I'm not really ranting. Really. That's because this whole situation became significantly smaller due to the fact that I took DS to Sick Kids Hospital for a check up. Seeing weak children being wheeled on their hospital beds through the hallways while my little buddy was bouncing on my lap, full of giggles, really gave me perspective.
DS even encouraged a little 9 year old girl...she seemed pretty blue, waiting there in her wheelchair next to her mom....for yet another test, but when DS started giggling in her direction, she began to giggle back...and, then, in the next waiting room we were in, the mom of the 14 day old girl born without her cerebellum began to chat with me. Oh, Lord, and eternity becomes so much more significant.
But this is about Bed Bugs...and our seeming lack or presence of them. With all the scare occurring in the city about Bed Bugs, you would THINK that the officials who are looking at our specimens would be trained Entomologists...not so. NOT SO AT ALL.
Here is a picture of the exact same bugs we took to Public Health...and we were told they were bed bugs.
They aren't.
If the bugs have "cerci" - paired appendages on the rear-most segments of many arthropods (wikipedia)...then, they cannot be bed bugs.
So, now for an email to my city council-person regarding the training of the bug experts in Public Health.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Samples Samples
After much confusion and discussion, I traveled back to Public Health to retrieve my Bed Bug samples. I decided I would bring them to the office of a reputable pest control company for proper ID. We are in a phase common in bed bug liturgy commonly known as "DENIAL".
If you are a friend and I give out jam for Christmas...don't be alarmed, I'll double boil these jars prior to packaging.
(just kidding - I'm too uncrafty for jams anyway.)
DS was strapped in, ready for the ride of rabbit trails. First stop, Public Health. Privacy laws prohibit the department from sharing the educational background of the person identifying the insect. Interesting. I asked for a call, because I am still convinced I was given a false positive by public health, but I took my samples and headed to the pest control address entered in the TomTom.
A half hour later, DS was sound asleep and I was in front of a large apartment building, on a very nice residential street. This was no pest control. Dejected and with no way to search for information, I headed home.
FYI - if you are looking for a bed bug specialist in Toronto...they have no main office...the address that Google brings up is an employee's home address. This is not a problem to me, because I recently encountered this same situation with an electronic's store...however, I would hate to be an employee and realize that the general population could be arriving on my doorstep for fumigation assistance. Odd.
So I have my 3 samples, that I discussed in great deal with a friend via Skype this morning. We are just not certain that the positively labeled bug is, in fact, a bed bug. *sigh* more denial.
This evening, after a delicious eggplant parmesan dinner, DH agreed that we could move back to our bedroom.
All we were going to do was make the bed...but after moving the bed away from the wall, rearranging our furniture and checking our mattresses for bed bug fecal matter, we found several more insect specimens.
While not all the bugs we found looked like bed bugs (none of them IMO) we determined it would be best to have all 9 newly discovered critters be brought in for identification. If any are bloodsuckers, we now have one in our room and one in DS room...enough for us to go ahead with selection a exterminator.
I'm sure we could have put them all in one jar, but this is the way we packaged them up:
If you are a friend and I give out jam for Christmas...don't be alarmed, I'll double boil these jars prior to packaging.
(just kidding - I'm too uncrafty for jams anyway.)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Getting Creative
We have family coming this weekend (yes, they know - no, they don't care) and we are looking forward to the company.
Today a tough decision was made to remain at home instead of infesting others at Mommy Group.
After receiving Public Health's affirmative call, I contacted an exterminator. While waiting for treatment we are attempting our own preventative measures.
METHOD #1: A double-sided tape trap on the bed. Paper was laid around the baby and then double sided carpet tape was attached.
Unfortunately, 15 minutes after set up, DS was messing around with the paper and began to eat it...so we had to remove this method of trapping the insects.
METHOD #2: (and our only other alternative): homemade ClimbUps. As DS has now been bitten while sleeping in our bed, we figure it's time to rotate him back to his little sleeping area. We've quadruple encased his mattress in plastic, and created little bed-leg moats with 2 sets of pans. The moat is filled with oil...effectively trapping any potential intruders.
Here's hoping, little buddy.
We appreciate any and all Tebowing for the evening.
Today a tough decision was made to remain at home instead of infesting others at Mommy Group.
After receiving Public Health's affirmative call, I contacted an exterminator. While waiting for treatment we are attempting our own preventative measures.
METHOD #1: A double-sided tape trap on the bed. Paper was laid around the baby and then double sided carpet tape was attached.
Unfortunately, 15 minutes after set up, DS was messing around with the paper and began to eat it...so we had to remove this method of trapping the insects.
METHOD #2: (and our only other alternative): homemade ClimbUps. As DS has now been bitten while sleeping in our bed, we figure it's time to rotate him back to his little sleeping area. We've quadruple encased his mattress in plastic, and created little bed-leg moats with 2 sets of pans. The moat is filled with oil...effectively trapping any potential intruders.
Here's hoping, little buddy.
We appreciate any and all Tebowing for the evening.
Limited Government
With the current Bed Bug epidemic occurring in Toronto (felt on a personal level) this story makes me sad.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Raccoon Be Gone
The raccoon has left the building.
Literally.
Not the most relaxing day, but things got checked off the to do list:
- DS 1st non-family babysitting experience - apparently, he exercised his flare for the dramatic a bit
- Cavity was filled - but tears of anxiety running down my cheeks for the entire event, but no audible sobs...I had my eyes closed, but I'm pretty sure they were waving nitrous oxide in my face for the first 1/2 of the nightmare even though I requested not to have any
- Grocery shopping complete - and got to witness a shoplifter getting justice served
- RACOON WAS EVICTED
Yes. Exciting day. Our landlord bustled in after the 1st crazy part of the day, and headed straight for the furnace room. After 5 minutes of banging around down there I heard, "Oh my! There you are!!" followed by a "I found him!" and then "Come and look at him, he's so cute!!!"
I didn't really care to look, but I went in, baby-on-the-hip-and-all and sure enough...that little booger had been LIVING in the furnace room...he even made a bed for himself in the corner of waded up painter's drop cloths. If the idea of him residing next door to our DS wasn't so disgusting, the scene might have made for a cute children's story...but still...it smells...bad...like the monkey cage.
Landlord saw the bags of clothing lining our basement hallway and showed a lot of concern for the idea of bed bugs. I am thankful we have someone who will take a proactive approach if we are in the positive on this notion...still waiting for confirmation from Public Health on my 3 sample jars. Received email confirming my inquiry email was received.
I'm exhausted.
Sleep tight. Don't let th.....
Never mind...at this point, if they do, I won't notice anyway.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Night 3
Baby sleep peacefully for 3rd night in a row...no middle of the night waking, no scratching like mad...he enjoys a queen size bed to spread out on. We were not bit while on our inflatable bed, in his room, inflated to 100%; it was very comfortable. Too comfortable...I'm concerned that the only way any biting will occur is to have our son back in his crib...and await the inevitable middle of the night scream from our DS.
Steamed much of the guest room yesterday. Steamed and bagged my luggage. Not sure that DH is fully on board with all preventative measures, but he is a good sport and is helping me out, setting aside his running to assist with the preparations.
Going to bed last night I heard The Something chomping on a cardboard box in the back room. DH was still getting ready for bed, so I attempted to frighten the critter away alone. I banged on the door. I yelled. I cracked open the door and spoke firmly. I closed it quickly...Chomping continued...I ran and got my camera.
That does it. The Something was obviously back there...I was tired of guessing what it was...so I did what any sane person would do...I cracked open the door and held my camera up and blindly snapped the shutter. After 3 photos and 1 video with no results, I stopped, I listened again. The Something was making noises in the back corner.
I stepped into the furnace room. Held up the camera and this is the result:
I let you play Where's Waldo to find the MISCREANT.
After the photo was taken...the raccoon blinked and ambled toward me. I bolted back into DS's room...usually I'm all for Elf moments, just not that one.
DH comes down and I triumphantly present my photo. He was not happy. I'm not allowed back in the furnace room again. Not that I want to go again, it smells like the monkey cage at the zoo...it is not only the playroom for said raccoon, but also his lavatory. Eww. Nast.
So this is a bed bug blog...currently 8 plastic bags sit in our basement hallway, full of clothes and bedding. Just because we're not getting bit yet, doesn't mean they aren't waiting in the baseboards to come for us. I'm going to say it again. I'm thankful DH is willing to sacrifice, because we have had 3 nights of continuous sleeping from DS. That alone is worth it.
Read this today:
Psalm 91:1-6
Verse 6 talks about not being afraid of the pestilence that walks in darkness...the author probably was experiencing a different pestilence, but then again pestilence 4000 years ago could have been the same as today. Anyway, I found it encouraging.
That does it. The Something was obviously back there...I was tired of guessing what it was...so I did what any sane person would do...I cracked open the door and held my camera up and blindly snapped the shutter. After 3 photos and 1 video with no results, I stopped, I listened again. The Something was making noises in the back corner.
I stepped into the furnace room. Held up the camera and this is the result:
I let you play Where's Waldo to find the MISCREANT.
After the photo was taken...the raccoon blinked and ambled toward me. I bolted back into DS's room...usually I'm all for Elf moments, just not that one.
DH comes down and I triumphantly present my photo. He was not happy. I'm not allowed back in the furnace room again. Not that I want to go again, it smells like the monkey cage at the zoo...it is not only the playroom for said raccoon, but also his lavatory. Eww. Nast.
So this is a bed bug blog...currently 8 plastic bags sit in our basement hallway, full of clothes and bedding. Just because we're not getting bit yet, doesn't mean they aren't waiting in the baseboards to come for us. I'm going to say it again. I'm thankful DH is willing to sacrifice, because we have had 3 nights of continuous sleeping from DS. That alone is worth it.
Read this today:
Psalm 91:1-6
Verse 6 talks about not being afraid of the pestilence that walks in darkness...the author probably was experiencing a different pestilence, but then again pestilence 4000 years ago could have been the same as today. Anyway, I found it encouraging.
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