Back-to-School Nightmare: How New Jersey College Students Are Unknowingly Bringing Bed Bugs Home in 2025

Every August and September, thousands of New Jersey families load up minivans and SUVs with bedding, luggage, and furniture to help their college students move into dormitories across the state. It’s an exciting milestone — but it comes with a hidden risk that most families never see coming: bed bugs. In 2025, the college move-in season has become one of the most dangerous windows of the year for bed bug infestations to travel between dorms and family homes, and New Jersey families are being hit especially hard.

New Jersey Is Already a Bed Bug Hot Spot

According to Yelp’s 2025 “Infestation Index,” U.S. residents seeking out exterminators rose 53% year-over-year for the period from May 2024 to April 2025 — and the top city for those searches was Atlantic City, New Jersey. The problem isn’t isolated to one part of the state, either. News circulated in 2024 that New Jersey was voted one of the worst places for bed bug infections, and Rutgers University had a very high-profile battle with bed bugs in the dorms of Jameson Hall. With college move-in season approaching, the conditions are ripe for history to repeat itself.

Why Dorms Are the Perfect Breeding Ground

Student housing at colleges and universities across the U.S. is a common environment for bed bug infestations. The shared nature of dorms, coupled with the constant movement of students traveling to and from various locations, creates an ideal environment for bed bugs to thrive.

With students constantly moving in and out, dormitories provide bed bugs with ample opportunities to hitchhike on luggage, clothing, and bedding. Their elusive nature means they often go unnoticed until a full-blown infestation occurs, leaving students and parents bewildered.

All it takes is one student to bring bed bugs into a building. From there, they easily travel from room to room on socks, in hoodies, and deep inside backpacks. What makes this even more alarming is the speed at which a problem can escalate. All it takes is one female bed bug to infest a room. Female bed bugs can have as many as 5,000 babies in as little as six months, and it only takes one month for those babies to become adult bed bugs — meaning if a room is infested when kids return to school in the fall, you could have full-blown adult bed bugs coming back home by Thanksgiving.

The Hidden Journey: From Dorm to Your Living Room

The most dangerous part of this crisis is how silently it unfolds. Infestations at home commonly start when college students arrive home for the holidays or summer vacation. Bed bugs can hide in luggage, clothing, bedding, and personal items without detection, and once transported, these pests can quickly establish themselves in a new location, leading to home infestations.

Bed bug infestations spread when an individual comes into contact with bed bugs and unknowingly brings them somewhere else. They are transported as stowaways, hiding in luggage, couches, beds, pillows, or backpacks. Bed bugs cling to moving items and can easily fall off, allowing them to relocate and spread. It’s also a common occurrence that bed bugs lay eggs on these items, and as the host moves, they can fall off and hatch far away from where they originally came from.

A key characteristic of bed bugs is their resilience — they can survive for several months without feeding, making eradication challenging once they settle in. Their flat bodies allow them to hide in the tiniest of cracks and crevices during the day, emerging solely at night for a blood meal.

Warning Signs Every NJ Family Should Know

Whether your student is moving into a dorm for the first time or returning for another year, knowing the early signs of a bed bug problem can save your family from a costly and stressful infestation at home. Watch for:

• Small, itchy bites that appear in clusters or a line, often on exposed skin — though not everyone reacts to bed bug bites, those who do might notice small red welts or rashes.
• Tiny, rust-colored stains on sheets or mattresses, which are fecal spots, as well as the presence of eggshells or shed skins that bed bugs leave behind as they grow.
• Small brown or reddish stains along mattress seams, cracks in furniture, and baseboards, as well as live bugs, eggs, or shed skins.
• A distinct musty odor, similar to that of coriander, when bed bug numbers are high.

What to Do Before and After Move-In Day

Prevention is far easier — and far cheaper — than treatment. Here are steps every New Jersey family should take during college move-in and move-out season:

• Inspect the dorm room immediately upon arrival. Check mattress seams, the bed frame, headboard, and any upholstered furniture before unpacking a single item.
• Before packing to return home, students should inspect their belongings carefully. Wash all clothes in hot water at temperatures above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, vacuum all luggage, and seal potentially infested items in plastic bags during travel to prevent bed bugs from spreading.
• Never place luggage on the bed or floor of the dorm. Bed bugs may find their way into luggage, purses, and backpacks nearby to find their way to a new residence. Use a luggage rack or keep bags elevated on a hard surface.
• Thoroughly inspect any second-hand furniture before bringing it into a dorm room or back home — this is one of the most common ways infestations spread.
• When returning home, inspect suitcases and bags thoroughly. If bringing a mattress back into your home, check the corners and edges for black residue, and clean all bedding and sheets in hot water.

Don’t Wait — Professional Treatment Is Essential

Waiting too long to deal with the problem is one of the most common mistakes people make when dealing with bed bugs. DIY solutions are rarely effective against a true infestation. Students and families should avoid attempting to treat the problem themselves with store-bought pesticides, which can often exacerbate the situation or pose health risks.

If you suspect your student has brought bed bugs home to your New Jersey residence, the time to act is now. For homeowners in Sussex County and surrounding areas, Bed Bug Control NJ services from Prestige Pest Unit & House Wash offer the professional-grade response this problem demands. Prestige Pest Unit chooses pest control products with your family and the environment in mind, and they do their best to show up on time, treat your home with respect, and get rid of your pest problem right the first time — and in the unlikely event you’re not satisfied, they’ll come back and retreat your home at no additional cost, 100% guaranteed.

As a part of the Sussex County community, Prestige Pest Unit & House Wash understands the local environment and the common issues homeowners face, from seasonal pests to property maintenance. Whether it’s termites compromising your property or bed bugs disrupting your comfort, their skilled team uses advanced techniques to provide effective and safe treatments — and from routine pest inspections to urgent emergency pest control, they’re here to keep your home safe and comfortable.

The Bottom Line for New Jersey Families

College move-in season is one of the most joyful times of year — but it’s also one of the riskiest when it comes to bed bugs. With New Jersey already ranking among the most bed-bug-affected states in the country in 2025, families cannot afford to be caught off guard. Inspect early, pack smart, and if you ever spot the signs of an infestation in your home, call a licensed pest professional immediately. The sooner you act, the easier — and less expensive — the problem is to resolve.