When Kids Come Home From School With Bed Bugs

The Big Takeaways:

• Bed bugs can come home with kids on backpacks, jackets, and lunch bags, especially when personal items are stored close together.
• Bed bugs are not tied to dirt or poor hygiene. They are looking for a blood meal, which is why they can show up in even very clean homes.
• A few simple routines help reduce risk quickly, such as keeping backpacks off beds and couches, checking seams and zippers, and using full-cycle, high heat in the dryer after higher-risk days.

It’s worth a quick reality check: bed bugs can be found in elementary, middle, and high schools too – not just your home or bedroom. This is not because schools are “dirty,” but because kids are in close quarters all day, swapping seats, gathering on carpets, and stacking jackets and backpacks together. All it takes is one hitchhiker finding a new ride to school, then to your home for a school bed bug issue to become your home’s problem..

Bed bugs come with quite a stigma. But the truth is, bed bugs don’t infest filthy people alone. These bugs aren’t drawn to filth. They are looking for a blood meal. That is why they can be found in the cleanest homes.

How Can My kid Get Bed Bugs?

How bed bugs can tag along from school

Bed bugs don’t jump or fly, but they’re excellent at sneaking into the seams and folds of everyday stuff. At school, the most common “transport items” are:

• Backpacks and lunch bags stored together in cubbies or closets
• Coats, hoodies, and hats hung close to other students’ things
• Shared classrooms and common areas, especially where kids sit on rugs, read on the floor, or gather during activities

In many cases, the first signs appear at home, despite the bed bugs being picked up outside the household.

Knowing how bed bugs move and live can help dispel common misconceptions:

⭐ Bed bug eggs do not need the mother to hatch.

For this reason, a bed bug infestation can begin with a single batch of eggs left in the clothing. Make sure to wash and dry all of your kids’ clothing at the hottest temperature as soon as they come home. This kills bed bugs at all stages of development.

⭐ Bed bugs hide.

Be sure to check the seams of all your kids’ school items and clothing  to be sure that no bugs and no eggs are present.

⭐ Bed bugs leave bites – sometimes.

If your kids have been dealing with bed bugs in their bedrooms, your warning sign could be on their skin. Look for bites that appear in a row or cluster. These bites will look like mosquito bites and often have a rash around them. However, a lack of bites does not mean there are no bed bugs present.

⭐ Bed bugs leave other signs.

If your kids are bringing bed bugs home from school with them, look to see if their sheets have any dried bloodstains. Bed bugs dribble after they eat. These spots could clue you into a threat.

⭐ Bed bugs hide in a wide variety of things.

Bed bugs don’t just hide in beds, upholstery, and bags. They can be inside things like alarm clocks, laptop computers, and monitors. A quick search for black streaks can help you determine whether an item has bed bugs. These bugs leave their excrement in trails as they travel in and out of a place they are infesting.

What You Can Do to Keep Bed Bugs Out

⭐ Create a “drop zone” for backpacks

When kids walk in, keep backpacks and coats off beds and couches. A hook by the door or a hard-floor area makes it easier to spot anything unusual.

⭐ Do quick checks on the highest-risk items

Look over backpack seams, zipper folds, and jacket cuffs. You’re not hunting for a full infestation—just trying to catch a stowaway early.

⭐ Use heat strategically after higher-risk days

If your child had a sleepover, traveled, brought home classroom fabric items, or mentioned bugs at school, run clothing through the dryer on high heat for a full cycle. Heat is one of the most reliable ways to kill bed bugs and eggs.

Bed Bugs Don’t Discriminate

If you suspect bed bugs, try to treat the situation like a leaky pipe. It’s not a character flaw; it’s a fixable problem that is easier to solve when it’s caught early. A few simple habits with kids’ backpacks, coats, and bedding can dramatically reduce the odds of bed bugs settling in.

If a bed bug infestation takes root in your home, or if you’d like to know for sure that your home is free of these blood-eating bugs, give us a call today.