As your children head back into school, they will be brushing shoulders with hundreds of classmates and friends. They’ll be sharing stories of their summer travels, and they might be sharing bed bugs as well. With so many children in one space, especially after a season full of travel, it’s easier for bedbugs to be passed along from one bag to the next—resulting in a bed bug invasion into your home.
Bed Bugs in School
Bed bugs don't actively travel themselves.They like to hide in dark, soft places, such as fabric in furniture, bags, and clothes. They're also attracted to humans, so they're more likely to hide in an area that has the smell of humans. They might have ended up in your dirty clothes bag at a hotel, or they could have crept into your backpack while you were on an airplane.
It isn’t always obvious when bed bugs are living in your house. It may take a few days even to notice them, and it could take longer to get rid of them. Children can be unknowingly carrying bed bugs from their summer travels that are hiding and laying eggs in clothing and backpacks. These are then taken to school, and the bed bugs can get transferred onto your child's backpack or clothing. Suddenly you have bed bugs hatching in your home and spreading quickly.
Protecting Your Kids from Bed Bugs
Though your child's school likely has a pest control plan, you may want to take extra precautions on your own. One way to halt an infestation is to check your child's backpack frequently. Keep an eye out for bed bugs, which can be light brown to black. Also, look for excrement, shed skin, or eggs. If you look over your child's backpack when they come home from school, you might catch any bed bugs and will have the chance to eliminate them before they can spread.
Another tip is to clean thoroughly. If you routinely wash your child’s backpack and clothes, including sweaters and jackets, you may kill any unnoticed bed bugs before they cause problems. Finally, advise your child to keep an eye on their things. Whenever possible, hang bags on a hook or place them in a locker instead of on the floor. The same goes for sweaters and jackets. Bed bugs will more likely find their way onto a shirt that's spent weeks in the lost-n-found then one that's been well taken care of.
Addressing a Bed Bug Infestation
If bed bugs do find away into your home, there are ways to get them out. Attempting to eliminate bed bugs on your own can be costly, time intensive, and is rarely worth the effort. You’re more likely to kill some adults while leaving eggs to hatch later that will cause the same problems all over again. Instead, call Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators. We can identify bed bugs, create a treatment for their elimination, and meet with you to discuss future prevention strategies. Let your kids share stories at lunchtime—not bed bugs.