As summer inches closer, the possibility for unwanted bugs or animals in dorm rooms increases.
Todd Tucker, the director of housing at the University of South Dakota, said there have not been any infestations this spring, but there are rooms where students have put in work orders for having pests.
“I think it’s more isolated than anything,” Tucker said.
When issues are reported, the University Police Department may assist facilities management. Previously, UPD has handled pest issues such as catching bats that have gotten into residence halls.
Tucker said the university contracts an exterminator out of Minneapolis. When services are needed, the exterminator has to provide service within 24 hours.
Rodents have been rumored in the residence halls, but Tucker said they have yet to be found.
But just because there haven’t been reports of pest issues doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
“A lot of students just deal with things instead of reporting them,” Tucker said “If they see or hear something out of the ordinary, talk to their CA. We’d rather have someone come and investigate and find nothing than not know about it and have a bigger issue down the road.”
Not all pest problems are inside the buildings. Birds sometimes nest on the balconies outside of McFadden Hall. The nests are cleared from the balconies due to the sensitive fire suppression system the birds nest on that could set off the water sprinklers for the entire building.
Tucker recommends not removing screens from windows to prevent pests from entering a dorm.
Other ways to keep pests out of dorm rooms include:
- Store food in containers instead of out in the open
- Vacuum on a regular basis
- Shake out items that have been stored outside
- Regularly take out trash
Solutions for pre-existing pest problems:
- To eliminate spiders, get rid of the insects they eat and vacuum nests or spray the spiders with a household cleaner.
- To eliminate ants, spray using a mixture of vinegar and water or a household cleaner.
-Source: Stanford Student Housing
