<p>Ack! D just called to tell me that her suitemate brought back bedbugs from the cabin where she spent spring break–has bites all over, and seems to think washing her sheets is all she has to do. I would guess she also needs to have her mattress fumigated at the very least-it seems all the articles I’ve read lately talk abut how hard it is to get rid of bedbugs, so I doubt doing laundry can be the whole answer. Of course I’m terrified that they’ll somehow make their way to D’s room. I told D to contact the residence hall folks immediately for instructions, but don’t know if she’ll do it–I’m sure she’ll think she’s being a snitch. Any advice? I’m itching all over just thinking about this.</p>
<p>Update: Apparently no bugs have actually been sighted, but the girl has bites, and since they can take days to show up, the health center has told them to wait and see if more bites appear, since the ones she has now could have happened back at the cabin. That answer doesn’t make me happy. I’ll be saying a few prayers about this…</p>
<p>MommaJ, this is very serious. If your D is afraid to contact RAs, YOU need to call them. It needs to be taken care of before the entire dorm gets infested.</p>
<p>If they are truly bed bug bites, she needs to be concerned about her LUGGAGE/BACKPACK/PURSE. That is how they hitch rides from one location to the next. Backpack and perhaps purse can be dried in a hot dryer for 20 minutes. Suitcase needs to be taken outside and vacuumed. After vacuuming, dispose of the bag immediately.</p>
<p>I left a message with the individual in charge of the dorm. Told him an exterminator needs to get in there today to determine if there is an infestation. D and the girl will be livid that I interfered, but I’ve never called the school before about anything, and I think this is the one time some helicoptering is called for.</p>
<p>Bites show up after about 3 days. ALL clothes and luggage need to be heated as Toledo explained. If D is in a cold-weather place, as in FREEZING, items can also be left outside for 72 hours. (after my D was exposed at a hostel in Ireland just days before returning to the US, we had her strip down before entering the house, put all clothes in the dryer, and left her suitcase outside on the porch for six months while waiting for winter’s cold!) Success! No bugs.</p>
<p>Extreme heat or cold kills the bugs. I travel with all of my clothes zipped nto spacebags to avoid them. If they get into a building, it is almost impossible to get rid of them. They multiply at a rapid, exponential rate.</p>
<p>The mattresses at both of son’s schools have been pretty much vinyl, no fabric there for bedbugs to get into. A good wipe of bleach or something should be fine, if anything is needed. Is there a carpet? Get rid of that…I know high heat kills dustmites, so I would think a tumble in a very hot dryer would help too. I think I also read that putting stuff in airtight containers. I’d google it…I would think the floor and the roommates belongings would be the main concern.</p>
<p>Yes, I meant winter break–obviously quite flummoxed by the whole topic! D says a professional is coming in to inspect tomorrow–my guess is my phone message had something to do with that, not that anyone had the courtesy to call me back. So I feel a little better. There’s wall to wall carpet (never understand why they do that in dorms–yuck), so D can’t be the one to get rid of it. I’m just hoping against hope that the girl was bitten elsewhere and that she didn’t transport any critters back to campus. Thinking about this today, I’m amazed that given what appears to be an epidemic, especially in hotels, we haven’t seen a lot of instances of bedbug infestation in dorms, which seem to have many of the same risk factors as hotels. Or maybe it’s all being kept very hush hush–just imagine the reaction to a bedbug outbreak at an Ivy! Hey, remember the days when we thought if we could only get them toilet trained, the rest would be a breeze?</p>
<p>You would be surprised how common it is. I think most schools are very proactive as if they aren’t, infestations spread extremely fast. Thankfully, the treatment isn’t toxic and is done quickly.</p>
<p>Update: Things are looking up. The residence hall administrator called me today, apologized for being unable to get back to me yesterday, and confirmed what I already had been told by D: an exterminator inspected beds, backpacks, etc. this morning, saw no evidence of critters, but left monitors in the suite. Apparently spider bites can be mistaken for bedbug bites and false alarms are not that unusual. He also said that washing her sheets would have been the worst thing the girl could have done–they tend to survive the process, and then can spread to the next set of washing put in those machines! (Feeling itchy yet?) He also acknowledged that he has been down this road before–I wonder how often. Now I’m thinking that some info should be given to the students about the signs of infestation and the proper steps to take if its suspected.</p>
<p>Glad to hear that things are looking up. Keep an eye on the situation. I guess “Bedbugs 101” should be an obligatory short course for college students.</p>