Bedbugs are a real worry for many university students and anyone living in shared student accommodation. There is a strong case for stricter rules in student housing, but the issue tends to slip down the list of priorities. At JG Pest Control we think students deserve to know the risks, because bedbugs are common guests in student digs and they will outstay their welcome by a long way if nobody deals with them.
Why bedbugs are a problem in student accommodation
Bedbugs are parasitic insects that feed exclusively on blood, ideally human blood. They do not transmit disease, but that does not make them harmless. Their bites leave itchy, raised bumps that are both unsightly and intensely irritating, and in some people they trigger severe allergic reactions that can be life-threatening.
What makes them such a good fit for student housing is the way they travel. Bedbugs hide in clothes, bedding, furniture and suitcases, which lets them move easily from one place to another. That is exactly why they turn up so often in student accommodation, hostels, hotels and anywhere people come and go with their belongings.
How they spread between rooms
Bedbugs breed quickly, so they spread quickly too. Picture this: your own room is clear, but the person next door has bedbugs. They sit on the sofa in the communal area, a few bedbugs drop off their clothes into the cushions, and there they wait. When you sit down later, they climb onto your clothes, and you carry them straight back to your room.
It happens with visitors as well. A friend comes to stay for a few nights from another student house and brings their suitcase, and inside it, without anyone knowing, they bring bedbugs. Those are just two of the ways an infestation works its way through a building.
How to check your room
If you suspect bedbugs, do a quick check. Look around the mattress and the bedframe for small blood spots, which usually sit along the line of the bed, around the headboard and along the bottom edge of the mattress. If you find any sign of them, tell your landlord, letting agent or university accommodation staff straight away.
Need a hand with a bedbug problem? Call our team. We are open every day except Christmas Day, from early until late.