I was almost sleepless for the past two weeks. It all started with bites which I thought came from mosquitoes. The itchiness was unbearable. The first morning I woke with three bite marks and took them lightly. Then after a night or two, I was bitten again, on the same arm but slightly closer to the wrist. Each time, it's 3-5 bites. And finally, my whole left arm was covered with bites. I went to Hospital Selayang and visited the doctor. I've to admit I WAS a super stupid patient as I didn't ask what medicine was it before I got injected. Why do I need injection if it's just bites? I was sure it wasn't allergy reaction. But it was too late when I knew it was steroid. The medication was heavy and I slept for almost two days. But the itchiness nor the marks go away. Then it was my baby's turn to get bites and it prompted me to take immediate actions!
I naively thought it was dust mites and called several home sanitisation companies. Thank God, two out of the five that I called were very sincere and explained to me that :
1) dust mites don't bite
2) I've to check for signs of bed bugs
So I went googling for info on bed bugs and it seemed like the symptoms I had fitted nicely into the puzzle of the whole picture BUT I just refused to believe it. Bed bugs are notorious pest and it's difficult to rid off. I don't want to believe my bed or room has it!!
Finally when I have cleared my mind, I knew I have to make a decision. I googled for Malaysia's companies which handles bed bugs. Unfortunately, not many accept residential contract. There's one company which spoke confidently about destroying bed bugs with one time flush out pesticides. I took that in without thinking further. Our family has been fearing to enter the room and quick decision had to be made. I agreed and his worker came the next day.
I left my house for the worker to work. When I got back home, I mopped my whole house and scrubbed the common toilet except the affected room 4 times! It hurt every part of my back yet I couldn't sleep at night, still worrying whether the bed bugs are gone for good. The room was considered a dark room with smelly pesticides, closed up, and eerie. I hate to think that our favourite room has been turned into a "ghostly" room. I've to do something when nobody does. I kept praying to God for strength as God is the creator of all and He knows what could be done. Why should human fear bugs?
I opened the door of the affected room and mopped the floor twice and took down the curtain for soaking. I scrubbed the waxy toilet floor until it feels clean. I've decided that I will not avoid problem but solve it, not with my own strength but God's.
Below are a few notes on bed bugs:
1) bed bug likes blood and to catch them you may have to wake up one hour before dawn ie around 5.30am.
2) if you note any blood stain marks on the bed, look out for signs of bed bugs
3) bed bugs hide in seams and you'll find black spots which are their excrement around the seams
4) bed bugs bite in a line, usually on the face, neck or arm (they live within 1 feet) from our sleeping place because they like warmth.
5) you may bring bed bugs from high turnover places like hotel, hospital, university dorms, etc. So always check for signs of bed bugs before unpacking your clothes in the hotel. They might hitch a hike from your bag to your house (which was what happened to us)!!!
Soon, I'll be going back to sleep in the room. I told my son, "I've to be a guinea pig to make sure the bugs are gone. I won't let my kids be harmed." According to the articles that I've read, bed bugs are considered gone for good if there's no new bites for three weeks after the treatment.
Photos for reference
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