With Thanksgiving arriving next week, college students are excited about returning home for some much needed rest, relaxation and great home cooking.  Parents are looking forward to having their students return home, but should be on the lookout for some additional uninvited guests to tag along with them.  Hungry human friends are not the worry, bed bugs are.

Colleges in New York and throughout the United States have been plagued by bed bugs this year.  Dormitories, off campus housing, and Fraternity and Sorority houses all provide wonderful breeding grounds for the pesky bugs.

With so many students coming from so many locations, it is not surprising that bed bugs have infiltrated colleges.  Each student returning home should take precautions before they depart, so that they do not spread the bugs to their families.  Students should be sure to check their surroundings (mattresses, bed frames, furniture, walls, cracks etc.) before they come home to make sure they are bed bug free.

If there is any question as to if your child has encountered bed bugs while away at school, you should take immediate action.  Launder all clothing immediately in hot water.  Dry all clothing on a hot dryer setting for at lest 20 minutes.  Keep in mind that water does not kill bed bugs, but heat does.  Any other belongings that cannot we washed should be vacuumed and placed in a sealed trash bag for two weeks.

Parents should consider sending a bed bug proof mattress cover back to school with their children.  This special mattress cover will help protect the mattress from being infested as well as suffocate any bed bugs and their eggs that might currently be living on or in the mattress.