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Back To College Bed Bug Inspections

August 7, 2012

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Arkansas college students should carefully check their dorms for signs of bed bugs

With the start of a new semester quickly approaching, it is time to start making all those back to school lists. And for college students there’s a lot more to think about than just the backpacks and books. Whether this is their first time living in a dorm or just back for another year, there are a lot of responsibilities when it comes to the dorm life. What many college students may not be aware of (but should be) is that bed bugs can be a major problem for college campuses in Arkansas and across the country.

Bed bugs are great hitchhikers and they move with ease, spreading infestations from one room to many others. Dormitories are much like hotels in that there are a lot of people coming and going all from different places. This leads to an increased chance of a bed bug takeover. Clothing, luggage, or furniture are all accomplices when it comes to the introduction of these nuisance pests as are people recently exposed to an infestation. And once a few eggs or live bugs land a spot in a dorm room, they will quickly begin to multiply and spread to adjacent rooms.

If you are a parent you’re probably thinking that as long as your son or daughter keeps their room clean they won’t have any trouble with bed bugs. But this is not the case in fact, bed bugs are just as likely to infest the cleanest dorm room as they are the messiest. With that said, here are the ways in which your college kid can avoid any trouble with bed bugs this school year:

• Before unpacking your belongings check around the mattress and rest of the dorm room for any signs of bed bugs which include: dark blood spots on the mattress, bed bug fecal spots, skin encasements, or live bugs themselves.

• Consider purchasing mattress encasements and laundry bags that help ward off bed bugs

• Keep clutter and clothing up off the ground

• Hang coats on a rack so they are not touching the floor

• Vacuum the room regularly

• Be attentive and inspect the room on a regular basis!

Even if your college kid’s room was clear of any bed bugs upon arrival does not mean that is the case after a week or two. As more students settle in, bed bugs will begin to move around which makes it extremely important to be proactive with inspections. If there are in fact signs of bed bugs in the dorm room, contact an authority right away so the problem does not continue to grow and spread across the campus. Bed bugs are not a DIY treatment and simply killing or vacuuming the ones you see will hardly touch the surface of the infestation.

For more information on back to school bed bug prevention or if you are experiencing any bed bug problems in your Arkansas home, please contact the experts in bed bug control at McCauley Services. Proudly serving Arkansas communities including Little Rock, Conway, and Hot Springs since 1983, McCauley Services helps you in protecting what matters most this back to school season.

Tags: bed bug control  |  bed bugs in schools  |  pest prevention tips  |  signs of bed bugs  |  bed bugs in dorms

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