Update in 16 - Advice please - bedbug exposure

[Twoboos]

We went to a Girl Scout camping event this weekend. The weather was crappy, and we were thisclose to not staying over. But we decided to tough it out and stay. It was platform tents with canvas walls/roof and cots with mattresses - how bad can it be. MISTAKE.

Got an email today from the organizer that someone in the same campsite found what looked like bedbugs in their bedding and to wash/dry everything on hot, which I started doing immediately. Bagged everything up and put in tiled laundry room or garage. A few hours later got an email from our troop leader that a mom had found what appears to be bedbugs in her DD's bedding. (Didn't say who, don't know if this girl was in the same tent w/my DD, but ultimately it doesn't matter, since the girls were in all the tents.)

Soooo.... I am washing/drying on hot or just drying on hot. I am trying to retrace footsteps and wash/dry anything we touched when we got home. Vacuum any furniture we sat on and the carpets. Sleeping bags (brand new) are in trash bags in garage. Duffle bags are in garage - clothes are trash bagged in laundry room. Can the sleeping bags go to industrial dryer at the laundry mat?

Am I doing enough? I didn't see anything but of course that doesn't mean it's not there. WHY didn't we change as soon as we stepped in the door? These cots are essentially outside and it's only June, I never would have thought this was a problem yet. What about the (brand new) camp chairs, they were tossed in a tent when it started pouring again - on an unused bed, of course. And what about my car and carseats?? I had three girls in seats and the car was packed. Will a detailing do it??

Ugh. Why did we do the "right" thing, and stay. You're going to tell me to chuck everything, aren't you.

[rin]

You don't need to toss things; it's summertime! Best time to get bedbugs. :tongue5: Seal things into black plastic trash bags (those huge contractor bags work really well) & set them outside for a full day in the sun. The temperature inside the bag will soar and will fry any bedbugs and/or eggs that might be in there. Frankly, doing this with your clothing may be easier than running a zillion loads of laundry, which might not actually kill them depending on how hot your washer/dryer get.

Rent a steam cleaner for the car. Detailing won't necessarily do it; you want them to be exposed to super high temperatures, while a detailing will usually just use a lot of cleaning products (which might or might not kill them).

[lfp2n]

I heard the same about cars, that is if you leave the stuff in the car and park in direct sunlight it gets to about 120F in there, which kills everything

[rin]

I heard the same about cars, that is if you leave the stuff in the car and park in direct sunlight it gets to about 120F in there, which kills everything

:duh: Of course, not sure why that didn't occur to me. I didn't remember doing anything with our car when we had bedbugs; that must be why! Anyways, a steam cleaner works well for furniture, etc.

[Still-in-Shock]

You can also get a bed bug spray just to be on the safe side. It looks like you can get one at Target or Wal-Mart.

[Twoboos]

Well, can I bag everything up and leave it in the garage until it's sunny again - it's supposed to rain ALL WEEK. GAH!!

ETA: Thank you for the advice!! Keep it coming! ;)

ETA Again: How fast can they move? If I have picked up something to bag it/put it in the garage, do I have to bag up my clothes after and wash? I can see TONS of laundry in my future!!

[chlobo]

where was the girl scout camp? Now I'm leary.

[pastrygirl]

Twoboos, that is one of my nightmares!


You don't need to toss things; it's summertime! Best time to get bedbugs.It's going to be rainy and relatively chilly (50's) all week here...

[Twoboos]

where was the girl scout camp? Now I'm leary.

The one in Plymouth, Winds in the Pines or something like that. (Bed Bugs in the Pines, maybe? :P)

They are now saying that since the mattresses are vinyl, bedbugs can't/don't live in them. Trying to google to see if that's true. I may get the spray just to give myself false comfort I suppose.

They have asked the people who found bugs to keep them in a ziplock for ID purposes.

ETA: It was just confirmed that at least one cot at our site had bed bugs. CRAP.

ETA AGAIN: apparently it's confirmed that there were BUGS not necessarily bedbugs. (Gee, really - we were outdoors, of COURSE there are bugs!) Still waiting on a bb confirmation or not.)

[Charlie]

Just an fyi - the spray will kill the bugs but not the eggs.

[oneplustwo]

Ew ew ew ew. I am soooo hoping the bugs turn out not to be bed bugs. I also hope GS is on top of all this.

[Globetrotter]

Ugh. We went through this recently.
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=430021&highlight=bedbug

I put everything out in hot sun in sealed garbage bags, and I washed and dried all clothing on high heat. It wasn't hot that week so I kept it sealed In the garage until the next week. You will be fine since you were forewarned.
What a nightmare for GS.

[Twoboos]

Ugh. We went through this recently.
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=430021&highlight=bedbug

I put everything out in hot sun in sealed garbage bags, and I washed and dried all clothing on high heat. It wasn't hot that week so I kept it sealed In the garage until the next week. You will be fine since you were forewarned.
What a nightmare for GS.

Thanks, I had just read your post today. Going to Lowes/HD to get big garbage bags and duct tape later today. Just finished vacuuming the car & car seat the girl in our troop who found bugs rode in, I'm sure it means nothing. I should trash and buy new ones but no time now - have to pick up the girls from school.

I wasn't forewarned enough. I brought everything in, unpacked and put away things I didn't use, put pillows ON THE BEDS, didn't change before sitting on couch, etc..

I am my own worst enemy.

[Globetrotter]

For some reason I thought you were warned. Oh man, that sucks, but chances are it may not even be bedbugs. Fingers crossed.

[maestramommy]

Oh you're in NE like me? It's probably never going to get hot enough in your car. Seal everything up in the bags, take it to the laundromat. Wash in hot, dry on high, including the sleeping bags if it will take it (what's the material). Otherwise dry on highest acceptable setting, seal in fresh bags. Then when it gets sunny again, hang them out.

As for your car, vacuum out completely, and I would still spray. Just to be safe. There are sprays out there specifically for bedbugs.

:hug:

[Twoboos]

So the "final" word is - we don't really know what it was.

The campground caretaker investigated all the mattresses at our site, and found no evidence of bedbugs. The mattresses are vinyl, so there was some talk that they can't live on there. Who knows.

The people who found bugs, freaked and immediately washed everything. So there are no bugs to identify one way or the other. But we have all been encouraged to keep any bugs we find in the bedding to pass along to investigate. I am not sure if anyone was even bitten or if it was just "I saw bugs."

I am probably still going to buy the spray and garbage bags, and put everything in the sun if/when the sun ever comes out again. I think it's looking hopeful for Sunday. And in the meantime, pray I have done enough in our car. I am trying so hard not to freak, if this girl hadn't been in our car, I probably would be feeling relieved - but right now I don't know what to do.

Thanks for all the advice!!

[JustMe]

I have not posted before as I didnt have any advice. Just wanted to say, how frustrating! You are so close to being homefree, but yet not sure. It does sound like a false alarm to me. I would want to know what made the family think it was bedbugs...maybe that would add some clarification.

I can completely sypmathize, though. Two years ago my daughter started itching immediately after she lay down in a hotel bed. Bedbugs are not common around here, so that thought didn't really occur to me. However, when she continued to itch and develop bumps at home...well, you can imagine. Turned out it was an allergy triggered by the time she spent in the hot tub at the hotel (followed by a shower, followed by resting in bed). My pediatrician's advice was to assume it was not bedbugs as long as we did not find any. Easier said than done, but in the end it was not bedbugs and I wish the same for you!