Winter is the time when lice and bed bug infestations start to make their appearance on college campuses. Not only are more people exposed to these pests while they travel for the holidays, but lice in particular seem to thrive when students start sharing hats, scarves, and jackets.
Bed bugs, lice, and other creepy bugs exist on
college campuses just as they exist everywhere else. While bed bugs and lice
certainly have what one Residential Life veteran calls the “yuck factor” the
good news, if you can call it that,
is that these pests do not vector diseases and there are plenty of ways to get
rid of them.
Lice can be treated with over the counter
shampoos and sprays and a complete laundering of all fabrics (clothing and
bedding) in hot water and a hot dryer. Bed bugs, however require heat treatments of the
affected rooms and everything in them by a professional exterminator.
Students should notify staff as soon as possible
if they suspect bed bug infestations because they can easily spread from one
room to another on clothing. In fact, when students travel, they should also
inspect hotel rooms and hostels for bed bugs and lice to avoid bringing them
home with them. Complete information and pictures to help
identify these creeps is available at these Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
websites
Of course, prevention is the most effective way
to avoid any infestation of anything from insects to rodents, but college
students are not necessarily known for their outstanding housekeeping skills.
Students who leave food and other attractive items out for any length of time
are sure to become magnets for pests. Keeping rooms and apartments clean, and
free from clutter and open food items is the best prevention. Also, students
who live on ground floor levels should keep doors and windows closed and pay
close attention to any pests they see. Generally, if there’s one
cockroach or ant, there’s a whole family somewhere nearby and the student
should immediately contact staff for abatement.
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