Is Pest Control On Your Back-To-School List?

Make Sure Pest Control is On Your Back-To-School List

Back-to-school pest

Image via Flickr by Got Credit

When school returns, all kinds of preparations begin in full force to ensure the perfect experience. But while you make that back-to-school checklist, don’t forget to include plans for controlling bugs. 

Weird, right? 

You may not know this, but insects like lice and bed bugs are expert hitchhikers that love to take rides in backpacks, clothing, and other school items without you ever knowing. But you need to be on guard because as few as five adult bed bugs can kickstart an infestation in your home if such happens. That’s why you must take them seriously.

College students living in dorms are not exempt because they often stay in multi-unit buildings where bug infestations are common. However, there are a few tips that can help you avoid a back-to-school bug problem.

Wash and Dry All Clothing When Returning From School

Since clothing is an easy carrier for pests like lice and bed bugs into your home, make sure to wash and dry them at the hottest temperature possible. Keep backpacks and lunch bags clean. If not properly cleaned and rid of dirt and food particles, they can build up over the school year and attract bugs like fruit flies, ants, and bugs. To avoid this, regularly clean out backpacks and wash lunch bags.

Protect Your Sleeping Area

For college and boarding school students, make sure to fit mattresses, pillows, and box springs with protective covers before putting on beddings to prevent entry and exit of bed bugs.

Change Bedding Frequently

Bed bugs are infamously known to hide underneath bed sheets and duvets. In boarding school or college dorms where there’s an even bigger risk of an infestation, beddings have to be washed and dried at high temperatures immediately after being changed. If you do notice bed bugs in a dorm, make sure you notify the school. Bed bug infestations can quickly get out of control without proper pest control techniques.

Avoid Buying Used Furniture

Bringing secondhand furniture into your dorm, especially if you have no idea where it came from, can lead to a bug infestation. Once bug-infested furniture gets introduced to any room, it’ll begin to spread to every nook and cranny. Once that happens, boom! – an infestation kicks off.

You also want to discourage your kids from sharing hats or any kind of hair accessories with classmates. That’ll help to avoid the spread of lice. Kids contract hair lice easily, especially in school environments, so you can never be too sure to not educate your kid prior.

Make Sure Pest Control is Part of Your Back-To-School Preparations

When preparing for school, bug control is often overlooked. School is a place where bug infestations happen. These annoying pests can hide in backpacks, hitch a ride in clothing, or even find their way into used furniture that you plan to buy. Teens heading off to college may not always know the best cleaning tips to avoid bugs. Some may even leave unwashed dishes or garbage in their rooms, only to find a colony of bugs has moved in by the time they come back to visit.

The back-to-school season also closely aligns with fall. As the temperatures get cooler, some bugs move indoors. This can also help to contribute to a pest infestation. Whether you have an ant, bed bug, roach, or spider problem, Solidified Pest Control has the techniques you need to get rid of them. We are one of the top pest control companies in Troy, St. Clair Shores, Livonia, and Clarkston, Michigan. You can easily fill out our online form to request a quote, or if you prefer, call us at (248) 820-3057.

They responded within less than an hour of my leaving a voicemail. Then, they were at our house within 4 hours. They assessed the situation, inspected, and took steps to take care of the problem. He also provided us with some suggestions as to keep from having issues in the future.

AnnMarie
AnnMarie

Three squirrels captured and removed and the hole repaired. Excellent work, very responsive and professional. Problem solved.

Susan H.
Susan H.

It went great. No more wasps after 48 hrs. And it took only 15 minutes to apply the treatment. The man that came (I forgot his name but I believe it's a small family business) was very serious and knowledgeable. Also he was the first one to respond and be able to show up after I contacted 4 or 5 different pest exterminators.

Aliq S.
Aliq S.