What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are tiny parasitic insects that, like fleas or mosquitoes, live on the blood of animals or humans. While they do not spread disease, the presence of bed bugs and their resulting bites are becoming more of a nuisance in community housing buildings such as hotels, dormitories, and hostels where travelers unknowingly spread them around.
About the size of a grain of rice or smaller, and ranging in color from translucent to dark brown, bed bugs may enter a room undetected on clothing, luggage, or used furniture. For example, a traveler may pick up bed bugs in a hotel and transport them home in their luggage.
Bed bugs do not fly, but can travel across floors or through wall openings (e.g. outlets), are nocturnal, and like to hide in mattresses, box springs, and bedframes.
What are the signs of bed bugs?
A rash or trail of small red bites may be a sign of bed bugs. Whereas flea bites usually occur on the lower legs, bed bug bites may occur on any area of skin exposed during the night. Many people experience red bumps or bites, but there are some who exhibit no symptoms. Other signs of their presence include small dark brown spots on linens and mattresses.
Our beds are bed bug proof. This does not mean bed bugs cannot be introduced into the space
from outside of the room.
What do I do if I think I have bed bugs?
- Submit a maintenance request through the housing website.
- Do not remove any items from the room and limit the potential of transmittal. This means you should inspect your clothing and personal belongings closely. They can hide in pants cuffs, in USB ports on laptops, and in the seams of backpacks. Reducing their hiding spots will help improve eradication efforts. Talk with your roommate and let them know of your concern.
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If your room is confirmed to have bed bugs, even if you haven't noticed any, your things should also be treated. Bed bugs travel quickly, especially around food sources, and won’t stay on one side of the room. In order to eliminate them, all treatment steps must be followed by all residents.
- Launder all items in hot water as soon as possible. Both the water temperature and drying temperature should be 120 degrees or higher.
- Students cannot move to another space until treatment has been completed. This is to reduce spread
Some companies advertise an off-the-shelf spray that will kill bed bugs along with many other pests. These will not work because bed bugs have built up a tolerance to the chemicals. To truly ensure eradication, professional Pest Management must be involved.
When traveling, to reduce the risk of bringing bed bugs back with you:
- Never leave your clothing lying on the bed or in any other location of possible infestation.
Instead, use hangers or hooks capable of keeping all cloth distant from the floor or bed. - It’s also a good idea to elevate suitcases off the floor on a luggage stand, tabletop or other hard surface.
- Close your suitcase or travel bag when not in use. If the bugs move over top of your luggage,
they will have greater difficulty getting inside.