In continuation to the post on Tuesday.

A Bed Bug Expert recommends that you look for live bed bugs at the seams and welts in the mattresses.  They are flat, brownish in color and are about the size of an apple seed.  Check for blood or fecal stains on the mattress.  Check all of the crevices of the bed (frame included) to make sure no bugs are in hiding.  Students should look for fecal smears or pea-sized pearly egg deposits on walls behind furniture, along baseboards, around electrical plates and vents, and in plaster cracks.  Also look for whitish nymph molts and old exoskeletons along baseboards.  It is also recommended that students use a bed bug mattress encasement because bed bugs become trapped inside and die.

If you are one of the unfortunate ones who do encounter bed bugs at college, you should take particular precautions so that you do not bring them home to your family.  When you arrive home, you should not unpack your bags in the bedroom.  All clothing and linens should be immediately put into the washing machine and washed on the highest temperature setting available.  Clothing should also be dried on the hottest temperature.  College students should immediately take a shower to remove any bed bugs that are hitching a ride.  If you cannot wash particular items, seal them in plastic bags and heat to 120 degrees for two hours.  Items can also be frozen at 20 to 30 degrees for two weeks, but this can be more challenging especially when you need the items to return to campus.

All backpacks and luggage should be vacuumed completely and kept far away from bedrooms.  Bed bugs are quite resourceful and can escape vacuum bags, so it is recommended to double bag the vacuum bag in plastic and throw it away outside, away from your house.  Don’t forget to keep checking for signs of bed bugs every day and call a bed bug removal company as soon as you think you might have them.