Suspected Bed Bugs

Bed Bug FAQ's

• What are indications that I have bed bugs?

  

  When cleaning, changing bedding, or staying away from home, look for:

  • Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed.
  • Dark spots (about this size: •), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would.
  • Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger.
  • Live bed bugs.

   

  

  Back to top

• What do bed bugs look like?

  • Adults: 3/16" long (size of an apple seed), flat, and reddish-brown.
  • Nymphs: Translucent or straw-colored, 1mm-4mm (pinhead size). Bright red after a blood meal.
  • Eggs: Pearl-white, 1mm long, glued in clusters in mattress seams.

   

  Back to top

• Where are bed bugs usually located?

  When not feeding, bed bugs hide in a variety of places. Around the bed, they can be found near the piping, seams and tags of the mattress and box spring, and in cracks on the bed frame and headboard.

  If the room is heavily infested, you may find bed bugs:

  • In the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions, in the folds of curtains.
  • In drawer joints.
  • In electrical receptacles and appliances.
  • Under loose wall paper and wall hangings. 
  • At the junction where the wall and the ceiling meet.
  • Even in the head of a screw.

  Since bed bugs are only about the width of a credit card, they can squeeze into really small hiding spots. If a crack will hold a credit card, it could hide a bed bug.
  Back to top

• What should I do if I suspect that I have bed bugs?

  Campus Residential Students:

  If you notice insects in your living area that resemble bed bugs, experience unexplained bites, or observe unusual dark stains on your linens or mattress, we encourage you to take the following steps: 

  1. Seek treatment from Health Services.
  2. Complete the online form linked below.

  Suspected Bed Bugs Submission Form

  Commuter Students:

  1. Inspect your bed and surrounding area for evidence of bed bugs.
  2. Seek treatment from your primary care physician, if needed.
  3. Seek consultation from a licensed pest control professional for treatment.
  Back to top

• What happens after I complete a bed bug report?

  • Resident students and guests with known or suspected exposure to bed bugs are requested to refrain from moving to other rooms, sleeping in or visiting the quarters of another resident, storing personal items from their room in another room, inviting guests to visit and sit on beds or furniture in the suspected room/suite, try on clothing or use items from the affected room/suite that may have been exposed in the interest of decreasing the spread of an infestation.
  • Clothing and linens should be thoroughly washed in the hottest temperature water safe for the fabric. Detergent should be used according to the manufacturer’s guide, and the items should be dried in a dryer on the hottest setting available.
    • Your preparation for chemical treatment is to remove all bedding from mattresses and place in sealed heavy duty plastic bags.  
    • All clothing and bedding should be placed in a dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes on the day of the treatment and not brought back to the room/suite until after the treatment is completed. Transportation to and from the laundry should be in sealed, heavy duty plastic containers or bags.
    • The next step is to move all items from dressers/desks/nightstands and place in sealed heavy duty plastic bags.
    • Items that cannot be laundered or placed in a dryer should be carefully inspected for infestation, wiped down with disinfectant and sealed in plastic bags during transportation and later again inspected to prevent the spread of infestation.
    • Once completed, these bagged and cleaned items should not be removed from the sealed bags until the treatment is completed.
  • The final step on the day of treatment is to move all suite furniture away from the wall towards the middle of the room. If needed, Housekeeping staff can assist with moving the furniture.

  • On your treatment day, you will need to be away from your room for four (4) hours.

  • Once treatment is completed, Housekeeping staff will bag and dispose of the old mattress and replace it with a new mattress. 
  Back to top