Bed bugs are not new to American households say New Jersey pest control professionals. Nearly eradicated completely in the 1950’s thanks to the availability of the strong pesticide DDT, bed bugs have returned to our landscape with what looks like no real hope of eliminating them from the United States completely.
All levels and types of schools are quite susceptible to having a bed bug infestation, despite what some people may think. Bed bugs are master hitchhikers that will easily hitch a ride into a school via a coat, hat, gloves, textbooks, notebooks, backpacks, or even the very clothing that a person is wearing to school.
WYMT TV reported on January 26, 2012 that a teacher first found a bed bug last month at the Hunter Hills Elementary School in Kentucky. Since the discovery of the first bloodsucker at the school, “other bugs have been found in isolated areas which prompted school officials to take precaution and alert parents.” There was no mention of the school in question utilizing the services of a licensed pest control company to eradicate the “isolated areas” where the bed bugs had been found. You may read the article here.
School administrators often state incorrectly that schools are not a hospitable environment for bed bug infestations to continue to thrive. Schools are hospitable for a number of reasons…
• Bed bugs are able to abstain from eating for over a year so they are not affected by long summer, winter, or spring break sessions.
• Bed bugs thrive in cluttered filled environments. Classrooms and administrative offices with stacks of paperwork provide the perfect hiding places for bed bugs to lurk.
• Bed bugs can survive in school lockers which are often shared by students in elementary school grades. It is not uncommon for students to unexpectedly bring bed bugs home with them because of the shared space.
• Just like in the home environment, bed bugs will live inside school walls and pass from classroom to classroom via electrical wires, plumbing, or cable wires.
• Bed bugs feed solely on blood, which is vastly available when students and schools staff members occupy a school.
• In a college environment, students often visit different dorm rooms, off-campus apartments, make frequent trips back and forth home, and spend time in the student lounge. Because of the transient nature of college life, students are likely to encounter bed bugs at some point in time.
Any child or adult can bring bed bugs home from school at any time. Educating yourself about what bed bugs look like, how to find bed bugs, and what their habits are is the first step in avoiding being a victim to bloodsucking bed bugs. If you are battling bed bugs in New Jersey, contact Allison Pest Control. Our technicians are experts at bed bug eradication services.