Eradication of bedbugs in campus hostels

  

Date Posted: 12/5/2014 8:14:13 AM

Posted By: MARTHA MUKANGU  Membership Level: Silver  Total Points: 495

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Eradication of bedbugs in campus hostels

If you have lived in public campus hostels then you have encountered these pesky, bloodsucking parasites or otherwise heard about them. They are a major nuisance; you can hardly sleep at night especially if you are overly allergic. Hence I have come up with some full proof tips to deal with them:

First once you are allocated a room do not move in with you belongings yet. Do thorough cleaning. This will entail cleaning all surfaces, every nook and cranny with jik and detergent, then the floor. Next with an electric kettle boil some water and pour it all over the room; especially cracks and corners where bedbugs are prone to hide. Ensure you repair the cracks where possible or seal them off. Finally clean up to remove the water and spray the room with a suitable insecticide. Move in after two days.

In case you had moved in already and noticed an infestation, fear not all is not lost. First ensure it is a bedbug infestation as they can be confused for cockroaches or lice. Note carefully that adult bed bugs are light brown to reddish-brown, flattened, oval-shaped and have no wings. Newly hatched nymphs are translucent, lighter in color and become browner as they moult and reach maturity. A bed bug nymph of any age that has just consumed a blood meal has a bright red translucent abdomen, fading to brown over the next several hours, and to opaque black within two days as the insect digests its meal. When crashed they emit an odor similar to rotten raspberries. That is one sure way to identify them.

Next take all the bedding, place them in a plastic bag, seal it to ensure they don’t spread and take them to the laundry. Another option

is to soak them in hot steaming water for 4 hours with detergent then wash normally. Pack your food and dishes properly and move them to some other place. Bedbugs can hide in books too so before packing find and kill them. All clothes should be packed into plastic bags sealed off and taken to the laundry. Once you have removed everything do thorough cleaning. This will entail cleaning all surfaces, every nook and cranny with Jik and detergent, then the floor.

Next with an electric kettle boil some water and pour it all over the room; especially cracks and corners where bedbugs are prone to hide. Ensure you repair the cracks where possible or seal them off. Finally clean up to remove the water and spray the room with a suitable insecticide.

It is a possibility that your mattress could be the source of the bedbugs hence it would be futile to take all the measures mentioned above then move in without ridding it off of bedbugs. Eradication can be done through vacuuming. Less costly but effective measures involve treating the mattress with powder which can be bought in any agrovet store all over the country. Plastic mattress covers to keep any that could still be alive enclosed. Discard the mattress if it’s too old.
These measures will surely rid these pesky creatures off your room. The key is to not take any chances. Follow the measures to the letter. Good luck!

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