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Back to School Bugs:
As kids are starting to go back to school, there are many things to worry about, and we don’t want bugs to have to be one of them! So today we are giving you some tips and tricks of how to prevent your children from bringing any little pests home with them. First, you need to know what types of bugs your child may encounter that would have a risk of traveling home with them.
Lice:
The most common would have to be head lice! As many of you know, lice travel from one child to another through head to head contact. Sharing combs, pillows, and clothing can all increase your chances of getting lice. One of the first and easiest signs of your child having head lice would be itchiness on their scalp. Some can be more sensitive to lice than others, so listen for your child complaining of a tingling or a slight movement in their hair. If your child is complaining of any of these feelings inspect their hair as soon as possible. If live lice cannot be seen, it’s easier to see “nits,” or louse eggs, instead. Nits look like dandruff and will be attached to the hair close to the scalp. If your child has lice make sure to get them treated immediately to help stop the spread to other students.
Check out the CDC’s page on lice if you have any further questions!
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/treatment.html
German Roaches:
Another bug to be on the lookout for as the school season approaches is a roach. Although roaches don’t attach to a human in the way that lice do, they can be transported home with your child if one finds its way into their belongings. Check that no food is left in your child’s backpack or lunchbox and clean out crumbs every day so there are no stowaways. When your child arrives home, doing a quick check before setting down their belongings will insure that no roaches crawl out and find their new home among your living space.
https://www.homepest.net/cockroach-control/
Bed Bugs:
Probably less common, bed bugs can also be an issue. They embed themselves in items like coats, then spread if two coats are placed side by side. If this does happen, the main concern would be making sure these bed bugs don’t move from the coat to your furniture at home. Be sure to inspect the seams of all clothing and backpacks for something that looks like a little tick. Get treated immediately if these signs are showing up!
https://www.homepest.net/bed-bug-treatment/
Cooties:
Oh and last but certainly not least we can’t forget cooties! You definitely don’t want your child bringing those home with them. Luckily there’s an easy remed: Circle, circle, dot, dot, now you’ve had your cootie shot.
Hope this helps you keep those back to school bugs from being house guests this year!
