Dogs check for bedbugs at Verona High School, Laning Avenue School
Frank Mortimer is a Bergen County beekeeper and president of the Northeast NJ Beekeepers Association. In this video, filmed at his Upper Saddle River beehives, he talks about his interest in bees and what the stinging insects do in their hives. Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com
Schools given the all-clear
Bedbugs with no beds?
Two Verona schools recently reported suspected cases of the bedbugs.
Verona High School parents received the first alert on Wednesday.
“The issue of bedbugs in a school can be emotional and generate concern,” VHS Principal Josh Cogdill stated in a letter. “The presence of bedbugs in a building does not mean the place is unclean, as bed bugs can be found in any building.”
Bedbugs also do not transmit disease, assured Cogdill. “Although bedbugs can be transmitted from one location to another in backpacks, clothing, books and other items, a bedbug infestation is unlikely in a school,” he added.
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As a precaution, the Verona School District vacuumed the premises and treated all necessary classrooms and areas with a non-toxic cleaner, the principal reported.
Additionally, on Thursday, a trained dog, through a licensed, professional pest management company, inspected VHS.
“Due to the specialized dog’s keen sense of smell, canines can detect bedbugs throughout the entire building, including behind walls, thus making the inspection more thorough and accurate,” Cogdill stated.
The pest management firm confirmed that bedbugs were discovered in two isolated areas at VHS and then removed from the school. The problem was remediated, the district concluded.
Laning Avenue School also reacted to report of bedbugs on Friday. However, a dog search found no bedbugs, the school contended on Saturday.
“We will continue to monitor this situation and take the necessary steps should any problem present itself,” Laning Avenue School Principal Howard Freund stated in a letter to parents.
Head Lice vs. Bedbugs
Head lice and bedbugs are six-legged insects, but comparisons end there, Changlu Wang, an associate extension specialist at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, told NorthJersey.com.
Head lice are pale, yellow or white, while bedbugs are dark red, dark brown, or dark yellow, the professor said. Adult bedbugs are also bigger than head lice, he noted.
Head lice are more common in schools than bedbugs, Wang contended.
They can easily spread from one child to another, nestling in their heads. They are combated with special over-the-counter shampoos for the children, along with washing a child’s clothes and bed sheets.
Bedbugs, on the other hand, are prevalent in places where people sleep, “making a likelihood of staying in a school low,” Wang noted.
These pests cling to beds and sofas, not found as much in schools, according to Wang.
The insects take a ride to school via children’s clothing and backpacks, which usually go back home. Washing clothes and other fabrics helps, but so does steam-cleaning sofas in residences, the professor said.
The best news: While head lice and bedbugs are nuisances, neither spreads disease, Wang said.
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