Jesus, msbelle, that's quite the horrific saga. I missed most of it while away.

tommy are you getting bit or seeing bugs? I am pretty sure landlords HAVE to treat.

sara - it really really is and I'm only at 3 weeks. The isolation devices for my furniture will mostly likely stay on for 2 years after I feel that we are clear. The mattress encasements are NEVER coming off except to be cleaned. I haven't started tossing stuff, but that is surely next. The clothes that I had treated that I thought I would ebay, I am just donating all of those now, I want them gone and to get that space back. Donating things sealed up in ziploc bags is kinda humorous.

tommy are you getting bit or seeing bugs?

Yep.

I am pretty sure landlords HAVE to treat.

I've been avoiding talking to them (after all the harsh words were exchanged). But yeah, I should tell them to come and do more treatment.

a spray bottle of 91% alcohol, any mattress encasements, and isolators on the legs of the bed - those are the top three things I would do to stop the bites.

Where do you find 90% alcohol? So far I've only seen 70%.

oh and sleeping with only sheets on the bed. It is going to be a good long while and many treatments before my comforter gets back on the bed.

It is usually right beside the 70%. I have found the chain drug stores have it much cheaper than local mom and pop ones. CVS is where I get mine now, because they have bigger bottles. I spray our shoes before we leave each day and I spray down whatever I tend to be obsessing over at the moment (edges of carpet, cracks in floor, edges of couch cushions, mac's backpack). The heat machine will help with this. I have already treated 4 pairs of shoes and the backpack will probably get done every 2-3 days.

Jesus. Now I'm understanding why my friend C just moved. (Her lease was coming up and she wasn't in love with any of her furniture so she basically just trashed it all except clothing.)

so many people seem to choose that option and it is really contributing to the spread of them. Infested furniture and/or belongings that are not sealed up before being put in trashrooms or dumpsters or on curbs? Those bugs just scatter and look for the first person or thing to hitchhike onto for a potential new home.

I saw a treated wooden futon frame out on the street 2 days ago unwrapped. white stripes all around on the underside is a sign it has been treated. My hands were full or I would have called 311.

ION, Basic Emoti-Khans.