Surprise Update

I only have a few minutes to write a post today, but I wanted to give you an update since I FREAKED OUT in my last post.

I had two different pest companies come inspect my house yesterday.

We DON'T have bedbugs!

We DO have carpet beetles which are, apparently, very common in Southern California.  I had never even heard of carpet beetles before.  (I guess the ones we get here are not the same type found in other locations.)

My freak out was somewhat justified since we had been getting bedbug warnings from my son's school - and I found bugs on his bed that were biting him.  To me, they look like Internet photos of bedbugs, but to a Bug Man I guess they don't.

But?

Thank God they aren't bedbugs.  Carpet beetles are much easier to get rid of and don't cause nearly the havoc that bedbugs do.  (Although, they are still creating plenty of havoc!)

Also?

My son is so relieved he didn't "cause" the problem.  It didn't seem to matter what I said, he felt terrible thinking he had brought bedbugs into the house.

I've spent the past two days washing every sheet, pillow case, mattress pad, etc. on the two hour "sanitize" cycle on my washer, followed by an hour of hot dryer time.  I've encased all three of my kids' mattresses and box springs in protective covers.  (Which, by the way, help with carpet beetles as well as bedbugs, dust mites, etc.)  

The Bug Men told me the protective covers are very important for numerous types of bugs/mites/critters and that we absolutely should have them on every mattress/box spring in the house.  

We will have them on our beds from now until eternity.

I've vacuumed under each of my kids' beds and cleaned baseboards.

I've basically not stopped cleaning/doing laundry for a single waking moment.

Really, the only room I haven't cleaned thoroughly yet is my room.  It will be the last room I get to.

A not-really-bedbugs scare is great for beginning a new diet.  I've been so stressed out, I've had no appetite.  I've also been cleaning nonstop which probably burns a lot of calories.  In addition, just the stress of thinking our house had bedbugs has probably made me drop a dress size.

So what do I do about carpet beetles?

I have to have the outside of my house sprayed, which we have done regularly anyway.  I also have to have the inside baseboards done, which we don't normally do.  Our pest company said they will even take off the light switches and electrical outlet covers and put a pesticide powder in those while they're at it.  (Not all companies do that, but I'd rather they treat my house aggressively.)  It will cost about $500, which is MUCH less than what they would charge for bedbugs.  

The cost for this is not coming at a good time.  I suppose there is never a good time to spend money on mattress covers and bugs, is there?

Also?

Even with my sons help, the cleaning has killed my arm pain-wise.  We've had a weekly housecleaner since the car accident, but I've sent my bum arm over the edge with everything I've been doing the past two days.

Oh well ...

Guess what else?

I've lost about 25 followers on Twitter since I started asking for bedbug advice two days ago.

Apparently, people only like me when they find me funny/entertaining.  What a fickle group.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Comments

[karen]

Ugh! Well, good luck and good riddance! I don't do twitter, so I can't relate to that loss.

[Deidre]

Wow - I've never heard of carpet beetles. But what a relief it isn't bed bugs.

Also I just searched your past few weeks of posts to find out the update on Mocha. I am so glad she's recovering!

Eek, 25 followers? What's up with that?

[laura]

First of all, the people who left yu on twitter, losers. If I was still on there I would talk to you all the time. Second of all, YAY for no begbugs That shit can get really expensive. Like upwards of $250-$400 a room, I know I thought we had them too. Ugh! Sorry you are doing to much that it hurts you. Many hugs.

[Holli]

The silver lining to this is that it happened at a time when the kids could help you a little bit. A bug problem is never good. Hope you are bug free soon.

[WebSavvyMom]

-->To bad you can't tell those fickle twitter people to BUG OFF.

[linda]

Fickle is right! You creeped me out and had me itching yesterday with the bedbug talk but I'm back today. Whimps. Carpet beetles? I thought you had brick floors. Carpet in the bedrooms I guess. Glad it's and easier fix than you first thought. What do you have instore for us tomorrow? Bats? LOL! KIDDING!!

[Jan]

You really lost followers on Twitter because of this? Fickle, indeed!

I've never heard of carpet beetles, either - but thank goodness it wasn't bedbugs!

[Missy]

Amen to all those comments sister! I had a house guest for a few days and was sanitizing the entire bed instead of just changing the sheets! I guess I now need to vacuum under every bed too.

[Anne Gibert]

If you really went down a dress size it was almost worthwhile. But bedbugs are scary, and carpet beetles sound so much more benign. I hope you will not overstress that arm any more.

I really know nothing about twitter, but it sounds to me as if you don't really need people like that -- fair weather friends, or folks who think they can catch bedbugs over the airwaves.

[Mama Bub]

Homeownership: not for people who are particularly attached to the money in their bank accounts.

So glad it's not bed begs and it's an easier fix. Not so happy that I'm going to imagine tiny bugs crawling all over me when I'm sleeping.

[Pam]

I'm glad you don't have bedbugs! It's funny to be happy to find out you have carpet beetles, but I understand! What a relief that must be to all of you.

[sandi]

You are my second OC friend in the last week that has told me they have carpet beetles. I am thinking about moving...

[Judi]

Now googling carpet beetles.... Glad you don't have bedbugs but try to take it easy with that arm.

[Jane]

Well, thank god your washing machine is working. :)

[Donna]

Bugs of ANY sort are just not fun...too bad about all the mattress covers but at least now your are all set just incase....

[Neeroc]

Huh. Apparently I wasn't following you on Twitter, so now you're up one (or down one less - whatever)

Anyways, goodish news about the lack of bedbugs, those things freak me out. Hubby doesn't want me to go to 2nd hand stores or garage sales anymore...but I think he's just looking for an excuse to curb my shopping *g*

[goodfather]

@WebSavvyMom - LOL!! Good one.

I don't get twitter at all as far as followers go. I go on binges where I follow everyone I can, and then wait for ppl to follow me, and if they don't, I unfollow them and try again. Is that wrong? I only do it when I wish I was drinking.

The bedbug/carpet beetle discussion didn't creep me out at all. I've been waiting for you to describe how the bedbugs battle in a bedbug battle bottle, but just wishful (Suess) thinking on my part... ;)

[i might have a job...]

[DuchessOmnium]

Oh, congratulations! I am so glad you do not have to spend thousands of dollars having your house tented. And your sweet son is happy too...

Now, just because no one else has mentioned it, let me offer my favourite invocation against bedbugs:

Good night, sleep tight, please don't let the bed bugs bite!
And if they bite,
Squeeze them tight,
so they don't bite
tomorrow night!

[Freda]

I suppose it is one advantage of living in the snowy north. Glad it was a false alarm on the bedbugs, but I don't much fancy carpet beetles.