Avoiding Summer Camp Pests

Summer is here, which means that school is out (or very close to being done for the year)!  This can mean one of two things for kids: driving their parents crazy during the long vacation, or being sent on camp excursions.  While we cannot help with the former, we can certainly help with pest defense tips for the latter. Keep reading to find out more!

Summer camps can host a cacophony of critters, and regardless of whether they are indoor or outdoor camps, they are the perfect opportunity for both bedbugs and ticks to prey on youthful participants.  Even if pests don’t outright bite your children, critters can hide in their bags and have a one-way trip back to your home. If the camp is in the outdoors, ticks, mosquitoes, and spiders are all relevant threats, but all of them—plus the dreaded bedbug—represent the pest threat of an indoor getaway.

So, if we had to recommend anything before sending your kids off to adventure camp, here is what we would say:

• Make sure your little adventurer is armed with an insect repellent spray containing DEET, and remind them to apply liberally and regularly.  Doing this, especially at sundown, will help to keep the critters away.
• Teach your kids how to check for bedbugs on their own.  It’s pretty simple (peel back the corner of the sheets and check for brown or rust-colored spots), but extremely effective in making sure that they have a much more rewarding—and safe—experience.  Be sure to teach them the importance of checking not only their bed, but also the whole room—and encourage them to help other campers check their beds as well!
• Supply them with some plastic bags to store laundry in, and encourage them to seal the bag at the end of the night.  By taking on this regular practice, the chances of bedbugs, ticks, or spiders hitching a ride in their clothes back to your home diminishes greatly.

When they are finally done with their expedition, be sure to help your children check themselves for ticks, and throw their clothes in the washer set to the hottest possible water.  Throw all of their clothes into the wash, even if they did not wear them. Bedbugs and other pests are notoriously sneaky, but the hot water will thwart them out.

Summer camps should be fun, and your children should return with great memories— not itchy bug bites.  Stick to the above tips, and your kids will be good to go!

Looking for more pest control tips and tricks?  Give us a call, or check back to our blog every week for more helpful content!