Back to School: What to Tell Your Kids About Pests?
September is back to school month, and that means that you’re sending your kids back to a place where they will spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (except for half days), from now until roughly the end of June. While school is a great place to learn, it’s not necessarily the best place to stay safe from pests.
That’s why this year it’s important that you educate your kids about pests that they may encounter while at school. The following is some helpful information that you may want to use to go over with your child before they start the school year.
Tips to Help Your Kids Stay Safe From Pests
- “Report Any Bites” – It’s very important that your child lets you know if they have any bites, especially if they seem to be getting bites at school. Depending on the frequency of the bites, this may be a sign of a mosquito problem, tick problem, or a bed bug problem – which is quickly becoming a bigger problem in schools. Make sure that your child lets you know any time they get bit, especially if it appears to be a recurring problem.
- “Don’t Move Anything Without Gloves” – Black widow spiders are known to hide under pieces of wood and in hidden areas, as do many other types of pests. If your child can’t see if there are pests without moving it, they should avoid it or ask someone with gloves to move it. You never know where some dangerous pests may be hiding
- “Examine Your Exposed Skin” – You may also want to have your child examine their exposed skin, especially before coming home, to make sure they don’t have any ticks, bug bites, or other signs of pest exposure that they may simply not have noticed. Not everyone notices a bug bite or a tick bite until it’s pointed out to them, so letting your child know that they should check their skin is a great way to stay safe.
- “Report Any Nests” – Whether or not your child is allergic to stings, it’s a good idea to make sure they report any bee/wasp nests they see to someone in charge right away. Doing so will ensure that anyone that is allergic can stay safe, and that no children can accidentally upset the nest and get stung in group.
Keep Your Children Safe All Year
Pests are just as problematic at school as they are at home, and with bed bugs at schools on the rise, they may be even more so. You may want to talk to your kids about keeping an eye out for signs of bed bugs, and letting them know that other people have pest allergies, even if they do not. Keeping them diligent about seeing and reporting pests can go a long way towards keeping the whole school safe, not just your child.