your shoes in a plastic garbage bag?

Upcoming milestones:

August 14: One Month After Treatment

• Mop residual off floors.
• Steam clean floors.
• Steam clean curtains.

September 14: Two Months After Treatment

• New mattress delivered.
• Steam clean and pack air mattress.
• Unpack clothes.