College campuses are a hotspot for bed bugs. With college students living wall-to-wall and transporting luggage to and from multiple times a year, it’s no wonder that bed bugs can arrive and spread throughout buildings in no time. On top of everything else, the sensitive nature of a bed bug infestation in a multi unit living space can cause people to hold back from taking necessary precautions to stop the spread of bed bugs. Do you suspect that there’s a bed bug infestation going on in your student housing facility in New England? Read on for advice from Bain Pest Control!
Do I Have a Bed Bug Infestation in My Dorms?
Unfortunately, college dorms are the places where we find bed bug infestations most often. In a tiny room full of furniture to infest, bed bugs are spoiled with hiding places to choose from. This makes it important to be able to assess your room for signs of a bed bug infestation. Look for these signs:
- Blood stains on sheets and pillowcases
- Dark, rusty-looking spots on sheets, mattresses, furniture, clothes, and walls (bed bug excrement)
- Egg shells and shed skin near their hiding places
- An unusual musty odor (this comes from the bed bugs’ scent glands)
- Series of small bites on your skin arranged in a zigzag pattern
How to Prevent Bed Bugs in Dorms
It’s important to be aware of the ways to protect your dorm room and others around you from bed bugs before your entire dorm is infested. This is because it’s much harder to get rid of bed bugs than to prevent them, especially when they spread through the walls to adjacent rooms in the building. If you haven’t yet found evidence of bed bugs in your dorm room, take this advice:
- Invest in mattress covers to protect your bed from infestation
- Declutter your room to eliminate bed bug hiding places
- Inspect any second hand furniture and clothing before taking it inside
- Be sure to check your suitcase’s lining before and after traveling
If it’s too late and you’ve already found bed bugs or evidence of their presence in your room, you might wish to try handling them with spot treatments before the infestation gets out of hand, but most attempts at DIY bed bug control fall short of desired results.
Commercial Bed Bug Treatments for College Dorms
If a dorm building at your school has bed bugs tearing through it, reach out to the commercial bed bug exterminators at Bain Pest Control. With nearly a century of experience in the industry, we can assess your property for the best possible treatment solution and choose from a wide range of strategies to eliminate bed bugs efficiently and safely in your building. Contact our bed bug exterminators today for a free quote!