Want to know more about bed bugs? The Charlatan's Polly Leger reports.
Carleton’s department of housing and conference services has confirmed three cases of bed bugs on residence since Sept. 6.
David Sterritt, director of housing services, said he will not confirm where the bed bugs were found on campus, but that the affected rooms have received the first treatment.
Dundas House resident Michelle Blom said she realized she had bed bugs two weeks ago.
“I woke up and I had bites all over me,” Blom said. “I work at camps so I’ve had them before so I knew what the bites were and so I told my res fellow.”
When a student reports a case, an inspector from pest control inspects the room, Sterritt said.
If bed bugs are found, the room is sprayed with chemicals. Students cannot return to their room until four hours later. The room is treated a second time two to three weeks later, Sterritt said.
Blom’s room was not treated until several days later, she said. By that time, she said she had bites the size of toonies on her arms and scabs on her legs from scratching.
No matter how clean you are, bed bugs can still find their way into rooms, especially in residence, said Sherry Beadle, program manager at Ottawa Public Health.
“Due to the nature of the population coming and going, the risk is a little greater than a homeowner who is sedentary because it’s an opportunistic insect that basically can be picked up the more places you go,” she said.
Carleton doesn’t inspect for bed bugs prior to students arrival in the fall since it’s too costly, Sterritt said. The pest control company charges $80 to inspect and $200 to treat each room respectively, he added.
Third-year journalism student Sherry Aske experienced residence bedbugs when she lived in Russell House two years ago. She said she wished Carleton did inspect rooms since she and her roommate dealt with bed bugs from September to January of that year.
“What was really stressful was that you’re in first year and you’re trying to cope with university and I literally spent every weekend packing up our stuff again,” Aske said.
When students are treated for bed bugs they have to pack up all their clothes and sheets and dry them, killing the bed bugs. Then all their clothes must stay in plastic bags until the treatment is finished, Sterritt said.
“It ruined my residence experience completely. I love campus but I wouldn’t move back into Russell if you paid me,” Aske said.
