Tips For Keeping Bed Bugs Out of Your Kid’s Room

Most people feel dirty when they find out they have bed bugs (don’t worry, it’s not a sign of being dirty; they are parasites that will live anywhere they can survive), but they feel even worse when their children’s room is infested with bed bugs (Cimex lectularius). I came across an interesting article offering advice for keep bed bugs out of your kid’s room:

1) Perform frequent inspections

Look for yellow skin casts, red bite marks on skin, feces spots that look like ink stains on mattresses and box springs, blood stains on sheets, and, of course, live bed bugs. Check out our Bed Bug Archive and Bed Bug FAQs for more details on what to look for.

2) Keep in contact with their school(s)

The schools should tell you if there have been any reported outbreaks of bed bugs. This could also be handy for other pests or even sicknesses that may be going around.

3) Wash their clothes after school

This may be a little extreme for some parents, but for those who are cautious or especially for parents with kids who attend a school where bed bugs were reported, this is a great suggestion. I would say, however, you don’t need to wash their clothes if the primary purpose is removing bed bugs. Running the clothes through a dryer is more important. All it takes is a 45-60 minute cycle depending on how hot it is. After treatments in a house with a bad infestation, I often remove my clothes and throw them into a dryer before relaxing in my home.

4) Call a professional exterminator

We are happy to offer a free inspection if you fear your kids may have bed bugs in their room. Give us a call and we’ll schedule a time to help!

*Graham, Chris. (2018, February 23). Four tips on keeping your child’s room bed bug free. Retrieved from www.augustafreepress.com