More students at college finding bed bugs in their dorm rooms

NYU students blogged about it first.

Now the Guilfoid (apparently a student gossip blog at Guilford College in North Carolina) claims to have heard two bed bug reports at the school in 24 hours.

The GW Hatchet (an independent student paper at George Washington University in Washington D.C.) also reports that bed bugs had been detected in several residence halls there, including 2034 G Street:

University spokesperson Tracy Schario said only one student was confirmed to have been bitten by the insects, but about a dozen may have been exposed to them. The freshmen were part of a School of Engineering and Applied Sciences retreat in the woods before the start of school.

University administrators and students need to remember that not having visible, itchy bite marks does not mean you were not bitten by bed bugs.

If bed bugs are present in a space, the people living in or frequenting the space are likely also being bitten. If I were among the “dozen,” I would take steps to make sure my possessions and room were bed bug-free.

Some may develop reactions to bed bug bites in time. (One PCO told us he was bitten by his colony for months before reacting — seemingly all at once.)

Others may never react to bed bug bites. And that’s why everyone should learn the visual signs of bed bugs, and inspect for bed bugs regularly and especially in a new home or rented or borrowed room.