Prevent Lice & Bed Bugs This School Year

The kiddos are sporting their new clothes and shoes. Their backpacks are full of new supplies. The bus is coming down the road and your little ones are waiting anxiously and excitedly to see what the first day of school will bring. Oh happy day, school is back in session! A B Pest Control & Insulation wants to wish every child, parent and teacher a fantastic and fun-filled school year!

Bringing Things Home From School

As you prepare your kids for back to school by checking off the supply list and picking out new outfits for the school year, there's one thing that many eager parents forget to think about. Your kids will be bringing home homework, permission slips, event calendars chocked full of things they want to participate in, and even awesome art projects they completed and want to hang on the refrigerator. That may not be all they bring home though. Your kiddos may unknowingly be packing some unwanted guests back home with them. 

Yes. Back to School time is notorious for kids sharing all the things you'd prefer them not to share, including head lice and bed bugs. While you can't prevent exposure to these pests, you can follow these tips to lessen the chances of your child bringing them home. 

Preventing Head Lice

• Teach your children to never put on an item that is worn on someone else’s head. This includes hats, scarves, headphones, etc. Lice can easily be transferred from child to child by this method.
• The American Academy of Dermatology suggests that lice transfer happens most often from head to head contact. Remind children to never touch their head against another child; this may mean no hugging!
• Check your child’s head regularly for lice and nits (lice eggs). Lice are approximately 1/8 of an inch long, flat and either yellow/white in color or gray/black in color. The nits are obvious because they will be attached to the hair near the scalp.

Preventing Bed Bugs

• Check your child’s clothes and backpack periodically to look for this tiny brown apple-seed- sized insect. Bed bugs are known for hiding in places where they cannot be seen, including the seams of clothing and inside backpack pockets.
• Again, remind your children not to share belongings with their friends. Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers, so they may be passed from child to child when they share infested belongings.
• Educate your children on what bed bugs look like. If they know the signs of bed bugs and can perform bed bug identification on their own, they will be more likely to recognize bed bugs and report the problem, helping in preventing the spread of these pests.

Treating for Head Lice

Treating for lice require not only medicinal treatment with a pediculicide, but you'll need to wash any items used or worn by the affected person in hot water and dry them on high heat. Lice and lice eggs die when exposed to temperatures greater than 128.3°F for more than 5 minutes. If you can’t toss the items into the washer and dryer, seal them in a plastic bag for 2 weeks. Vacuum rugs, sofas, upholstery, other furniture, and floors to remove hairs that may have active lice eggs still attached. A pesticide treatment or high heat treatment by your local pest control company at the Lake of the Ozarks can help to eliminate an infestation faster. 

Treating for Bed Bugs

Since they are so resilient and can dwell almost anywhere without a host for so long, they'll find refuge in carpeting, behind light switch and plugin coverings, and floor boards. For bedbugs you'll need to strip off bedding from mattresses as these may contain bugs. Your clothes may possibly be infested with bugs, so you also need to wash these with water at a very high temperature and let them dry in high heat. A professional pest control company at the Lake of the Ozarks should be contacted to treat for bed bugs as they are extremely difficult pests to get rid of and can survive for up to a year without feeding. These pests require chemical treatment as well as high heat treatment, and may require multiple treatments to eradicate the infestation. 

Count on A B Pest Control & Insulation for Your Pest Treatment Needs

So, as your children make their way into their new classrooms and begin making new friends, be sure to be on the lookout for these pesky little opportunists that may have hitched a ride home with your little ones. Being diligent in keeping a watchful eye out for these pests and addressing them before they become a serious issue is the best way to prevent an infestation. But in the event that life gets hectic between school activities, work, and all the other things you and your children will be juggling this school year, count on A B Pest Control & Insulation to help you with your head lice or bed bug infestation.

Lake of the Ozarks
Pest Control Company

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www.abpest.net

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