Revere Schools Dealing With Bed Bug Problem
Revere, we have a problem! A bed bug problem that is. Revere school officials are asking families to check their children’s backpacks for signs of bugs as a group of students were found with infestations lately. From what was described, a group of students had evidence of bed bug bites on their bodies which as alarmed school officials enough to put out a letter to staff earlier this week. Assistant Superintendent Richard Gallucci didn’t say which schools were affected but did warn families to check students’ backpacks as this is a potential place where bed bugs can spread.
According to the letter: “In addition to providing support for the student and their family, we professionally treated any classroom (and adjoining classrooms) where bed bugs were present. These treatments, he said, were in line with protocols from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Community Sanitation Program.” It seems as if, the hopes are that these treatments have gotten rid of the problem but there really is no way of knowing for sure at this moment. While bed bugs are becoming more prevalent, the Department of Public Health says they do NOT transmit any disease so there is no need to be afraid of that aspect. They are more so a nuisance and can leave bites and the skin very itchy.
What should you do if you see bed bugs in your home? Wash any affected clothing, bedding etc. in water over 120 degrees. Also, you can steam the affected areas. Vinegar and alcohol can also be used to treat the areas. Just keep checking your kids’ backpacks because the bugs have been known to hitchhike onto backpacks and that’s how they’ve been traveling into schools.