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Keeping Bed Bugs off College Campuses

MEMPHIS, TN--(Marketwired - August 17, 2016) - This fall, it's not just fraternity brothers and sorority sisters returning to college campuses.

As eager students and emotional parents arrive for move-in weekend, they may encounter some unanticipated and unwanted roommates: bed bugs. Orientation runaround, mismatched furniture, cramped living quarters and messy communal spaces are cornerstones of the college experience, but they also make campuses extremely vulnerable to infestations. Bed bugs 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 -- completely unbeknownst to the students around them.

Terminix^®, America's number one provider of pest and termite control services, treats a wide range of university facilities each fall, from basketball courts and training centers to libraries and lecture halls. And every year, the number of bed bug service requests received by its branches continues to rise.

"College campuses are very interconnected, making a single infested futon a significant threat," said Tom Jeffords, regional technical specialist at Terminix. "Fortunately, there are some protective measures students and their families can take before they even set foot on campus to prevent the spread. By carefully following our tips, students can beat the bite and focus on their studying -- or whatever."

Back-to-School Bed Bug Tips From Terminix

Do:

• Add a bed bug-proof mattress, pillow and box spring cover to your shopping list. Their protective casings can help prevent bed bugs from making your bunk bed their new hideout.
• Thoroughly scan your room on move-in day. Take time to lift mattresses, move furniture and peek behind wooden headboards for any sign of bed bugs, including discarded shells, live bugs along mattress seams or furniture joints, a sweet musty odor or small blood stains from previous bite victims.
• Crack open your textbooks. Bed bugs have been known to hitch a ride from one home to the next via used textbooks or loaners from the library.
• Wash any used clothing. Items from thrift or consignment stores should be washed in warm soapy water before the first wear. Any items that cannot be washed such as shoes, backpacks or jackets can simply be run through the normal dry cycle in a clothes dryer to kill bed bugs and their eggs.

Don't: