A family of exterminators from Maysville is spending the weekend fumigating Bracken County Schools for bed bugs after one student brought them into the Middle School in Brooksville.
Bracken County schools in Northern Kentucky have high hopes they will be free of bed bugs when classes resume there on Wednesday.
The three-school district, centered in Brooksville, canceled all classes on Friday after bed bugs were found in the middle school on Thursday.
Bracken County schools decided to close down for an intensive fumigation that will last through early next week.
The school district says it wants to take all precautions possible after bed bugs were found in a student's clothing at the Middle School.
Even though bed bugs aren't known to spread disease or cause illness, Bracken County schools decided to put up the "Closed" sign on its middle, elementary and high school – as an extra precaution.
It already had planned to be closed Monday and Tuesday as a scheduled break in classes.
It brought in a family of exterminators from Maysville to stop the bed bugs.
T & M Pest Control is taking on the Bracken School bed bug problem on an emergency basis.
9News asked T & M owner Terry Stauder, "Have you ever had an emergency call like this one at a school before?"
Terry replied, "Never. Never. That's why I say it's very unusual. We've dropped everything and we're dealing with this."
This is what Terry, his wife and two sons will be fighting this weekend in Brooksville: quarter-inch long, reddish brown, flat-bodied bed bugs.
Terry says, "A pest control program for bed bugs is very detailed. You've got to get all the crevices. We are doing a little more than we really need to, but it's to make sure we don't have a problem in the future."
That means Terry's son, Tony, has to bag contents of every locker in the school, and then spray those contents with an insecticide.
Tony and his mother are wearing only gloves now, but when the heavy fumigation gets underway, they'll be wearing face masks, too.
Parents in Brooksville are divided about the schools closing an extra day just for bed bugs.
Elizabeth Aulick, a mother of two Bracken County students says, "Yeah, it does concern me, but the letter I got said they only found one bug. If it's one bug isolated to one child, keep him home for a few days."
A mother of three Bracken County students, including one at the Middle School says, "I guess it's a little unexpected. I never expected something like this, but I guess it's a good thing. Just to be on the safe side. It didn't both me, I said, 'Well, that's fine.'"
The school fumigation in Bracken County is getting the full support of the county health department there.
The health department is also distributing pamphlets that advise residents to look for itchy bite marks or small skin rashes, especially in the morning when you awake.
It also says beware of used or rented furniture that might carry bed bugs.
