Bed bugs give students sleepless nights
There is a high incidence of bed bugs infestation in the dormitories of some second cycle schools in the country, despite efforts made by school authorities to rid dormitories of pests.
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In their resolve to eliminate the insects, the schools spray mattresses, bunk beds and dormitories with insecticides.
A student of the Achimota High School, Master Moses Tei, confirmed that sometime ago there was a bug infestation in the school.
With the situation, he said, students found it difficult to sleep especially at night. This affected their concentration in class.
A Student from Adisadel College, Master Emmanuel Saah, said although there was a bed bug infestation problem, the situation had been addressed (with the spraying of the school).
A Housemaster of the Mozano Senior High, Mr Kweku Arhin, indicated that students occasionally complained of being bitten by the bugs.
Consequently, he said, the school authorities had to spray the dormitories with insecticides, adding that bug infestation was worrying since it prevented students from sleeping at night.
The Headmistress of the Odorgonno Senior High School, Mrs Georgina Attopley-Wornyo, said the school experienced bed bug infestation once in a while.
"The school sometimes experiences a heavy infestation whenever more people visit their children and bring them food, which they eat in the dormitories. In order to curb this situation, we spray the school twice every year and also inspect the dormitories every day. We also do general cleaning every month," she said.
She advised students not to eat in the dormitories since such practices attracted insects into the halls.
An Entomologist at the National Malarial Control Programme, Dr Aba Baffoe-Wilmot, said the bugs were transferred from one place to another by human beings.
According to her, students sometimes sent infested pillows or clothes from their homes to the school, adding that once insects got to the school they settled in mattresses, pillows, clothes, curtains, joints of beds and cracked walls and windows.
In dealing with the problem, she advised school authorities to use long-lasting insecticide sprays (which lasts for four months) to fight the menace.
