The news out of Dayton, Ohio about reported bed bug complaints in several local schools, including a school closing, is not surprising.
Bed bugs will not only show up in school, they will most certainly settle in if given the chance.
Schools are challenging environments for bed bug control, but they afford unique opportunities to widely disseminate critical information about bed bugs.
One of the essential tasks for our cities is the production and distribution of educational materials pitched to particular audiences and levels of interest and engagement—the practical information needed by the occasional traveler is different from the information needed by the multi-unit resident who just discovered a bed bug infestation. Complicating things a bit more, people generally do not respond to available information about bed bugs until they have a motivating interest.
Schools can do more than send a letter home with every student (although that is itself very good). Schools can host information sessions for parents and facilitate the teaching of prevention and management for the whole community.
Teaching kids about bed bugs might also be a good long-term plan to defeat the fear and the stigma.
These pages may be of related interest:
