Does anyone know if bed bugs are common or likely in Boy Scout tents at a summer camp? These are semi-permanent canvas tents, mounted on wooden slats, and equipped with just cots. (No mattresses.) This is where our bed bug scare started, and it's very hard to rule out other sources of bites right now with a terrible flea season underway. We may even have some mosquitoes coming in, though they aren't a huge issue where I live (coastal SoCal).
The reason I started worrying about bed bugs in the first place was because my son was covered in bites - like chicken pox covered - a couple of days AFTER camp, and I knew that bed bugs could create a delayed reaction. I learned that several other boys also had numerous bites show up within a few days of coming home. He is still finding a new bite at least every couple of days, but blood-drinking insects seem to love him (and he's very reactive) so it's really hard to sort out.
I mentioned my worries to a Scout representative and he was sure bed bugs couldn't survive "with all the predators", but it seems like they can survive almost anywhere.