My girlfriend lives on a college campus and she has just started having a problem with this and she doesnt know where these bugs are coming from. Any help is useful.
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She is living on campus and should tell the RA, or whoever takes care of the dorms about this. She doesnt have to do anything else. The picture is not clear, but it doesnt look like a bedbug to me.
This looks like a insect called a silverfish - it runs from a angle and likes to hang around sinks, tubs, moldings, basements. This insect is harmless to humans. - en.wikipedia.org/
Silverfish come from cardboard mostly so they are most common in dorms around move in and move out times...often hitch-hiking in to the room in cardboard boxes, paper (books and magazines--so they may want to notify the school library in case they came home that way, and even in laundry baskets of clothes and plastic tubs of items.
Get all cardboard out of the room if possible and shake papers and laundry outside then wash all of the clothes.
The room will need to be thoroughly vacuumed and dispose of the vacuum contents immediately away from the building (so in the dumpster if there is one). Wash walls and floors with hot water.
She should notify the RA since they spread quickly so all of the neighbors on the floor will want to do the same thing.
When I was in college (about a million years ago) I unknowingly brought these critters home and my family was NOT happy with me. Not harmful but very icky.
When I enlarged the photo, it appears to be a Silverfish. They don't harm people or pets, but they love to hang out in dark places with paper and cardboard especially, like the floor of a closet that has shoe boxes. They also like to hide beneath baseboard moldings, so make sure to use a crevice tool, if you have one, and go all along the baseboards when vacuuming.
Looks like you may have an infestation of the book/paper/fabric/food loving silverfish.
"What are the signs you have silverfish?
Tell-tale signs include yellow stains on clothing made from synthetic fabrics, along with small holes and droppings left on old paper and wallpaper. You can also find them burrowing in unsealed dried food packets."
"Silverfish are harmless enough to humans but they can destroy books, old papers, wallpaper, carpets and clothes with their droppings. They also love to make unsealed pasta, oat and cereal packets their home, so you'll want to get rid of them quickly. "
It's possible the bugs have been present for a while as they are nocturnal and may have been hiding in secure places. They love dampness so bathrooms, kitchens, under sinks, cupboards, dark closets, books, papers are good hiding places.
They were probably brought in in cardboard boxes, books and papers and may still be in some 'never unpacked' boxes in the room or closet.
Usually it is recommended to vacuum everywhere as a first step:
"Vacuuming instantly reduces silverfish populations in an environment, jump-starting your silverfish remediation program. When vacuuming, use a vacuum with a disposable bag (HEPA bags are best) so that you can discard the contents (and the silverfish) in a sealable container outside the rooms upon completion."
Here are some links that will provide guidance on how to eliminate her silverfish.
Read several to find the best method for her circumstances and areas that apply to her surroundings.
She may wish to write a paper on 'Silverfish'??
www.wikihow.com/
www.healthline.com/
www.countryliving.com/
www.pestworld.org/
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