"Bedbugs by mail" Topic

Just as a heads up to anyone who might be a fan of Ebay.
I'm pretty sure that one of the packages I received over the past few months came with little stowaways.
The exterminator was out today and confirmed that there were bedbugs haunting the bed in the room where I take naps and usually toss my mail… open my mail, and leave books sitting on the bed. No telling for sure but the exterminator agreed that it's quite possible. He said garage sales are another way they'll often get in.
I haven't been traveling or sleeping in strange places… so it seems likely.
The exterminator suggested opening Ebay packages outside and looking for the tell-tale markings before bringing them in the house. The $500 USD it's gonna cost me to get rid of them makes it likely I'll be a lot more careful in the future.

Wow

Wow, is right.
So, I know the telltale markings to look for in a hotel room/bedroom, but what telltale markings would they leave in a box?

Well, they like to find tight places they can squeeze into… they can defecate themselves thin and fit into anything as thin as a credit card. The corrugated channels in cardboard are one place, as are the bindings of books (and deep between the pages). They leave little scat trails as they poop themselves empty. I found one book, sitting on my bed, that had them lounging on the sides.
In a box/envelope from Ebay I'd look down inside and along edges for telltale hints.

Sooo…what kind of feedback did you leave the seller for the 'extras' sent to you?

Seriously, thanks for the heads up on this, I know I'll be opening boxes outside now!

Scary….what are the hotel signs though for future ref?

Why couldn't you have picked them up at the library, on the bus/subway, or some other public space and brought themselves home yourself?

Why couldn't you have picked them up at the library, on the bus/subway, or some other public space and brought themselves home yourself?

Given my habits that seems unlikely. Most of my work is done from home, I drive my own car (because public transportation here is dismal) and don't hang out at the library or bus terminals or shopping malls.
I DO get packages from people all over the world, open them up and sit them on the bed that got infested.

my first thought was you got this:
crabrevenge.com

I guess it could be worse.

That's pretty darn nasty.
Nope, I remain friendly with all but one of my exes.
A guy I used to know had a revenge idea involving a raw, plucked chicken wrapped up tight in layers of duct tape and hidden inside the box springs of a bed.