Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bed bugs reported from our middle school principal found at Skycroft this week. All of the bags were co-mingled on the bus on the way home. I can't believe MCPS continues to work with this bed bug infested facility.

Which middle school is this?

Westland

How did the principal report this? Letter, email?

No report

There was an email to the listserve

-- BCC parent who hasn't bothered to unsubscribe and was curious about the title.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the person who said they called and there were no complaints - that is the problem! Parents need to call! That is the only way MCPS will start to listen.

It really is in MCPS's best interest to cut ties with places like Skycroft or they could have a bedbug problem in one of our middle schools! All it takes is one family who has a kid attend outdoor ed and who doesn't inspect their bags, clean, etc or throw things out and the next thing you know it is in the schools.

I would like to see something posted on the Westland listserv. I have yet to see any evidence that there are parents willing to take action.

I am a Frost parent who has posted about our group having bed bugs, so maybe I don't get it. What is so magical about this list serv at Westland? Why the fixation on posting about it there?

Anonymous wrote:To the person who said they called and there were no complaints - that is the problem! Parents need to call! That is the only way MCPS will start to listen.

It really is in MCPS's best interest to cut ties with places like Skycroft or they could have a bedbug problem in one of our middle schools! All it takes is one family who has a kid attend outdoor ed and who doesn't inspect their bags, clean, etc or throw things out and the next thing you know it is in the schools.

I would like to see something posted on the Westland listserv. I have yet to see any evidence that there are parents willing to take action.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the mattresses are plastic, the bugs can live in the seams where the stitches are, and on the wood around the bed.

But how long can they live without a host/source of human blood.

It's not like there are kids there all the time. There is a gap between sessions.

If kids were being bitten every visit, we would have heard about it before now.

Bedbugs can live a year without feeding.

Seriously?? Ugh.

We have outdoor ed in a couple of weeks. I was reading about bed bugs over the weekend and it looked like winter definitely hurts their health. I was hoping we could just unload the stuff in our garage and "deal with it" over a few days. But now I'm worried they could come in the house.

Of course, assuming we have something to deal with...

PP again (who said, "Seriously?? Ugh.")

Here is one thing I found in http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/top-10-myths-about-bed-bugs/

Myth 3: Bedbugs can typically live a year without a meal
Scientists debate this point, but evidence suggests that at normal room temperature, about 23 degrees Celsius, bedbugs can only survive two to three months without a blood meal. But because they are cold-blooded, their metabolism will slow down in chillier climates, and the insects may live up to a year without feeding.

23C = 73F. So if the bugs are indoors and it is still "room temperature", I suppose the temp would be at least the upper 60s. So maybe or hopefully it's not entirely a year???

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the mattresses are plastic, the bugs can live in the seams where the stitches are, and on the wood around the bed.

But how long can they live without a host/source of human blood.

It's not like there are kids there all the time. There is a gap between sessions.

If kids were being bitten every visit, we would have heard about it before now.

Bedbugs can live a year without feeding.

Seriously?? Ugh.

We have outdoor ed in a couple of weeks. I was reading about bed bugs over the weekend and it looked like winter definitely hurts their health. I was hoping we could just unload the stuff in our garage and "deal with it" over a few days. But now I'm worried they could come in the house.

Of course, assuming we have something to deal with...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if the mattresses are plastic, the bugs can live in the seams where the stitches are, and on the wood around the bed.

But how long can they live without a host/source of human blood.

It's not like there are kids there all the time. There is a gap between sessions.

If kids were being bitten every visit, we would have heard about it before now.

Bedbugs can live a year without feeding.

Who at MCPS did you/do you call? Who handles outdoor Ed?

To the person who said they called and there were no complaints - that is the problem! Parents need to call! That is the only way MCPS will start to listen.

It really is in MCPS's best interest to cut ties with places like Skycroft or they could have a bedbug problem in one of our middle schools! All it takes is one family who has a kid attend outdoor ed and who doesn't inspect their bags, clean, etc or throw things out and the next thing you know it is in the schools.

Anonymous wrote:Demand that you get advance written notification that the accommodations have been inspected for bed bugs. And the results.

Demand it.

One can demand anything. One can't necessarily get what one demands, though.

Demand that you get advance written notification that the accommodations have been inspected for bed bugs. And the results.

Demand it.

I did call MCPS was told there were no complaints.

Agree with the last post - complaints need to go directly to the highest level at MCPS who pays Skycroft big money for outdoor ed. They need to stop using that facility. I know that kids came home with bed bug bites from this week's trip. It is unbelievable that MCPS has continued to have this relationship with Skycroft after this chronic bed beg problem has not been eliminated. More parents need to complain. My understanding is that many parents have not known there was a problem in the past and it wasn't as widely reported as it was this time. Make your calls to MCPS now!

I'm a Westland 6th grade parent too whose child attended the first session. I found out when my kid arrived back at Westland and soon after the school sent out emails and phone calls. Was I thrilled about it? Absolutely not. Will I complain? Yes, but to MCPS, not to the listserv, which would serve no purpose, nor to the principal, I'm sure it didn't exactly make her week.

I am a 6th grade parent whose child attended the second half of the week. I received an e-mail and a phone call to my home number on Wednesday. At the Friday pickup the principal was offering to take luggage and have it inspected by a professional pest company, but they would need to have it for several days.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bed bugs reported from our middle school principal found at Skycroft this week. All of the bags were co-mingled on the bus on the way home. I can't believe MCPS continues to work with this bed bug infested facility.

Which middle school is this?

Westland

How did the principal report this? Letter, email?

No report