Bed Bugs
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are thin, whitish to brown, wingless, oval-shaped insects slightly smaller than a lady bug. These pests tend to be most active at night. They cannot fly or jump but they crawl— quickly. To live, bed bugs bite humans.
How do bed bugs travel?
Bed bugs move from place to place by “hitchhiking” in items such as luggage, backpacks, furniture, even cars. They can survive and thrive in a variety of spots: houses, apartments, hotel rooms, college residence halls, etc.
How do I know if I have bed bugs?
It can be difficult to determine if you have a bed bug problem because these insects feed at night and hide during the day. While bed bugs can be found in any area of the home, they typically live in the bedroom. Look for bed bugs:
- In seams of mattresses
- Behind headboards and frames
- Between cracks and crevices of walls and floor moldings
- In furniture and dresser drawers
The first signs of bed bugs may be itchy, red bites on the skin and they tend to be in straight rows. You won’t feel their bite because they inject a numbing agent into your body.
What causes infestations?
Infestations are not caused by poor sanitary conditions, but untidy, clustered environments. Failure to detect an infestation early can make the bed bug problem worse over time. Recognizing the signs of bed bugs and notifying housing staff immediately can reduce the risk of a severe infestation. Bed bugs can be transferred from one person to another. Bed bugs generally are inactive during the day so the possibility of transferring them from person to person is very low. Bed bugs move from place to place by hitchhiking. Therefore, you should always check your luggage and related items when you travel. Never bring discarded furniture into your home. How do I get rid of bed bugs? All student rooms and apartments are inspected prior to being occupied by a certified canine bed bug dog. If you think you may have bed bugs, contact housing staff immediately. A licensed exterminator will check your room. If bed bugs are confirmed, directions will be provided to facilitate treating the room. Students may incur the cost of the heat treatment and related expenses. Students are advised not to attempt self treating the room; this may result in additional charges.
If you think you have bed bugs, contact housing at (269) 387-4735.