Like other communal housing scenarios, dorm life comes with some unique health risks. Between the frequent turnaround, close contact, and shared restroom facilities, dorms are ideal breeding grounds for communicable bugs! The most common species found in American settings are bedbugs and lice, and most dorm residents will come into contact with at least one of those creepy critters at some point in their dormitory life.
Dorm-Bound Bedbugs
While the phrase “don’t let the bedbugs bite” is often said to children lightheartedly as their parents tuck them in, the joked-about insects left some undergrads at Reinhardt University sleeping in the gym last September. After the bugs were discovered, pest control quarantined all the rooms, along with all student belongings, in one of the guys’ dorms.
This Georgia infestation is far from an isolated incident; in addition to extracurricular infestations, in recent years, these devilish little varmints have infested dorms at Wake Forest University and Catawba College in North Carolina, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Bedbug Basics
These tiny parasitic pests get comfy in mattresses, carpets, couches, and clothes during the day so they’re ready to attack nearby humans at night. Because they inject a sort of anesthetic into their victims before they bite, most hosts unknowingly provide them with the blood they need to continue.
Because of their miniscule size and resistance to most extermination techniques and chemicals, once they’ve invaded an area, they’re hard to eliminate.
Preventing Bedbug Infestations
While you can’t completely eliminate the possibility of being pestered by bedbugs, you can reduce the likelihood by taking some of the following precautions:
1. Inspect Your Hotel Bed.
Bedbugs often hitch a ride to dorms when students are traveling. To avoid taking them back to campus, make sure you inspect your bed and bedding whenever you stay in a hotel. What you’re looking for is tiny bloodstains.
2. Do Your Laundry Before Your Return.
In addition, whenever you travel, you’ll want to keep your suitcases and clothes off the floor. Just to be safe, go ahead and wash all your clothes in hot water before returning to your dorm.
3. Beware of Second-Hand Textiles
That great couch you saw at Goodwill for thirty bucks could end up costing you a whole lot more. Before you invite these inexpensive treasures into your home into your temporary home, make sure to inspect them thoroughly.
Dealing With Bedbug Problems
In case you’re not sure what you’re looking for, bedbugs are tiny red insects that leave behind unsightly bug bites. You may have bedbug bites if you notice small, itchy, red bumps in a linear configuration or cluster.
If you do live in a dorm, you need to let resident authorities know of your suspicions right away; untreated, the problem will only get worse.
In addition to hiring pest-control specialists, you’ll need to eliminate these insects from all your fabric possessions, such as clothes and sheets. Your basic options include the following:
• Wash them in extremely hot water
• Freeze them for at least 24 hours
• Throw them away (in secured plastic bags).
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