Protect Your Home from Dorm Room Hitchhikers

45 percent of all bedbug infestations happen in college dorms . If your young adult lives on campus during the school year, understanding how to prevent them from bringing these invaders home is the first step in pest protection. Before your child comes home to visit, look at how both of you can reduce the bedbug risk.

At School

The student housing service, maintenance, or other similar college or university agency should take measures to stop bedbug infestations. However, they may not routinely inspect dorms for this type of pest problem. Instead, they may rely on information provided by the students, resident aides, or staff members such as housekeeping or maintenance employees.

Bedbugs in your child’s dorm can hitch a ride home on their belongings. While at school, your child can take these steps to stop the spread of bedbugs and lower the likelihood that they will bring the invaders home to you:

Learn the signs . Educate your child on the signs of bedbugs. This includes what they look like, along with red flags such as dark dots (bedbug waste) on mattresses or bedding, bites on a body, white-colored shed skin remnants, and small blood streaks on bedding. Know where to look . Along with the bed itself, your child should inspect the frame, the box spring, flooring, nearby dressers or nightstands, or other furniture in the room.

Declutter often . While bedbug infestations have little to do with a dirty environment, reducing the amount of clutter in the room can help your child to spot the bugs.

Talk to the school . If your child finds bed bugs, has consistent bites (with no other known cause), or sees signs of the invaders, instruct them to contact the school immediately.

Follow up . Make sure that the school inspects and remediates the problem. If they do not, ask your child to follow up.

Inspect belongings . Before your child comes home, make sure that they inspect all of their belongings for signs of bugs. Bedbugs are notoriously challenging to find. Your teen should use a flashlight to look through clothes, luggage, shoes, and anything else they bring home. Pack in plastic . If any question exists that your child’s belongings have had exposure to bedbugs, ask your child to bring home laundry, bedding, or other similar washable items in airtight plastic bags instead of reusable fabric bags or luggage.

The next steps in the bedbug elimination equation are ones the two of you (parent and child) should take together.

At Home

Along with taking measures to prevent or stop an infestation at school, you can also help to reduce the transfer risk when your child comes home. If your child’s dorm has a known bedbug infestation, consider leaving any furniture items behind. You can also try these bedbug barrier tips:

Wash immediately. Instead of piling your teen’s clothes in the laundry room (or worse, their bedroom), wash everything immediately including their would-be clean clothes. Use hot water and the dryer’s high heat cycle.

Inspect everything. Again, use a flashlight to inspect all luggage or other items that your child brings into the house.

Clean the bags. Thoroughly wash and dry fabric bags that your child uses to transport items or clothes in. If you cannot wash their luggage, carefully vacuum it or use a hand steamer.

Bedbugs are tricky creatures to catch and kill. If, despite your efforts, your college student still manages to bring home these hitchhikers, call a pest professional immediately for help.

Do you need help ridding your home of bedbugs? Contact Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control, Inc. for more information today.