College Students Get Rid of Bed Bugs
If you are going away to college and intend on living in a dormitory or an apartment close to campus, you need to be aware of a growing problem in the United States and all across the globe. Bed bugs are very real and you should be afraid of them biting you as you sleep at night, Bed bug infestations are at an all time high and if you plan on going away to college you should be educated about these little blood demons.
You need to have a physical description of a bed bug before you begin your search. Bed bugs are flat and glossy, brown to brownish red in color, and do not have any wings. They can grow as large as ¼ inch, so they can be seen without the aid of a magnifying glass. They resemble cockroaches, but in miniature form.
Prior to bringing any of your belongings into your college dorm room or apartment, a thorough inspection of the room is crucial. If there is a bed bug infestation in your room or apartment, once you bring anything in, there is a good chance that whatever it is will be contaminated. If the college is supplying your mattress, start there first. Look carefully at the seams and folds of the mattress and all around the bed frame. Bed bugs can be hiding in furniture, draperies, outlet covers, and behind wallpaper. Look in any cracks in the flooring and in any holes or cracks along the walls. Bed bugs have a preference for wooden furniture. If there happens to be any wooden desks or dressers in your dorm room, go through them carefully.
When purchasing pieces of furniture for your college dorm room or apartment, be wary of used furniture, especially from people you don’t know. If you need to purchase a mattress, this isn’t an item you want to buy used. In areas like New York City, governing agencies are trying to ban the sale of used mattresses because of bed bug infestations. If you buy anything from a thrift shop, check it over carefully. Places like this are breeding grounds for bed bugs. Employees of thrift stores tend to bring bed bugs home with them from work. These are a few things you want to be aware of.
If you do find bed bugs in your dorm room or apartment you can safely eliminate them by using all natural sprays and powders. Some powerful “green” insecticides are diatomaceous earth and sodium lauryl sulfate. Look for product lines containing these ingredients and bed bugs will be a thing of the past in your room or apartment. They will also prevent bed bugs from entering your room from another room if applied along the perimeter of your room as a protective barrier.
By: Bradley Skierkowski
