Catawba College treating dorm for bedbugs | Schools

SALISBURY - Officials at Catawba College confirmed for WBTV that Woodson Hall on the Catawba campus has been treated for an outbreak of bed bugs.

"We have three rooms that have been confirmed," Dean of Students Ben Smith told WBTV.   "It's just a small amount so we've treated those rooms, we're treating the rooms around it, total of 7 rooms and 14 beds."

On Tuesday morning exterminators from Chamberlain Exterminators were seen going in Woodson Hall.

This is the second time in recent months that the school has had to take steps to battle bed bugs.  There was also an outbreak in September.

"They're just kind of a nuisance that happens," said Sarah Matulis, a junior and theater major from Connecticut.  "It's not that big of a deal.   So many campuses across the nation have been having it, this school is so open about it, they send out emails to us, letting us know that...we're all very aware of it and we know what to look for in case it happens to us."

Sarah Rossini, Director of Housing at Catawba said the school tried to handle the situation with a minimum of disruption to students.

"Students were displaced for about 5 hours yesterday," Rossini told WBTV.   "That was it and it was only 12 students."

 

 

The following is a letter sent to students on Monday, followed by additional information from Catawba:

Dear Catawba College Community,

We have confirmed a small number of bed bugs in Woodson Hall and we are moving quickly to address this. Please note that although inconvenient to our students and others in the college community, these cases are not life-threatening.

Today, we are treating seven rooms in Woodson Hall (14 beds) comprehensively. Even though there are only a small percentage of these rooms that might have a bug at this point, there is enough evidence of the bed bugs to warrant our proactive and comprehensive approach. We have asked those students to vacate their rooms by noon today, and to stay out of their rooms until 6:30pm so these spaces can be inspected and treated by our exterminating professionals. Every room will then be cleaned by Housekeeping. Because of the small number of rooms affected, dryers on campus are currently being used to make sure everything is treated appropriately. Heat kills the bed bugs.

 

Since we had bed bug cases at the beginning of this academic year, we have been very diligent about our inspections of all residence halls by the exterminators and we have also added a quarterly inspection with a company that uses canine detection. Up until this past weekend, all residence hall rooms and beds had been inspected and had been certified as bed bug free.

 

Ongoing Information/Efforts

 

Catawba College Protocol for Response to Bed Bugs

 

Bed bugs have become an increasing problem nationwide. The increase is believed to be due to the discontinued use of the toxic chemicals which are needed to control them. Current measures are effective, but must be followed judiciously. When a room is infected, the whole room must be treated. In addition, adjacent rooms must be inspected, and possibly treated. Clutter in a room provides more places for these insects to hide. Although bed bugs do not carry disease, they are still unwelcome visitors that are difficult to eradicate. Multiple inspections and treatments may be necessary for complete extermination.

 

Over the last several years, Catawba College has seen minimal exposure to these pests with less than a dozen confirmed cases. The intent of this effort is to continue our record of prevention by providing additional resources to our students. In accordance with this strategy, a coordinated effort within College community is most effective in dealing with this potential issue.

 

The following offices will work together to resolve any reported bed bug issues:
· Housing and Residence Life
· Maintenance Department
· Proctor Student Health Services

 

These offices will be responsible for:
· Providing proper pest management services for the areas affected.
· Ongoing communication with the resident about the treatment process and progress.
· Evaluate facilities and clean or replace furniture and mattress, as necessary.
· Provide health related assistance to students in regard to bites.

 

The student will be responsible for:
· Immediately reporting any suspected bed bug issues using the online work order system located on
Catlink.
· Following the treatment protocol, including washing all clothing/ bedding.
· Communicating with staff about the situation and any future bites, outbreaks or exposure experienced.
· Understanding that it will likely take multiple treatments to solve this problem and eliminate the pest.

 

Response to a potential bed bug problem:

 

Residents who have questions or concerns about bed bugs should contact a Resident Assistant, the Housing Office, or the Maintenance Department.

 

1. Upon receiving an online work order about potential bed bugs, the maintenance staff will
contact Chamberlain Exterminators to evaluate and treat the area if needed.
2. Residents will be given specific instructions to assist with the treatment, including
washing/cleaning all personal belongings and temporary room reassignment if needed.
3. The maintenance department and Chamberlain Exterminators will work with the Housing and
Residence Life office to monitor the problem.
4. When treatment is complete, notification will be left on the room door with further
instructions.
5. Inspection and treatment verification will continue and additional treatment may be necessary.