Editorial: Step away from sidewalk sofa

Although a lot of us have probably woken up after a crazy night with someone unwanted in our… Although a lot of us have probably woken up after a crazy night with someone unwanted in our bed, the unwanted bedmate we’re now concerned about can’t be gotten rid of with cab money.

We’re talking about the bed bug.

Last week, we reported that the bed bugs in Sutherland and Lothrop had been eradicated. While we tend to believe our own reporting, we nonetheless think students should be on the lookout for the mattress pests since they spread so quickly in a college environment.

According to entomologist Richard Cooper, vice president of Bed Bug Central, a website dedicated to providing reliable information about the pests, college campuses are the perfect setting for bed bugs because students come from all over the country and world. “It’s inevitable somebody is going to bring bugs with them,” MSNBC reported. “And once the bugs are introduced, they can rapidly spread because of all the interactions students have visiting each other’s rooms.”

Even if you might not be able to see the bugs in your bed, it can be possible to recognize an infestation from itchy welts or rashes on your body or black droppings on your mattress.

To avoid the bugs, Cooper suggests not introducing any discarded furniture from the side of the road to your apartment — one man’s trash is another man’s rash in this case. In addition, bugs like to hitch rides on luggage and backpacks, so don’t set them on your bed.

And if this editorial has you compulsively laundering your sheets, keep in mind that it also might be necessary to launder your mattress. The University used heat and chemicals to treat the breakouts in Lothrop and Sutherland, so be aware that you might need professional extermination help if you come across any critters.

Here are a few bed bug tips from an Allegheny County Health Department news release:

•Assessment for bed bugs is simple. Shine a flashlight with a magnifying glass on all areas of the bedroom. Don’t leave any crevices, fold or tufts unexplored.

•If you find infestations in your bed, take your sheets off and wash them in hot water, typically above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

•The area around an infected bed could also be affected. In this case, vacuum around bed frames, along seams and edges, behind drapes, under carpets, inside box springs and in floor cracks using a wedged vacuum attachment or a hand-brush attachment. The vacuum bag should be removed from the property.

•Bed bugs typically crawl up to the mattress to infest it. To prevent this, coat the bed’s legs with sticky tape, petroleum jelly or soapy water.

•A cluttered bedroom can make infestations worse. Keep the area around the bed tidy, and make sure not to use bedding that touches the floor.