Bed bugs in college dorms...coming home for the summer.
Bed bugs have been in the news for a few years now. It shouldn't be a surprise anymore, but something that invades a private place such as your bed is something we'll never get used to. And with your college kids coming back home for the summer, you had better be prepared to check all of their belongings so that you don't become the next bitten victim!
They're excellent hitchhikers, even better hiders, and have an undying need to feed. Several reports just in the last year surfaced about bed bugs in college dorms. Do you know if your child's college got hit? Does the school have a protocol for instances like these? It's sad to think in that paranoid manner, but let's face it: The more you know, the better off you'll be in preventing the stress involved with such an invasion.
Here's what you should do as your kid starts lugging stuff into your house for the summer:
- Inspect all backpacks, luggage, furniture, suitcases, and storage containers before bringing them into the house.
- Vacuum items thoroughly before storing away.
- Consider using a garment hand steamer to steam bags, backpacks, or luggage, which will kill any bed bugs or eggs that may have hitched a ride home.
- Wash all clothing - even if they haven't been worn - in hot water to ensure that any bed bugs that may have made it that far are not placed into drawers/closets.
- Encase your mattresses and box springs to prevent major bed bug harborage opportunities. These are special covers with bed bug locking technology. Call us for more info. We can order them for you.
Don't become the next victim! Be Prepared!
And if you have any doubt in your mind, CALL US. We're professionals, after all.
