stoop sale season is here, and i'm not excited?!

the chipster

Subject: stoop sale season is here, and i'm not excited?!

Bedbugs.
I have always prided myself on the ability to get just about everything from the streets of park slope. Now I am seriously spooked. Did you know bedbugs can live up to 6 months without "feeding?" ugh. And they live in plastic?! And books?! And furniture? :shock:
I also heard (but cannot confirm personally) that someone bought something from a used kids clothing store (not beacon's) and brought home bedbugs. She is 99.99% sure she got it from that shop.
Will this change your stoop sale habits?

danielle123

Thanks for the warning. I knew they lived in furniture but didn't know about books and plastic. That is good (and scary) to know. And, yes, it iwll change my stoop sale habits probably by making me not buy anything from a stoop sale anymore! ;-(

anastasia beaverhausen

I'm completely schkeved by this. And pissed! I've been looking for the perfect chair - preferably in rough shape - to recover and I'm terrified to bring anything home. I'll end up buying new when I'd really like to fix something up.

pitu

Anastasia Beaverhausen wrote: I'm completely schkeved by this. And pissed!

Me too, but more for street furniture than stoop sales. People get so freaked out when they got the teh bedbugs that I doubt they're hanging around their stoop all day with the cootie furniture.

But I could be wrong.

pitu

uhhhh, they're not in street books, are they?

tybur6

I've had the bugs... and they are NOT pleasant. nasty little fuckers than make you all skeevey and creepy crawly.

They seem to be gone -- crazy treatments of poison and this sterilization (i.e., reproduction, not cleanliness) serum.

BUT... now I'm totally cautious. I would probably not ever buy a piece of furniture used if it had an hidden "crevices." You can see 'em -- they're not invisible. You can see the bugs and/or the little white eggs. But if there are hiding places, you might not see 'em. Wooden chair and shelves and so on seem like they could be fine -- just look at all sides.

I would have to say, if someone is having a stoop sale... they'd have to be serious douche bags to sell their stuff during an *active* bed bug infestation.

Oh -- and just put any clothes or fabrics in the dryer before you bring 'em home. Or ya know, keep 'em in a sealed bag until you do your laundry.

I hope they're gone for good, but there's always a chance they're just sleeping. Luckily I never got bitten or I don't react to their nibble -- no itchy bumps.

veets

pitu wrote: [quote=Anastasia Beaverhausen]I'm completely schkeved by this. And pissed!

Me too, but more for street furniture than stoop sales. People get so freaked out when they got the teh bedbugs that I doubt they're hanging around their stoop all day with the cootie furniture.

But I could be wrong.


I would like to think that you are right.

the chipster

True, I never thought of the fact that people would know if they had bedbugs--and would never knowingly sell or stand around their stuff.
Excellent point Pitu, and makes me a little more optimistic.
Yes, they live in books, but some folks put the books in their freezer for 2 weeks before in order to kill them.
Guess I'll be taking a magnifying glass out with me! LOL

longtimesloper

I knew about all the other ones, but not that they could live in books. Now I am very upset

legoflambchop

i've actually stopped taking books out of the library because of this.
and i LOVE the library!
but after living through a nasty flea infestation a few years ago, i will do whatever i can to avoid sharing my home and bed with blood-thirsty buggies.
oh - and here's something to chew on:
a lot of mattress places have that 30 day money back refund if you know, you're not completely satisfied.
all you have to do is pay a RESTOCKING fee.
so basically, when you buy your new mattress from say, Sleepy's you might actually be buying a mattress that was already slept in and could have been exposed to bedbugs.
i will be sleeping on my saggy old mattress forever.

anastasia beaverhausen

veets wrote: [quote=pitu][quote=Anastasia Beaverhausen]I'm completely schkeved by this. And pissed!

Me too, but more for street furniture than stoop sales. People get so freaked out when they got the teh bedbugs that I doubt they're hanging around their stoop all day with the cootie furniture.

But I could be wrong.


I would like to think that you are right.

I agree. People with an ounce of decency would never intentionally put out something infested - but it might not be intentional. Or they might not give a shit. Trust NO ONE!!

anthonycm

legoflambchop wrote: oh - and here's something to chew on:
a lot of mattress places have that 30 day money back refund if you know, you're not completely satisfied.
all you have to do is pay a RESTOCKING fee.
so basically, when you buy your new mattress from say, Sleepy's you might actually be buying a mattress that was already slept in and could have been exposed to bedbugs.
i will be sleeping on my saggy old mattress forever.

They're not allowed to restock used mattresses. This was a question we asked our salesperson at Macy's when we bought our bed (not that we wanted a used bed, but wanted to make sure we weren't buying a restocked bed). Places take mattresses back as a customer service, but I'm sure they're insured in the few cases it actually happens.

Now, I'm not saying there aren't some dishonest showrooms that DO sell used mattresses, but I don't believe they're supposed to.
-anthony

christina

If you buy books you can put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them for a few days. Kinda weird, but should work.

muggle

How come we've been hearing about the bedbug infestation problem for years now - I remember my friend throwing out her mattress like 6 years ago from bedbugs - but this is the first I've ever heard that they can live on books or other non-fabric surfaces? Where are those warnings on the subway ads? Where did you hear this, that bedbugs live on plastic and books?

christina

Whenever you have them and you obsess about them you will read this on all the info material. Just google it.

muggle

From wikipedia (not that wikipedia is always accurate, but): "Bedbugs are capable of traveling as far as 100 feet (30 m) to feed, but usually remain close to the host in bedrooms or on sofas where people may sleep."

So in books on a stoop sale? Can this be?

scarlett

legoflambchop wrote: i've actually stopped taking books out of the library because of this.
and i LOVE the library!

+ 1

the chipster

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef636.asp
The above link is chock full of information and disgusting pics. Be afraid. Be very afraid. (Although I appreciate folks pointing out that nobody would knowingly put out infested items)
Other common places to find bed bugs include: along and under the edge of wall-to-wall carpeting (especially behind beds and furniture); cracks in wood molding; ceiling-wall junctures; behind wall-mounted picture frames, mirrors, switch plates and outlets; under loose wallpaper; amongst clothing and clutter stored in closets; and inside clocks, phones, televisions and smoke detectors.

christina

Yuck!!!! Visions of my hysterical self in 2006 come to mind.
I would like to think of this incident like of the measles - once you had them they won't come back. Unfortunately that may not be the case.

Be fair to your neighbors, if you throw out infested mattresses and stuff put a sign up, and better yet seal the stuff in plastic. When I threw out my mattress I bought a 5.99$ mattress cover from the Container Store because I feared dragging the eggs through my apartment on their way out.