As summer comes to an end and students head back to school, parents typically focus on buying supplies, organizing schedules, and preparing for a new academic season. With so much to do, they may not consider another concern heading into the school year: bed bugs.
With students, teachers, and families spending time in classrooms, on buses, and participating in extracurricular activities, back-to-school season provides more opportunities for these pests to spread from place to place.
Below, we’ll explain why bed bug cases tend to rise in the fall and what to do if you’re caught in an infestation.
Why Bed Bugs Increase During Back-to-School Season
Bed bugs don’t fly or jump; they travel by hitching rides on personal belongings. During the school year, students frequently travel between their home, classrooms, buses, sports facilities, libraries, and friends’ houses, increasing the chances of unknowingly spreading or picking up bed bugs.
Several factors contribute to the seasonal increase:
- Shared seating on school buses and in classrooms
- Sports equipment, backpacks, and musical instruments moving between locations
- Sleepovers and extracurricular activities
- Families returning from vacations where exposure may have occurred.
While schools themselves are rarely the source of infestations, students can still transport bed bugs on clothing or personal items, creating a problem at home or other locations.
Can Schools Have Bed Bugs?
Unlike homes, schools are generally not ideal environments for bed bugs because there are no sleeping areas and they have fewer places to hide. However, an individual bed bug may find its way into a classroom on a backpack, jacket, or other belongings.
Most school districts have protocols for handling suspected bed bug sightings. This may include inspecting the area, notifying the appropriate staff, and minimizing unnecessary panic.
Finding a bed bug at school does not necessarily mean the building has an infestation.
Signs Your Home May Have Bed Bugs
If your child unknowingly brings home a bed bug during back-to-school season, early detection is key. Watch for small, reddish-brown insects about the size of an apple seed; tiny dark or rust-colored spots on sheets or mattresses; shed insect skins; or small white eggs or egg shells. You may also discover itchy bite marks in rows or groups on your arms, legs, or other parts of your body.
How to Reduce the Risk of Bringing Bed Bugs Home
Although you can’t eliminate every risk, a few simple habits during back-to-school season can significantly reduce the chances of introducing bed bugs into your home.
Inspect Backpacks Regularly — Take a quick look inside backpacks and lunch bags each week, paying close attention to seams, pockets, and zippers.
Avoid Piling School Items on Beds — Encourage your kids to store backpacks on hooks, shelves, or designated areas instead of placing them on beds or other upholstered or soft furniture.
Wash and Dry Items When Appropriate — If you discover a bed bug, wash clothing using the hottest water recommended by the manufacturer and dry items on high heat whenever safe. Heat can effectively kill bed bugs and their eggs.
Check Luggage After Traveling — Many back-to-school infestations begin during summer vacations. Inspect luggage before bringing it inside, and wash travel clothing promptly.
Why DIY Treatments Often Fall Short
Homeowners may attempt to solve bed bug problems with store-bought sprays or home remedies. Unfortunately, bed bugs hide in tiny cracks and can survive treatments that don’t reach every hiding place. What you can buy at the store often only treats the surface and misses eggs that can hatch later on.
When trying to eliminate these pests, homeowners may also make the mistake of throwing away furniture unnecessarily or stopping treatment too early.
The Benefits of Professional Bed Bug Heat Treatment
Professional heat treatment is one of the most effective methods for eliminating bed bugs throughout an entire structure.
Unlike chemical treatments, heat penetrates furniture, mattresses, wall voids, and other hard-to-reach hiding places, killing bed bugs in all life stages, from eggs to adults. It also works faster and reduces the need for repeated applications.
Professional pest control companies carefully monitor the temperatures throughout the treatment to ensure effective results while protecting household belongings.
Keep Your Home Bed Bug Free This School Season
Back-to-school season brings exciting new opportunities, but it also creates more chances for bed bugs to travel from place to place. Fortunately, by inspecting personal belongings, practicing good habits, and acting quickly at the first sign of activity, you can keep these pests out of your home.
However, if you find bed bugs, don’t wait. Rocky Mountain Bed Bug can inspect your home and apply heat treatment, if necessary, helping your home stay clean and comfortable.
