This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.
Bed bugs are associated with dingy motel rooms, but more of these creepy crawlers are showing up in the most surprising places, including public schools!
School authorities in many areas are scrambling to dispel misconceptions and provide constructive information to help educators and parents keep the outbreaks under control. However, the news has many parents concerned about the safety of their children in school, as well as the possible infestations of the critter that could occur in their own homes. Current guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to provide specific bed bug resources for schools, childcare facilities, teachers, school nurses, and parents.
What is a Bed Bug?
According to the Mayo Clinic, bed bugs are flat, oval creatures that are reddish-brown in color. They are about the size of an apple seed, but are traditionally difficult to locate because they spend their days hiding in headboards, box springs, and the cracks and crevices of mattresses. They come out to feed in the middle of the night, which is why people who have bed bugs in their homes typically wake up in the morning with evidence of bites on their face, neck, arms, and hands. Bed bugs can be quite difficult to exterminate completely, particularly if the infestation has significantly grown before it was discovered.
Bed bug bites often appear as small red bumps with a smaller red dot in the middle. They are usually arranged in a line or cluster, and they can be quite itchy. In most cases, bed bug bites do not cause any major medical concerns, unless a person has an allergic reaction to them. Allergies might manifest as severe itching, blisters, or hives. People who have an allergic reaction to bed bug bites often must seek professional treatment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that bed bugs are not known to spread diseases to people, although bites can cause itching and, in rare cases, allergic reactions.
While bed bugs are not a serious medical concern, they can present a significant headache for a household. These stubborn critters can be quite difficult to exterminate and usually require professional services to do so. It can also take some time to completely extinguish a bed bug infestation, with some homes requiring many months of treatment before the creatures are completely gone. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to recommend an integrated pest management approach that combines appropriate chemical and non-chemical methods for controlling bed bugs.
Public schools today also address student health through a broader range of services. Public School Review's School-Based Health Clinics: Funding, Billing, and Student Access provides additional information about how students access health services on or near school campuses.
The Prevalence of Bed Bugs
While isolated incidents of bed bugs have cropped up in various schools, the problem does seem to be prevalent across the country. According to historical reports on BedBugger.com, states reporting bed bug outbreaks included Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Colorado and New Hampshire. Bed bugs remain a pest-management concern in schools in 2026, and EPA guidance emphasizes that a single bed bug sighting does not necessarily mean that a school has an infestation.
According to a report at CBS 2, a Chicago high school sent a letter home to parents warning of the presence of bed bug sightings at the school. Seven bed bugs had been sighted on all three levels of the school over a two-and-a-half-week period. Brenda Colon, a parent of a 15-year-old at the school, told CBS, "I couldn't believe it. I asked my son about it but he said, yeah, that they said that there are bed bugs, but I checked him and I don't see any on him."
In Westwood, Ohio, exterminators were called in to address a bed bug problem at a local elementary school, according to FOX19.com. Westwood is just outside of Cincinnati, which had been named one of the most bed bug prone cities in the country at the time. Parents of the affected students at the school were notified by letter of the problem, and students' belongings were sent home in sealed plastic bags. Parents were urged to seek the services of a professional pest control company if they were worried about infestations in their homes.
In Indiana, a Moore County elementary school dealt with its own bed bug infestation, according to WTHR.com. The school hosted a parent meeting to inform parents of the problem and provide additional information about how to protect their children and deal with potential infestations in their own homes. Officials in Indiana were not completely surprised by the discovery, however. Dr. Marc Lame, an entomologist from Indiana University, told WTHR, "We've definitely had problems in apartments. Some of the hotels have had bed bugs. So we knew this was going to happen."
How schools respond to health and safety concerns remains important for families evaluating a school. Public School Review's Understanding School Safety Policies in 2026 provides a broader look at how current school safety policies address health, emergency preparedness, student well-being, and communication with families.
A report in the New York Daily News cited a state law that requires health officials to notify parents if bed bugs are found on school premises. This law went into effect after a flurry of reported bed bug cases in 11 Queens schools in 2007. However, not all states have laws that require schools to alert parents.
Public School Review's Is Your Child’s School Prepared for a Pandemic Health Threat? also examines the role schools play in responding to public health concerns and communicating health information to families.
If parents find evidence of bed bugs in their homes, such as bites on the face, arms and hands in the morning, they should call a professional pest control company. While bed bug bites are not typically serious, the sooner you address a potential infestation, the more likely you will be to eliminate the creatures completely from your home. Current EPA guidance also recommends that schools develop a bed bug action plan, educate the school community, inspect suspected areas, and use integrated pest management when an infestation is confirmed.
