Slumber parties are a rite of passage that kids often look forward to as they get older. While you may have enjoyed going to a few sleepovers yourself as a kid, you may also have shuddered at the thought of what a single overnight stay could mean for your family. The growing epidemic of bed bugs in many communities means that your child bringing home a case of these insects is not all that uncommon. Now, you are tasked with helping to stop the spread of these nuisance pests by talking to the other parent about your findings, and these three tips will help you make sure that the conversation goes well.
Avoid Placing Blame
For some reason, the mere prospect of dealing with a pest infestation tends to arouse a desire to blame others for the problem. However, most professionals will tell you that it is often impossible to know for sure where bed bugs came from. For instance, another child could have carried them to a group sleepover at your daughter's friend's house. It is possible that they were picked up in a locker room at school or even from a recent vacation and that you just didn't notice them until now.
Keeping these possibilities in mind helps you begin your conversation with the other parent on a positive note. Share the perspective that you are on the same team, and simply state that you have discovered bed bugs in your house recently. If they ask if you think they are the source, then simply tell them that you are not blaming them but want them to be aware that the bugs are in your community.
Explain What to Look for at Home
Your next step is to help the other parent determine if the problem is occurring in their home. Let them know to check for signs of an infestation such as black specks on light-colored bedding in the morning. You can also pull up a picture of an adult bed bug on your phone so that they can tell the difference between one and other types of bugs. Additionally, you can share how these bugs tend to leave bites in rows of three as they feed, but also let the other parent know that bite marks are not always visible.
Share Your Treatment Plan
Conversations such as these tend to go better when you can end them with an appropriate resolution. Be willing to share your chosen bed bug treatment with the other parent so that they can take action immediately if they witness the signs of an infestation. By letting them know how professional treatment works better than other methods and sharing a few prevention tips, you can help to end the issue in your neighborhood so that your kids can go back to enjoying their time together.
For more information, contact a company like Arab Termite and Pest Control.
After struggling for quite some time with pests inside of our home, I knew it had to stop. I was tired of going to bed everyday without knowing if the issue would be getting resolved, so I started investigating the matter. I realized that we had ants and spiders, so I spoked with a pest control professional about helping out. They were absolutely incredible to work with, and within a few weeks, the mess was sorted out. On this website, I began focusing on how to make things right, since you really never know which kinds of pests will impact your home.