<p>This might seem like a strange question--is bed bug protection something to pack up before moving in?</p>
<p>Current students can weigh in, but I think my daughter’s beds for the last two years have been encased in plastic, so bed bugs wouldn’t be an issue (right?).</p>
<p>As far as I know, bed bugs have not been an issue. My mattress was not encased in plastic, but it was plasticated (i.e. there wasn’t like a bag around it, but it was treated with something to make it non-porous), but I graduated just as the great bed bug re-emergence was getting underway. Trust me, Smith does not want your kids to have bed bugs, so I’m sure they’ve taken necessary precautions at an institutional level. I don’t think you need to worry about it on a personal level. </p>
<p>When a few girls were exposed to swine flu back in the day (they didn’t contract it, they were just exposed) they were quarantined right quick. They’re good at responding to anything that might reflect badly on the school, or the health of the students.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t bother with the bug bed protection. Last year, we had some problems with scabies (eek!), but those were mostly confined to a few houses in the Quad and Gillett, and I believe those rooms were thoroughly cleaned after the college caught wind of the issue.</p>
<p>My mattresses were plasticated in both houses I lived in last year, like S&P’s. I recommend bringing some surface cleaner/disinfectant to cleanse the mattress of any lingering dust (or bacteria), but the bed bug protection is almost definitely unnecessary.</p>