This week marks the official opening of classes in the US and college students across the country will unfortunately be encountering an unusual welcome wagon.

According to this report from MSNBC, this is not an isolated problem and school officials have to deal with keeping bed bugs at bay yearly, to the tune of thousands of dollars.

Schools such as Stanford and Ohio State have had to clear out dormitories to deal with the scourge in recent years — and last year, Texas A&M had to empty its coffers of $27,000 to transport bedbug-sniffing dogs and high-heat treatments to rid dorms of the insects. The University of Florida is baking dorm mattresses at 113 degrees-plus to kill their bedbug populace.

It’s a problem that not only school officials have to solve. Even incoming students have to do their part. It is their bed space after all.

We here at Mattresszine have been offering solutions to this problem since last month. Do check these links for our preventive tips and suggestions:

• Making College Dorm Beds More Comfortable
• The Cleanest Mattress Encasement
• Preparing for College Dorm Life
• Bedding Needs Checklist for College