Bedbugs go collegiate

Several of my nieces and nephews are in college now. This summer, while getting things ready for their kids' apartments, my sisters went out and purchased new mattresses and furniture. I thought they were a little nuts for spending that money. When I think back to my first college apartment, my roommate and I had a couch we bought for $10, an entertainment center we found on the side of the road, and a chair we found abandoned at the apartment complex. After reading this article about bedbugs, however, I think my sisters did the right thing by not letting their kids go garbage picking for furniture.

College campuses and dormitories are like a luxury resort for these blood-sucking little critters. Students frequently visit each other's rooms (possibly transporting little friends as they do so). Universities like Texas A&M, Ohio State, Stanford, and the University of Florida have had to deal with outbreaks of bedbugs.

Bedbugs are hard to spot. Waking up with small, red welts is one tell-tale sign. You may also spot tiny black or reddish-brown spots on your sheets.

Getting rid of bedbugs is no easy task. If you're a college student, your best bet is prevention:

• Avoid setting your backpack and other items on your bed. Also, be sure to change your clothes before getting into bed. Bedbugs travel from place to place on fabric -- not on your person.
  
• Wash linens and other fabrics frequently in warm to hot water.
  
• Reduce clutter so the bugs don't have places to hide out.
  
  

If you have bed bugs, don't use insecticide sprays or other home treatments. Instead contact your landlord or dorm supervisor. Bedbugs are best treated by a professional pest controller.