Insects and rodents are a nuisance to deal with. These unwelcome guests in your room or apartment can be more than pesky invaders - some destroy your food and property; some affect your health and well-being. In most cases, pests in your room or apartment are not a cause for panic or alarm, and often times, problems can be corrected swiftly before getting out of control or migrating to multiple residences.
Bug Busters handles pest control for campus housing. They have a technician on campus Monday through Friday (except holidays), managing both preventative and responsive treatments.
Residents should follow the preventative steps listed below and submit a maintenance work order if additional measures are needed:
- Take out the trash. We cannot express enough the importance of taking out trash daily and keeping dishes and kitchens clean to prevent attracting pests.
- Vacuum and dust regularly. Clean with the understanding that a dirty mop, discarded lemon peel, or open bottle of juice can serve as breeding material for fruit flies.
- Check window screens for tears and holes.
- Minimize clutter, which may harbor insects and rodents.
- Store food in airtight containers.
- If you have a support animal, it is critical to maintain its flea prevention routines.
- Upon returning to your residence hall from traveling, unpack directly into a washing machine and inspect your luggage carefully for bedbugs.
If regular preventative measures are not enough to stop instances of pests, you should submit a work order:
- Please submit a non-emergency maintenance request unless they are threatening your health, there is a significant infestation, or there is some other emergency.
- If you spot evidence of rodents (rodent droppings around food or in drawers or cupboards, signs of chewing on food packaging, etc.), do not hesitate to submit a maintenance request, as rodents are known to reproduce quickly.
- For urgent problems after hours, you can contact your RA on duty. Their number can be found on the yellow card at your building entrance.
- If your room has any moisture collecting sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains, know it provides the perfect breeding site for pests.
Resident Steps for a Pest Control Visit:
- Remove clutter and items that could prevent technicians from accessing baseboards, corners, etc.
- Leave lockers, cabinets, and closets unlocked for access by technicians.
- Allow time for treatment to set in – The application of pest control methods will not result in an immediate removal of pests. To shrink a population which has been growing for weeks or months will take some time. There is not a timeline or specified number of days your problem will be resolved, as each problem is different and may require different treatment methods. Check here for more information on how pest control works.
- More action will be needed in the event of a flea or bedbug issue – residents will receive information directly in these cases.