Tape

I found this bite on my arm a few days ago. I wasn't sure if it was bed bug related, but today it has scabbed over in exactly the same way - so I believe it is.














I went back home today to shower and shave. I picked up a CD wallet (one of the fabric covered things with fabric and plastic slips inside to hold CDs) and looked down the inside of the spine, and saw something red peeking back at me and then run away deeper inside. Holy crap! There are bed bugs in that! I never would have thought to even look there!!! It looks like I'll have to remove the CDs and DVDs and throw out the cases, which cost about $50 each.

Then I grabbed some speakers I have around my bedroom and noticed they have these holes in the back for you to hang them up - large enough for a bed bug to hide in. I pulled one of the speakers apart and didn't find any in there though.

Then I went to some paintings. The paintings were, I thought, sealed at the back with paper tape. Except on closer inspection it has slightly peeled away in places, so bed bugs could be hiding in there.

So I've started to realise .... moving is a HUGE task. HUGE. I feel overwhelmed again :(

I experimented with trapped a bed bug I found on the side of the bed in double-sided scotch sticky tape. It didn't like being trapped and kept walking in circles trying to avoid the tape. Half an hour later it was still there, half an hour after that it had disappeared. Either it had done a runner over the tape and survived, or "dropped off" the side of the bed to avoid the tape!!!!
I'd like it if someone else could try trapping one in a double-sided tape prison to verify whether it works or not.














And while getting tape in the office, I found a little booklet of post-its and stuck a bug to it for humour's sake.














I think one thing we all need while our lives are being destroyed is bed bug humour.

I stuck a dozen more bugs to cards, like I said I would. I have a nice collection to take to court now.

On second inspection of the eggs I've trapped under sticky tape, I now think it's almost impossible to determine whether you've transferred any from one place to another just by visual inspection. MAYBE on books you can tell... but I spent a good hour scouring around my room trying to determine what were skin flakes and what were eggs.

I kind of like trapping the bugs under tape and sticking them to card, then poking them every few hours and watching one or two of their free legs move, indicating they're still alive and dying a slow and hopefully painful death.