Buggin’ out

Bedbugs found in Griffin Hall dorm rooms

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Daksh Patel

Peregrine Hall at the Hammond campus has no confirmed sightings of bedbugs.

Some dorm rooms in Griffin Hall had bedbugs, according to Scott Iverson, executive director of Housing and Residential Education. The affected dorm rooms have been treated.

Iverson said when the housing staff was notified, Anderson Pest Solutions was contacted immediately. The university paid for treatment of the dorm.

“The bed bugs are manageable, and it is not a public crisis,” Iverson said. “We work with the students and pay for the services. We have professionals come.”

Iverson said the affected students had to wash all of their clothes in a bag and then keep the bag tightly sealed for seven to 10 days. The rooms had to be empty for Anderson Pest Solutions to treat the bugs.

It was suspected that there were bedbugs in Peregrine Hall, but there have been no confirmed sightings.

Iverson said that there have been cases of bedbugs in various dorms for two to three years.

“A lot of our students travel and can get it through traveling. The bedbugs stick to anything, even clothes,” Iverson said. “I went on a cruise with my wife and when we got home we washed all of our clothes, even the new ones. When you travel, be smart.”

Iverson also said that students should follow the guidelines to prevent bedbugs from invading.

“There is this stigma with bedbugs that once you have them you can’t get rid of them. Many universities can get them and even the fanciest hotels in the world can get them,” Iverson said. “This is why it is important for students to report if they see anything. Even if they aren’t sure, they should report it. We are more than happy to work with them.”