bed bugs – The Manitoba Teachers’ Society

By Matea Tuhtar

With bed bug wars being waged elsewhere, Manitoba schools are turning their attention to remaining bug-free.

Even though classroom infestations are rate, schools in the U.S. and Canada have reported finding bed bugs on school properties and some Manitoba schools have had close calls.

Jamie Krutkevich, president of the Seven Oaks Teachers Association says her division has had instances of kids coming to school with bites on them, as well as a teacher getting bitten at a popular camp while on a school trip.

A lot has to happen for a child to bring home a bed bug from school but its entirely possible, especially if you have more than one infestation in a school, says Krutkevich, adding that kids should never be sent home due to bed bugs, unless repeated efforts have been made to remedy the situation.

With lots of classrooms around the province filled to capacity, the possibility of cross-contamination from personal belongings is always present. Bringing in old couches and furniture into classrooms also increases the risk of infestation.

Krutkevich says her school division is taking proactive measures to keep infestation down to a minimum.

Seven Oaks has put forward money for schools to replace their fabric furniture with leather or vinyl. Were treating it much the same way as lice, so if there is a case of bed bugs reported we try to keep backpacks and snowsuits outside the classroom, and wrap their books and agendas in a plastic bag.

While bed bugs dont spread disease, they feed on human blood and are considered a nuisance.

There is a wide variety of skin reactions to bed bug bites, from no reaction at all to small welts that are painless but may itch. Scratching at a bite is the same as scratching at a mosquito bite, and should be avoided as much as possible as infection can occur, says Michael Routledge, medical officer of health with Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

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bed bugs - The Manitoba Teachers' Society