Creatures That Go "Bite" in the Night

Bed bugs wait for dark, snuggle up beside unsuspecting sleepers and take a bite before scattering when the lights come on.

The above mentioned scenario happens on university campuses across the country every year. Bed bugs are a scourge that are affecting university students regardless of geography.

Bed bugs are flat, oval, apple-seed sized insects that feed on blood. These brown-red bugs often lie in wait in the crevices of bed sheets and mattresses until it is dark and a meal host is asleep. They can feed anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes at a time. Many times a person does not even know he or she has been bitten unless a welt or another mark has been left behind.

Bed bugs are not easily controlled. They multiply rapidly -- females can produce generally 500 eggs in their six to 12 months of life. The bugs are also good at hitching rides on clothing, linens and luggage. If one room in a dormitory has a bed bug problem, it's likely that others do, too, or will shortly. Bed bugs can also be brought home from transient students. When visiting Mom and Dad during a holiday, a student can transfer bed bugs from campus to his or her own abode.

No one really knows why bed bugs have experienced a resurgence. Some surmise that reasons include changes in pest control practices, increased international travel and fewer pesticides being available to pest-control companies. To avoid bed bugs in a dorm room, university kids should consider these methods of preventing infestation.

* Do not furnish a room with used furniture. Unless certain the sofa or bed is bed bug free, it's best to leave it alone and look for other furnishings. Pass up that couch found on the curb. While it may be free, there's no telling whether or not it's infested with bed bugs.

* Students who suspect bed bugs should carefully inspect their belongings for hitchhikers. Look in the folds of clothing, pockets, zippered areas, etc. Bed bugs will retreat to concealed locations.

* Keep the room as clutter-free as possible.

* Launder clothes and linens frequently in hot water, which kills bed bugs.

* Consider using a mattress cover to prevent bed bugs from burrowing inside.

If a bed bug problem is suspected in a dorm room, student housing should be contacted to remedy the situation professionally. As mentioned, bed bugs can be difficult to eradicate, and it takes professional measures to do it correctly.