PR Newswire
READING, Pennsylvania, September 9, 2022
This infamous hitchhiker could be making his way to your home with your student during recess
READ, Pa., September 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — When students leave their homes and return to college campuses, many will be traveling with a particularly pesky hitchhiker: bed bugs. It is nearly impossible to prevent bed bugs from being introduced into public areas such as hotel rooms, schools and healthcare facilities as the small insects can hitchhike and travel from place to place. The little pest could hitch a ride by climbing into luggage, attaching itself to clothing, bedding, or other personal belongings.
Bed bugs are brown in color and about a quarter inch in diameter, resembling an apple seed or lentil. The blood-sucking critters bite and feed on humans, leaving itchy red bumps on their skin. Known to be resilient, bed bugs can withstand extreme environments, surviving months without a blood meal and living in temperatures ranging from near freezing to as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Despite the name, bed bugs can be found in chair cushions, sofas, electrical outlets, or baseboards in college dormitories and apartments. Much of the used furniture that students move to dormitories is also a potential haven for bed bugs. In order to better protect students from possible introduction of bed bugs, Thomas DobrinskaBoard Certified Entomologist for Ehrlich Pest Control, provides insight on where to look and what to do when you find bed bugs.
Where to look for bed bugs:
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Beds: Referred to as “bed bugs,” students should check the bed first. Bed bugs can not only hide in the smallest cracks of the bed frame and also in the box spring beds in the mattress. If the frame is wood, inspect it thoroughly. Look at the entire mattress and check every fold and gap. Students can purchase bed bug mattress covers for added protection.
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Sofas and Chairs: Ensure that the sofas and chairs in the common areas are free of bed bugs, which can get on people or their clothing and end up in the rooms. Check the furniture thoroughly and remember that bed bugs can be very small and look more like peppercorns or apple seeds than insects.
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Baseboards: Although bed bugs are notorious for inhabiting fabric-covered objects, the pest hides everywhere. This includes the baseboards on the bottom walls of a room, in the outlets, and behind anything else on the wall.
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Dressers: Bed bugs love to attach themselves to clothing to travel from place to place. Check the drawers and look for shed insect skins. The small vermin can also hide in the corners, pushed into cracks or on the clothing stored there.
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Clothing: Piles of clothing, not uncommon in dormitories and fraternity houses, are the perfect hiding places for bed bugs. Make sure the drawers, closets, laundry baskets, and washrooms are free of bed bugs. Keep as much clothing off the floor as possible to reduce the risk of bed bug infestations.
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What to do if bed bugs are found
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Students should immediately contact the resident assistant, facility manager, or housing staff to arrange for contact with pest control professionals.
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If bed bugs are found in a bedroom, do not throw away clothes or bedding. Wash bedding and clothing at a very high temperature to kill the bed bugs as well as the eggs and larvae. Store clothing and bedding in sealed bags to prevent the pest from returning.
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Keeping the room clean is an important step in removal and prevention, as bed bugs like to attach themselves to clothing. Remove laundry from the floor or hang up shirts, pants, and other clothing to deny the beetle a safe haven. Vacuum frequently to regularly reduce dust and dirt.
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Lift the bed off the floor. Clean bedding regularly and inspect bed frames, especially if there is a wooden bed frame. Bed bugs hide in the smallest cracks or crevices of a frame.
For more information on bed bug control and prevention, visit www.jcehrlich.com.
ABOUT HONEST PEST CONTROL
For nearly a century, customers have trusted Ehrlich Pest Control to protect their families, homes and businesses from pests and the health threats and harm they can cause.
Since its inception in Read, PA In 1928 Ehrlich expanded to serve over The United Stateswith more than 50 offices serving nearly 20 states and the United States District of Columbia. With a team of highly trained local experts, Ehrlich offers proactive pest management solutions through monitoring, prevention and maintenance. These solutions include general pest control, rodent, termite, bed bug, mosquito, wildlife management and TAP (Thermal, Acoustic, Pest Control) isolation services and more. Ehrlich is part of Rentokil, the world’s largest pest control company. Rentokil and its companies, including Florida Pest Control, Western Exterminator and Presto-X Pest Control, provide commercial and residential pest control services to customers in The United States and Canada.
For more information, visit Ehrlich at jcehrlich.com and connect on LinkedIn or Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Brandon Allums
brandon.allums@rentokil.com
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SOURCE Honest Pest Control
