Bed Bugs are hitchhiking insects that come enter homes via people’s clothing and personal baggage. It is a good idea to set up a perimeter defense in your home, and learn from others’ experiences.
When your child comes home from college, don’t let him/her bring laundry home! If you do, then you should also perform a visual inspection of your child’s belongings for signs of bed bug activity; place clothes and laundry in sealed plastic bags before bringing them inside your home; put clothes (including the ones the student is wearing) directly in the dryer on high heat for 15-20 minutes (a dryer is preferred over a regular wash cycle to kill beg bugs).
We had a client who got bed bugs from her babysitter. If you got them from a household help, you may want to change whom you have work in your home and try to get these people in touch with a professional pest control company.
If you are a victim of bed bugs, talk with your friends and relatives them about your experience and efforts to solve and prevent bed bugs. You may help someone else avoid this urban plague.