I live in a large apartment building in Newark and I just discovered that I have bed bugs. They seem to be mostly on my couch, although I did find one in my bed this morning (could have hitched a ride on the cat? I found it in the spot where the cat sleeps).

It’s been a week since I found my first bites, and I’ve been itching and researching ever since. Everything I’ve learned has left me feeling pretty hopeless, I have to admit. This afternoon, I finally broke down crying. I have faced mice, roaches, you name it living in a city apartment building, but the tenacity of these little buggers is daunting.

Also, even though I know I am personally up to the challenge of committing to a plan and following through on all the washing, bagging, etc., I can GUARANTEE that this is not true of my neighbors (or my building manager — the exterminator he hired to come today never showed up).

So what’s the point of my going through all that if they can just come back from somewhere else in the building? Does this mean I have to move? I live in Newark in the first place because I can’t AFFORD to live anywhere else. And from the sounds of things, the rest of the tri-state area isn’t much safer from BBs.

The worst part for me, as someone else said already, is the fear of transporting them into someone else’s home. My boyfriend is coming home from a month-long trip in two days, and of course I miss him very much and want to spend time with him, but what if I pass along a pest??

I have SO MANY questions. For instance, I know I can wash and bag all my linens, clothing, drapes, etc. But what about hand bags? Do I just keep a plastic bag in the hall that I put my bag in as soon as I come home? For all the precautions these things require, I may as well have anthrax.

Has anyone ever fought these things successfully in a large building? HOW? Any help would be appreciated — I’m just a week into this, and already at the end of my rope.

have you ever heard of bed bugs living in shoes? i’ve been getting a few very itchy bites mostly on the bottoms of my feet. i had lived in an apartment with bed bugs previously, had had it fumigated and went through the process of washing/drying all my clothes (and kept them in plastic ziplocs), but could they have possibly moved to my (beloved) shoes?