Why bother???

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.

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". 

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.)

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.

Limited Government

With the current Bed Bug epidemic occurring in Toronto (felt on a personal level) this story makes me sad.

Public Health called...

we've got Bed Bugs.

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.

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. 

Air Mattress

Last night we used our air mattress. Even though it wasn't 100% inflated it, was paradise compared to the night before...not sure DH would agree as I was constantly rolling into him and he already complains that every bedroom he sleeps in is "too hot"...but I digress.

Yesterday, I purchased carpet tape and wrapped it around the legs of the crib. I don't know if this will work, but it's something Google searching brought up. So we'll see...it didn't work last night. Observe our beautiful behemoth of an air mattress in the background...it is terrific.

While putting the carpet tape on the bed I was excited because I thought I saw a BB's rear end sticking out of the corner of the baseboard. My tweezers in one hand, flashlight in the other, I went to grab it, but at the last minute I decided tweezers were too short (I didn't want the nasty thing on my hand) so I switched to a flathead screwdriver. Bad idea. I gouged the little guy in the side his, little legs were wiggling and then suddenly he scrambled into the baseboard. Blast. My one chance.

We went to bed.  At 4am the raccoon who has been living in the furnace room for at least 2 months woke us.  We thought he had been long gone, we've left the light on in there to deter his rascally ways, but apparently the extreme cold weather of last night brought him indoors.  DH attempted to scare him away by rattling the door. ..and we attempted to talk a little above a whisper to get him to leave...but 4am is too close to 5am, which is the time DS has been thinking he needs to wake up and grace us with his protests, so we were against rowdily terrorizing him with an all out yelling session or punting him like a monkey..instead we listened to him tear apart another box before scurrying away when the furnace came on for the first time, around 4:30am.

This room used to be as neat as a furnace room can be, until the raccoon started tearing out the insulation.

Our landlord did mention that the furnace guys would be here next week to seal up the exit vent.  Can't come soon enough.  The raccoon nuisance does put to mind that we may have fleas...or lice or any number of rodent-carried diseases...not bed bugs.

Today, I counted 12 drawers of clean clothes in our bedroom alone that will need to run through the dryer...this is not including coats, blankets in storage, bedding, and our DS's blankies, quilts, new clothes, stroller lining, etc. and of course, our regular laundry.  At 60 minutes each cycle, our dryer should be done running by next Thursday.  

I had some other "innovative" suggestions...including:

• placing items in the oven on a "low heat" setting 
• wiping down the crib with ethanol

Well intentioned, but we will NOT be doing...

The Start of the Battle

Yesterday, I took bug samples to the Public Health department here in Toronto.

3 separate jars, each with a bug, and a cotton ball drenched in alcohol...zip locked plastic baggies are not acceptable to Public Health.

Dear Son (DS) is 6 months old...and has been sleeping through the night, up until 6 weeks ago.  That's when he started waking around 2am screaming and scratching ferociously. My solution was to rub more eczema cream on his little head. This went on for weeks...and I was wondering what that doctor was thinking...this can't be normal...then we found out he also had a skin fungus...so THERE was the answer...I hoped.

Nope.

Still waking around 2am every night. Screaming...scratching. 

Bugs never crossed my mind...until 3 weeks ago when I was feeding him around 10pm and felt a bump on the back of his head. A welt. Huge. I called my Dear Husband (DH) to feel it...but by that time our little guy was sleeping soundly...so I put him back to bed. 

The next morning...the welt was gone, but he was itchy. Oh no...I started to wonder.  Bed Bugs?  There's been a recent outbreak in the city. 

I found a dead bug on my DS's head after a nap 2 weeks ago...it would have been undetected, but I was Skyping with my parents and he was sitting in front of me.  I kept it on a white saucer that we don't eat off of, because I could barely see it.

A few days later, while Skyping with with my MIL I found another dead bug...looked a little different than the other one, so I put it on the saucer as well.

I started putting things together.

Great. We just moved here 8 months ago...all excited for our new life in the city of Toronto-5th largest city in North America!!! After being in the midwest for years, city life sounded sooo appealing. Plus, we were due with our 1st child in July, he was going to be a dual citizen!  How exciting. 

****

Anyway, after finding the 2nd bug, DH and I tore apart DS's room. We inspected seams of crib mattress, vacuumed, steamed (that steamer for my wedding dress is good for something after all), hot laundry, dryer...and we found 2 bugs behind the changing table. 

Google Image search on the 2 bugs. I HATE Google Image- (it's so disgusting to have to search through pictures of body rashes and insects, but I'm going to get to whatever is chomping on our baby). I determined they were NOT Bed Bugs...and they went on the saucer. 4 dead bugs. White saucer.

The next night - happy baby in bed...and the next night...and the following day, I took a week-long visit to my parents with baby. VERY happy, spoiled baby, sleeping soundly, stretched out on the spare bedroom bed. 

Came back home - first 3 nights - wonderful...

But the 4th night...2 nights ago...DS was bit...11pm. I guess those suckers missed him.  He and I moved to our spare bedroom to let DH get some sleep. 

Checking the DS's room in the morning...blankie has little trail of blood spots, as does blankie #2. Oh, please, no...

Last night - husband and I slept on the floor of baby's room and baby slept in our bed (our bedroom has had no sign of bed bugs...yet)  According to all the Google searching I've done...it's important to have someone continue to sleep where the bed bugs were originally found....otherwise they will migrate to another area of the house.  So now WE are the bait.  We spent the night there with no bites...but I'm so boney, that sleeping on the floor was very uncomfortable for me, I think I had a total of 3 hour's sleep. Combine that with the previous night's 4 hour's sleep...and I'm due for a mental break down. 

Sent photos of the 2 large bugs to a Bed Bug ONLY exterminator. They are not bed bugs...but what about the little ones...I couldn't take a picture...they were so small. 

Put them in jars and took them to Public Health yesterday....waiting to find out the verdict. 

Oh yes, and yesterday, my landlord came to fix a shower situation and I told him I'm waiting to find out about said bug problem. He was immediately concerned and I have a good feeling that if it is confirmed to be bed bugs...he will be on our side. 

TODAY - I'm going to buy carpet tape, & place around the crib legs and floor baseboards...I'm going to trap a live bed bug...because I'm not sure if the samples I sent in were large enough. If it's bed bugs...and I'm fairly certain it is...I want to catch them early and shell out the money to rid us of this quickly. 

Today I also started reading Exodus in the Bible (I'm reading chronologically through this year).  I came to the 4th plague: flies.  According to some theologians they were blood-sucking flies. Pharaoh was a moron to not repent right then and there...and I am learning again what it means to be content in all things. 

My husband was encouraging last night at dinner. Reminding me..."we will get through this...and also, our son is being bitten by bugs...not cancer."  Yes. Thank you, God.