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Bed Bugs and Campus Housing: A Brief Overview and Precautionary StepsNo residential space is safe from bed bugs—especially dormitories and other student housing. But students and campus housing can avoid the cost and frustration of bed bugs if armed with a bit of information. Wednesday January 12 2011 @ 11:18 AM Source:BedBug CentralNo residential space is safe from bed bugs—especially dormitories and other student housing. The communal nature and high turnover of these setting have enabled bed bugs to on college campuses across the country. At this time, there have been about fifty news stories about bed bugs and college campuses in this past month alone. But students and campus housing can avoid the cost and frustration of bed bugs if armed with a bit of information. Bed Bugs: A Brief Overview
Bed bugs are small, nocturnal insects that typically feed on the blood of their human hosts while they are sleeping. During the day, bed bugs are typically inactive and hide in cracks and crevices behind headboards, under or inside of box springs, as well as any other locations where they can remain virtually undetected. They typically feed only once every week or two. Between blood meals they remain well hidden in their resting places until it is time to come out for another blood meal. They are very resilient and in the absence of a host they can survive up to one year without a blood meal.
These insects are very efficient ‘hitchhikers’ and rely on people to transport them on their belongings from one location to the next. They cannot jump however; they are dispersed in a wide variety of ways that include rental furniture, luggage, second-hand furniture, and any other item that may have been exposed to an infested environment. When someone stays in an infested environment, the bugs are very efficient at traveling with the individual to their next destination, which could unfortunately be from residence hall room to room.
Bed bugs are prevalent in all socioeconomic sectors and do not discriminate on social status or cleanliness. Infestations can often be present for several months before bed bugs are seen in obvious locations, such as on the mattress. Instead, early infestations tend to be in more secluded environments, such as underneath, or even inside the box springs where they remain undisturbed and well hidden. As a result, populations are often not detected until they become well established.
What can students and faculty members do?
Students and staff must be diligent when dealing with bed bug infestations bed bugs as they can be more difficult to detect than other pests and even harder to eradicate. It is necessary that one take all precautions seriously when dealing with a discovered infestation. To better understand how to prevent bringing bed bugs home with you.
Utilizing Mattress and Box-spring Encasements:
Encasing the mattresses and box-springs of dormitories with “bed bug proof” encasements is one of the most important steps for prevention and treatment.
Certain encasements have designed to prevent bed bugs from infesting mattresses and box springs. Without encasements, the bugs can often infest areas inside the box spring and could be present for months without being detected. In addition by restricting bed bug activity to the exterior of the encasement, bed bugs will be unable to infest the interior of the encased mattresses and box springs.
When purchasing encasements, be sure the encasements that have been scientifically proven to be bed bug bite-proof and escape-proof.
Check your luggage after traveling:
Trips and vacation a big part of the college experience. Student should take care to ensure that during their travels, they do not being infested luggage into the dorm. There are number of great strategies to prevent infestations during travel. You can read about them here: http://www.bedbugcentral.com/shop/products.cfm/bed-bug-travel-guide-lite Periodic Inspections:
Periodic inspections by students or RA’s can serve the entire residence hall community by identifying bed bug infestations in the early stages. Students should be educated on the signs and symptoms of bed bugs and should look for evidence whenever they are changing their linens. They should also periodically check their bed frame for any signs of activity. To learn more about the inspection process, visit this link. Many students will become aware of possible bed bug infestations by noticing bite symptoms; however that alone is only grounds for investigating the possibility, not for diagnosing the problem.
Developing a Bed Bug Protocol:
Developing a comprehensive protocol is necessary step to ensure that an infestation is managed properly. To create a sound protocol, housing professionals must speak with educated entomologists and pest control experts who have successfully treated numerous bed bug infestations. This protocol should be made available to RA’s and RD’s. Click here to learn more about developing a protocol.
Literature should also be provided to students and parents with information about the signs and symptoms of bed bugs and what to look for. This begins to educate everyone about what to do in the case that a bed bug infestation is suspected. With everyone educated, everyone can efficiently and effectively work together to take care of things properly.
Effective Communication: Effective communication with parents and students during an infestation is essential for containing the problem. This will not only alert students to take precaution, but also prevent student from bringing bed bugs home or back to school.
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About BedBug Central
BedBug Central serves as the nation’s most authoritative information resource and website available to the public for information concerning bed bugs and bed bug related issues concerning health, prevention, and treatment methods. www.bedbugcentral.com
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