All over the country, students are settling into their new dorm rooms, but some of these students might be settling in with bed bugs. With students coming from all over the country, it’s easy for bed bugs to be introduced and established into college dorm rooms. These infestations can happen in the most prestigious colleges too. They aren’t discriminating against pests. If it’s not emotional enough sending your child off to college, now you have to be worried about bed bugs. Even a small amount of breeding bed bugs can turn into a major problem in no time.
How to Check for Bed Bugs in College Dorm Rooms
The first thing you need to do is to inspect the bed. Use a flashlight and check the top, bottom and sides of the mattress. You also need to check all the seams. These are all areas that bed bugs will use to lay their eggs. Even though bed bugs are tiny, you can still see them with the naked eye when you look closely. Look for blood spots that resemble rust spots, bed bug droppings that look like black pepper and you may even see them. Adult bed bugs are oval, flattened, brown and wingless. Bed bugs can be 1/4” to 3/8” long. You will also need to inspect all the furniture in the room because bed bugs don’t just live in beds. Colleges take steps to educate students on ways to prevent a bed bug infestation. Being informed is the best way to prevent a bed bug infestation.
Bed Bug Prevention Tips
While bed bugs aren’t known to spread disease, you don’t want your college student dealing with them and possibly bringing them home for the holidays! Avoid secondhand furniture that may be more likely to harbor bed bugs. Keep your dorm room as clean as possible. Clutter provides bed bugs with a place to hide and it also makes it harder to discover a bed bug infestation before it gets out of hand. It’s also much easier to control a problem when it’s discovered early. Check your body from time to time to look for bites or rashes. Red, itchy welts on your skin may be bed bug bites. It can be difficult for medical professionals to distinguish a bed bug bite from other bug bites, so it’s important to have any unexplained skin irritations looked at. Library books and used books can be another place that bed bugs will hide. Always inspect these items before you bring them into your dorm room by checking the binding of the book and in between the pages. Do not try and get rid of bed bugs on your own. Even trained professionals will tell you that bed bugs are one of the most difficult pests to treat. Students need to tell their resident adviser as soon as they think there might be a problem.
Bed Bug Inspection, Extermination, Control Services & More in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
Preventing a pest problem is always easier than getting rid of pests. If you think your dorm room is at risk for bed bugs, contact professional pest control immediately. Call A-Tex Pest Management today!