Bed Bugs and Back to School; How to Prevent
How to prevent bed bugs at School
It’s that time of year again were kids across Canada are going back to school. Already this is a hectic time of year for the parents when you must gather all the school supplies, motivate your child to get out of bed and get back into the beat of being in school. I hate to add another stress to the ''back to school'' frenzy, but I have some bad news; bed bugs.
Bed bugs on the rise
Every year we hear about bed bugs in schools across Canada, and the problem continues to haunt teachers and school administration since bed bug infestations can be costly and disturb the learning environment. With increasing reports every year from schools, comes an increase in chances that your child will be in contact with bed bugs throughout the school year. That being said, be aware that the risk exists, and the risks are growing each year. Schools are an ideal place for bed bugs to hitch a ride and install themselves in a new, bed bug free home.
How do bed bugs travel home?
One might ask ‘’How can my kids bring bed bugs home?’’. It’s a legit question; even entomologist cannot explain the exact reason why bed bugs have resurged over the past decade. Some say it's the ban on DDT (a pesticide with adverse health effects on humans), others believe it the increase in travel. In any case, what we do know is that bed bugs are master hitchhikers which means that bed bugs could be brought home in many ways;
- On the students themselves, i.e. in hair or other areas of the body
- From their clothes
- On their backpacks
- In their books
- From their friends who come over after school
- In their shoes and
- From their dorm room you visited last week
- Etc..
Essentially bed bugs can come from anywhere. In order to prevent an infestation in your home, it is important to check your children for bed bugs regularly.
How to check for bed bugs
Checking your little student every day when he or she comes back from school is a little difficult and time consuming. Already you’ve got to get your child organized for homework, prepare supper and get them to bed, you don’t want to make this process any longer. So here are some simple steps you can take to reduce the risk of bedbugs contaminating your home. Some of these tips are derived from those of Jeff White at BedBugCentral.com
For children in grade school
Find yourself a couple of plastic storage bins with high smooth sides. When your child comes home from school, have them put all their contents inside these bins, i.e. backpacks, lunch box, coats and other clothing. The smooth sides make it difficult for bed bugs to climb up and will trap them inside the plastic bin. Add another layer of prevention by putting a bed bug lure at the bottom of the bin, a Buggy Beds bed bug trap are a great tool for this since they require little to no maintenance, are non-toxic and will lure bed bugs out of the contents inside the bin and into the trap.
Should there be a bed bug scare at school, once your children get home place all their clothing in dissolvable laundry bags to avoid spreading bed bugs in your car or home.
For college students
For those living away from home, it is very important that before your child (young adult) settles in their new dwelling for the year, to check for bed bugs. This means checking behind the head board, between the mattress and frame, mattress and box spring, side table, around desk and any other nook and cranny where bed bugs could hide. It’s a good idea to encase the mattress as it will make inspection much easier and protect the mattress (in the case where your child brought a mattress from home). Buggy Beds bed bug traps are also great to detect bed bugs, they are place in and around the bed and checked regularly.
Bed bug education
Another valuable tool for bed bug detection is education. Show them pictures of bed bugs; tell them where to look and how to react in the case where they find a bed bug on them. Do not be shy to talk to your children about bed bugs, too many people are afraid of the social stigma related to bed bugs, but the worst thing you can do when it comes to bed bugs is not talk about it. Spread the word, inform and educate.
How to treat bed bugs if they’re in your home
If you think you have bed bugs at home, act fast. We have everything you need to protect yourself against bed bugs. Start with a mattress encasement, this will contain any bed bug living inside your mattress and stop any new bed bug from setting up shop inside. Our mattress covers all have the patented Protect-A-Bed zipper which stops bed bugs at all stages of development. Then add interceptors to your bed, this will stop bed bugs from climbing up into your bed, and any trying to escape will be trapped. These are only the basics to treat bed bugs, sprays and other bed bug traps must be used along with cleaning regularly and constant monitoring. Everything is available at bedbugsos.ca
Remember that prevention is essential when a risk of bed bugs is present. Schools are easy spreading grounds for bed bugs and the costs of exterminating is much higher than the cost of prevention. Take the time, educate your children and set up prevention measures to protect you and your loved ones.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send us an e-mail at info@bedbugsos.ca
