I am very thankful for your suggestion and detailed description of your experience. I now know what these ‘critters’ are and can not thank you enough for taking the time to put your feed back on this site. I wrote a very long blog and it did not go through very upsetting it took me forever. I would like to ask BERRYQ if we could be in contact via email you really explained your story.

To the suffers on this site

I was fighting scabies for awhile spent countless nights awake in tears. I now know this is not scabies so please refer to BERRYQ last insert on this site for his remedy 50/50 vegetable oil and olive oil. Its worth a try to really know if you have scabies or this horrid creature new to us… take care all I know how bad we suffer and want answers.

Bought a used bed in Dec 2003, used it for 1.5 yrs without incident. Then moved to a smaller place, May 2005, so used my old twin bed for 2.5 yrs. Moved to current place Nov. 2007 and brought the full size bed out of storage, in my brother’s clean basement, in a brand-new house, into my current residence.

Had no issues from Nov 2007 thru at least Nov 2009. The only public lodging I stayed in was a nice clean hotel in Chicago, Aug 2008.

As of Christmas 2009, still no issues. By Feb 1st, 2010, had a “bite” on right wrist. It went down. Began to have bites on both forearms and both thighs, despite never having been in a hot tub (one reported source of scabies infestations) and being celibate since 1997! So it’s not just a sexually transmitted disease.

For all of Feb and half of March, I thought it was bed bugs, and thus was missing valuable time to treat. After satisfying myself that it was not bedbugs, (which can much more readily be seen than scabies) I went to the doctor, where scabies was diagnosed, (visual only–no scrapings.)

Used a tube of Permethrin on entire body except scalp, a big mistake. Used entire tube, which is really too much.

Continued to see new bites, amid the many slow-fading lesions. Doc prescribed 2nd tube of Permethrin with orders to use only on scalp until at least two wks had elapsed, as its absorption rate can poison a person.

Used on scalp, but never entire body surface. Did use it as a spot treatment on new bites, tho, till it was used up.

For months now, have been taking at least five long baths weekly, before bed, with borax, which is very soothing and leaves one feeling smooth and not oily, net not dry skinned.

Have done more laundry in last 3 months than in past 3 years, it seems. Never using a towel twice, etc. The problem is under control, but not totally eradicated.

A new bite will appear maybe once a week, which I now treat with Tea Tree oil, as the doc won’t prescribe more Permethrin for awhile.

Life is better, but not 100%. My pillow goes in the freezer every morning, to be pulled out at bedtime. Linens are quarantined in an unused room. The fear that it will return is bad. The hiding of one’s forearms with long sleeves in summer is unbearable.

72 hrs ago, wrapped the mattress in 3 layers of clear food wrap, and put fresh linens on. The extra foam rubber cushion helps me not feel the stickiness of a plastic coated mattress thru the mattress pad. (The foam rubber thing had been quarantined the entire time, so was just put back into use after the mattress was wrapped.)

Wish I could be sure the problem was solved. Have also used lice shampoo twice, and would like to move the TV out of the bath zone, back into the living room where it belongs. (I have not spent appreciable time “living” in my living room since Feb 1st.

Failed to get a part time job waiting tables, as I took myself out of consideration, due to the short-sleeve uniform and my unsightly arms.