Argh! Bedbugs!

I am working my way through my second interaction with bedbugs. The first time I encountered these savage little blood-sucking bastards was way back in 1995 or so. There was no question then that I picked them up on a trip to Thailand. This time, they came back with me from a hotel in Fayetteville, where I stayed for two nights for an agility trial. The trial was in mid-March, so it took a while for them to make their way from the travel crate containing dog bedding in the garage upstairs to the bedroom.

Over a period of three nights, these disgusting pests ravaged my legs and arms. The pustules don't always appear right away so it took that long for the full horror to be exposed. Bedbugs often leave bites in short tracks. And the itch gets worse over several days. I had many dozens of bites on my legs, fewer on my arms. I will definitely have some scars from this.

The solution now is the same as it was in 1995. Wash everything that can be washed, and dry on high heat. Wash it all again just in case. Tear the bedroom apart, moving all the furniture away from the walls. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Empty canister after every vacuuming, carry the trash bag to the can outside, and spray the canister with alcohol.

Then I applied diatomaceous earth. I piled that stuff up along the baseboards, rubbing it into the carpet. I rubbed it into both sides of my futon and all of the bed frame crevices. I let everything sit for a week, vacuumed it up, and repeated. Make sure you wear a mask when using diatomaceous earth (we should all have plenty of masks these days) since breathing those tiny silica particles is not good for you.

After two weeks, I decided to move back into my bedroom. Sadly, I may not be done, since I got a single bite on my knee two nights ago. I will have to move back downstairs tonight, and treat the bedroom again this weekend. But I'm just as persistent as bedbugs, and I will prevail.