he more I got the more each one hurt. It was agony wearing shoes or any non-cotton fabric. My life quickly became increasingly miserable...a nightmare-really.

Co-workers suggested I had bed bugs and recommended I speak with the apt. management. I did and in early January 2009 they sent in someone from Terminex (Denver) to inspect my place. Her name was June and the apts. claimed she was "very thorough and good at her job." She told us that my place had "no sign of infestation." However, she did not pull my sofa away from the wall...which is where I eventually discovered a bed bug citadel. However, I later found them in my mattress as well...not sure how she missed those. I had assumed they had some type of specialized equipment (black/uv light...or something), but no...she was eyeballing everything. Bed bugs are generally tiny in their early stages, but as mature adults they ARE visible to the naked eye. All she had to do was her job and move the sofa...alas...in my opinion-laziness. Either that or perhaps she just didn't give a damn...who knows?

Over the next several months I treated the bites as though they were contact or food allergies...weeding various products from my life. In early March I saw a nurse practioner with my HMO who could not identify the "disorder"...referred me to a dermatologist.

In mid-March a feeding nymph came crawling out of my hair as I was falling asleep and began biting my jaw line. I finally had a sample!!! I informed my apt. management and requested they pay to treat my apt. They did not believe me at first about the bed bugs as Terminx had "ok'd" it. I insisted. Their policy is not to pay for bed bug extermination; however, we eventually came to an agreement.

In Denver we have a service called 211. A person can dial 211 and they can link persons to free services offered by the city. They connected me with a health inspector who came out (again-FREE) two days later. He inspected my apt. and community laundry room and gave me valuable information about the critters and how to treat/prevent reinfestation.

I threw away EVERY cloth covered piece of furniture and everything made of particle-board, as well as approximately 70% of belongings icluding clothes. I kept only what I really needed and select items of artwork or those laden with undeniable sentimental value. I kept two armoirs made of heavy, dense wood. I carefully inspected these (and around them) after the ensuing fumigations for signs of the bugs and found none.

I had two fumigations...after which I sprayed (product: "Good Night" available at home depot and recommended by the health dept.) the carpets by the baseboards, closets, everything. I used a carpet cleaner with an ammonia-dish soap-water mixture and washed my carpets, being careful to rinse thoroughly with water. All of my laundry was washed in hot water with plenty of soap and dried on high for a minimum of an hour...anything that didn't survive I threw away. Anything I couldn't wash and/or dry has been frozen (in my fridge freezer) for a minimum of a week. For now I'm living off of air mattresses and two metal chairs...thank goodness I still have my computer table...nice.

Future maintenance consists of:
1. Taking the armoirs apart on a monthly basis, spraying the interiors/exteriors with Good Night, spraying the interiors with thick coats of Orange Oil...letting it set and polishing the exteriors with the same.
2. Ammonia washes for the rugs.
3. Keeping all carpeting along the baseboards free of debris...obsessively so.
4. Washing/drying any and all cloth every two weeks whether used or not.
5. Anything in storage is sealed in baggies and periodically frozen for a week to deter any future infestation.
6. ETC

NOTE: All of the literature claims these bugs don't live on animals or humans. I KNOW this is incorrect. I found more than one bed bug in my hair...during the day to boot when they are supposed to be sleeping. I found blood-sucking nymphs living in my cats' paws and drove them out with Flea/Tick/Lice shampoo. However, this didn't begin happening until the infestation was in full-bloom. I can assure you this IS possible...

I don't have any bites anymore and I haven't had insomnia in over a month...since the treatments began. Hooray!