Bedbugs found in Laurel Highlands High School

UNIONTOWN, Pa. — Bedbugs were found at Laurel Highlands High School.

One of the bugs were found in a students' belongings on Friday.

According to a letter from the superintendent, the student was sent home from school and their family was notified.

Have bed bug concerns? Click here to visit the CDC's website for more information.

The school was closed on Saturday for bedbug treatment and the district said no additional bedbugs were found -- until this week.

Superintendent Jesse Wallace told Channel 11 the entire building was exterminated on Friday, but a student returned to school Monday with a bedbug.

"This is not an infestation at any level. We only found insects in three classrooms and not an overwhelming amount of insects," Wallace said. "Between Monday and Tuesday of this week, two other families have come forward with a headlice issue and a bedbug issue."

Wallace said the district is exterminating again Wednesday night, and they plan to treat all district buildings and buses before Sunday night.

The district is asking all parents to check their kids and their belongings for bedbugs. They are also asking for them to wash their belongings, including backpacks, gym clothes, gym bags, and dry them on high heat for at least 30 minutes.

Click here to read the full letter from the superintendent.

Students will not be allowed to carry bookbags, gym bags or athletic bags into the high school until Oct. 15.

The superintendent said the building will be closed Wednesday evening for a second treatment.

This is just the latest in a series of bed bug cases in our area. Steel Valley School District closed for a day last week after bedbugs were discovered at the middle and high schools.

The Duquesne Incline was also closed for a period of time for bedbug treatment.

Last month, Clairton City School District canceled classes so an exterminator could treat several classrooms.

Pest control company Orkin offers the following tips to help detect bed bugs,:

Inspect your home for signs of bed bugs regularly.
Decrease clutter around your home to make it easier to spot bed bugs on your own or during professional inspections.
Inspect all secondhand furniture before bringing it inside your home. This is a common way for bed bugs to be introduced into homes.
Dry potentially infested bed linens, curtains and stuffed animals on the hottest temperature allowed for the fabric.
Bed bugs are an elusive threat to your household and beyond, as they can reproduce quickly and travel on your belongings, so it's critical to detect and treat for them as early as possible.

According to Home Advisor, homeowners spend an average of $1,000 to $2,500 to exterminate bed bugs.

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