One of the worst nightmares that can ever happen in a school environment, is having bed bugs invade the premises. Particularly during a health inspection – it can affect the school’s reputation and also send parents the wrong message that the school is not up to the task in taking care of their student population.
Case Study on the Bed Bug Outbreak at the University of Saskatchewan
On Thursday, September 21, 2017, Landon Tetreault who is a student of the University of Saskatchewan shared a photo on Facebook claiming he spotted two bedbugs in the Murray Library.
Obviously this sort of news could mean trouble, not only for the school officials but students as well.
Bedbugs are pesky unwanted visitors that can easily ruin a learning environment. The school quickly swung into action, by shutting down some part of the Murray Library, treating one section of the library’s fourth floor and inspecting other areas of the floor in response to the bed bug claims.
According to Jennifer Thoma: “As a cautionary measure, we are treating the closed off area and inspecting the rest of the fourth floor in the Murray Library.”
Although the extermination crew did not find any trace of bedbugs, students, teachers and library professionals alike still needed to be on the lookout for any sign of these bugs. Bedbug infestation is tricky to exterminate and should be done by a highly trained pest control operator.
Like the University of Saskatchewan, if you suspect your school might be infested with bugs, it is better to take quick action and inspect early. Bed bug inspections are most important at the beginning of a new school year or when students are resuming their school semesters.
How to Prevent Bed Bug Outbreaks in School
A clean environment may not be a sign that you are living in a bedbug-free zone just like the case of the Murray Library. It is inevitable when large amounts of people, especially students, come together their could be cause for concern on the bed bug front.
To avoid any unwanted pests, new students should try to wash and dry clothes on high heat before departing for a new school year. By simply doing this, it will reduce the risk of incidentally bringing bed bugs to schools.
For anyone with bed bug problems, call your local pest management professional. Most people prefer to exterminate bed bugs themselves without calling pest control operators, but it is so much more practical and effective to let the professionals handle this buggy situation.
