<p>My daughter is going to be embarking on college visit overnights, this Fall, and I am worried about bedbugs. Is this a problem? I would think that the college fumigated or sterilized the mattresses from the preceding year?</p>
<p>Last year bed bugs went through a few floors in the dorms at my son’s school (but not his). Even if everything is sterilized/fumigated people can bring bed bugs with them when they move in. I would imagine exercising the standard precautions for going to hotels would apply to college overnight visits.</p>
<p>I don’t think they would let her stay with a host or on a floor that had bedbugs. No college wants that mark on their reputation. It’s probably not something you need to worry about.</p>
<p>Bed Bath & Beyond sure does a brisk business selling those mattress pads that protect against bedbugs.</p>
<p>Bedbugs are absolutely a problem on college campuses. I would guess that schools may have little to no idea which rooms are infested and which are not. Kids might not necessarily report this to anyone. Put everything into a hot dryer for 20 minutes when she gets back home.</p>
<p>I told my son that he should avoid buying used upholstered furniture, just for this (and other) reasons.</p>
<p>I work in Social Services and bedbugs are a huge problem everywhere. Even if you sterilize they can still be there. Bedbugs can lie dormant without a feeding source for quite some time. They are very resistent to pesticides too because the FDA banned the type that really gets rid of them. They sometimes need 3-4 treaments to fully get rid of them. In an apt or dorm situation you have to treat the room above, below and on either side of the infestation. They are pesky little critters and are hard to eradicate. One dorm here in the Central Ohio region has been closed d/t an outbreak. They are working diligently to get rid of them but they hide in tiny areas. The mattress pads will not necessarily prevent you from getting bedbugs either. If they are there they are there already and can still spread. You can find them in the very best hotels, libraries, movie theatres, etc. They do not discriminate and have nothing to do with not keeping an area clean. Although less clutter does help if there is a problem because the exterminators can get their chemicals in easier. Sorry to bring the bad news.</p>
<p>There are plenty of websites with photos about warning signs of bedbugs. You should get your son or daughter to learn what bedbugs and eggs look like and other warning signs. If they see any, it should be immediately reported to the college housing office or landlord. If you catch it early, it is easier to eliminate.</p>