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College campuses, and dorm rooms especially, are often ideal breeding grounds for bed bugs, underscoring the importance of ongoing college bed bug control services.
In addition to universities engaging quality professional pest control and pest management, there are some simple steps students can take to help prevent infestations.
They include —
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- Keep Your Dorm Room Tidy
- Inspect Library Books Or Rented Textbooks
- Wash Used Clothing From Thrift Or Consignment Stores
- Don’t Pick Up Used Or Discarded Furniture
- Don’t Leave Jackets, Backpacks Or Clothing On The Floor
Read on to learn more about these invasive little critters, how to identify an infestation and a bit more on the above-mentioned tips to avoid infestations.
Most importantly, if you think there might be an infestation anywhere on your college campus, quickly report the issue to your Pittsburg or Wester Pennsylvania university, and be sure to have them contact Pestco Professional Services for the very best in college bed bug control — (412) 252-5200
Sleep Tight And Don’t Let The Bedbugs Bite
That familiar little rhyme may well be just a harmless regression to childhood, but in major cities throughout the modern world bedbugs are a living nightmare.
They have been around humans for thousands of years, and fossils as weak as early texts indicate that bedbugs were known under various names as far back as the glory days ancient Egypt and Rome.
Colonization and industrialization advanced their spread into North America, and today they are found everywhere humans congregate.
Infestations are commonplace in homes, apartment complexes, hotels, libraries, hospitals, theaters, offices and college dormitories.
They always require the services of pest-control and pest-management specialists to eliminate forever.
Returning to school is a coming of age stepping stone that has many pleasant and memorable connotations, but this year it also presents at least one unexpected caveat for caring parents.
Providing students with essentials goes far beyond products, clothing and the do’s and don’ts of dating protocol.
Due to the transient nature of dorm life, preparation for this next stage of life must also include a working understanding about bedbugs.
With many people living under the same roof and traveling from all over the world, dorms can be a serious breeding ground for hitchhiking bedbugs that latch onto luggage, clothes and linens.
Interconnected communal spaces make campuses extremely vulnerable to bed bug infestations.
These small, rusty red or mahogany critters that resemble apple seeds can spread easily from one building to the next by crawling through cracks in the walls or floor, and hitching rides on backpacks and clothing.
One pregnant bed bug can start an infestation all by her lonesome after hiding in a new home, feeding on its occupants and laying eggs incessantly.
These vampires of the insect world are nocturnal, and they feed on the blood of their human or animal hosts by biting, often while they are sound asleep. Bed bugs cannot survive or develop without these blood meals.
Allegheny County medical entomologist, Bill Todaro, states: “The bed bug feeds on blood, and because it feeds directly on blood like a mosquito, it goes through its life cycle very quickly. In one month’s time, a female will develop from an egg to being able to lay eggs… They tend to feed between 3 and 5 a.m., when most people are fast asleep… There is no gold standard to getting rid of bed bugs, but…the sooner a bed bug infestation is detected, the less expensive it will be to treat it.”
There is no pest-control or pest-management establishment in the Pittsburgh area that has more extensive experience in identifying and treating a bed bug infestation than our technicians.
What Are The Telltale Signs of Bed Bug Infestation?
Bed bugs are found in all 50 states. The following represent the most common indications of a bed bug infestation.
Our pest-control and pest-maintenance specialists at Pestco should be notified immediately if any of these signs are present in a college dorm or on campus.
Small, Pearly White Eggs Found In Clusters
Bed bug eggs are laid in places where they are not likely to be discovered.
Some favored spots include: behind furniture; cracks in walls; along baseboards and within the folds of mattresses.
Remains Of Exoskeletons, Feces Or Egg Casings
Bedbug fecal spots, egg shells, or shed skins are found in areas where bed bugs hide.
They go through 5 life cycle stages before reaching adulthood, and they must have a blood meal and shed their exoskeleton (shell casing) before proceeding to the next stage.
Abandoned shell casings are a definite early indication of a growing bed bug infestation.
Offensive, Musty Odors Are A Tell-Tale Sign
These smells are emitted from the scent glands and are actually pheromones that have a slightly sugary but definitely musty odor.
The odor is sometimes considered comparable to raspberries, and/or coriander.
By the time the smell is noticed, an infestation is already in full bloom.
Blood Stains On Sheets Or Pillowcases
Dark or rusty spots of bedbug excrement on sheets and pillowcases mattresses, bed clothes, and walls. are certain indications of an active infestation.These stains will usually be found near the corners and edges of the bed.
Tips For Avoiding Bed Bugs In College Dorms
Use a flashlight to inspect all suitcases and furniture thoroughly before bringing them into a dorm room, Fully inspect mattresses and consider using a bed bug proof mattress liners as well.
Try To Keep Your Dorm Room Tidy
While it is an enduring myth that bed bugs never thrive in clean rooms, living quarters should still be tidy if for no other reason that this does minimize the number of hiding spaces and makes it easier for the pest-control and pest management specialists to discover the source of the infestation.
Inspect Library Books Or Rented Textbooks
Bed bugs are known to hide inside books.
One sign that they are there are black spots on the fore edge of a book.
Due to their small size, bed bugs can fit inside parts of a book easily, particularly the binding, fore-edge and protective covering.
They can be also be found in or on books or magazines located near bedding.
If bed bugs are discovered inside several books, the infestation is already active and requires immediate outside professional help.
Wash Used Clothing From Thrift Or Consignment Stores
While these stores are kind to the pocket book and are fun to shop in, it may cost the consumer more in the long run if bed bag eggs are hidden inside items purchased.
As a precaution, clothing should be washed in warm soapy water before the first wear.
Don’t Pick Up Used Or Discarded Furniture
Remember that there is a reason why things are thrown away.
While no malice is likely to be intended by a home owner by leaving a piece furniture out for garbage pick up, retrieving that item, which may contain bed bugs happy to travel to a college dorm, is a no-no Nanette or Norman.
Don’t Leave Jackets, Backpacks Or Clothing On The Floor
Hang up as many items as possible to reduce the chances of picking up stray bedbugs looking for a new home.
Never allow your backpack to come in contact with others.
Keep your bags and purses away from whoever may be sitting next to you, whether in class or in other public spaces.
Get the Very Best In College Bed Bug Control!
We are a family-run, five-star rated, Quality Pro-Certified pest control business and have developed a stellar reputation for both our products and services
We service both high profile commercial enterprises as well as private homes and residences in the Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania area.
Founded in 1948, we have had decades to perfect our pest-control and pest- management solutions, and in dealing with bed bugs, we have adopted an innovative, non-hazardous, bio-pesticide known as Apprehend.
Invented by researchers at Penn State, this product is comprised of fungal spores that kill bed bugs and works for up to three months. It is also considered safe for both humans and animals.
Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eliminate and, without the help of experienced pest-control and pest-management specialists, they can hide undetected for months.
If a bed bug infestation is suspected in a dormitory, it should reported to the residence hall director or landlord immediately.
So be sure to call our teams today… and be rid of bed bugs tomorrow!
Final thought about bed bugs: For all of our advanced technology, we still haven’t beaten bed bugs. We’re being defeated by an enemy that doesn’t even bother to get out of bed! ~ Canadian comic, Ron James
Photo Credits: Pixabay