dust mites/bed bugs?????

[oncebitten]

I not sure if the building is old or new. However, when this initially started in June of last year, they were doing some construction. No new carpet has been laid, because we suggested the building be treated , the furniture, and employees.

Of course, that would cost too much. So once it was determined by the exterminator that it was fleas (last year) an email was sent out basically saying what they did (sprayed) and that they would continue with biweekly or monthly spraying. We (employees) were not given any cleansing chemicals to bathe with or anything to use for our homes or our laundry. Our managers basically bought some clorox wipes and OFF for us. We were told to wipe down our desk, chairs, etc and to keep clutter out of the workstation. None of that really helped. It stopped for a lil while, but then it was back again! Each time the bites seem more intense and are biting in new areas.

The 2nd set of results for my biopsy arent back. When I went to the derm. last week, he basically said, he treated it with what he thought it was, but since I have new marks, he would suggest another biopsy and this time take two samples from two different areas.

When we initially went to our employer as a group, we voiced our concerns, we contacted the TX dept of Health and were told it is not a health issue. We also told our employer that we have a very unsanitary team member who had stated she had scabies and bedbugs recently, but no thorough investigation was done. Our employer also did their own “research” (looking on the internet) and they determined that even if this co-worker does have scabies, bedbugs the only way we would get them is by skin to skin contact. Meaning we would basically have to be engaged in a sexual act almost to contract it. They werent really concerned because they werent getting bit, they werent feeling what we were feeling.

As I sit here and type this message I am afraid to go to sleep because I found two bugs in my bed tonite. One looked like a reddish hard shelled type of thing.. But it was just the shell. The other looked like a small spider. I am freaking out, Im itching, I have a really bad headache and acid reflux.

Some of my coworkers are getting bit, but are not seeing any marks as a result of the bites that they are feeling. So to them it is not a total reality at this point. A few of us get bit, and see the marks on a daily basis. Even my bites don’t all look the same. Some look like scratches as if the mites, fleas, bedbugs, or whatever started biting me and for some reason or another were interrupted so they moved... other marks look like a single reddish brown scar, and others look like two small reddish brown dots that are side by side but so many diameters apart, as if it whatever it is thats biting me has fangs.

At this point I don’t believe my employer will do much of anything but what they have been doing, which is putting a bandaid on the situation. Instead of treating the building, furniture, removing the carpet and also treating the employees. Thats too much money.

I just want to be rid of whatever it is. Its stressful goin to work everyday and getting bit. Knowing its something there but no one seems to really care. I have been dealing with this for so long, I feel as though I have no other alternative. Its an uphill battle. Im scared, angry, frustrated, I need my job, yet I cant continue to treat the problem and the underlying problem is my employer.. So what do I do?