Pest Tips for Dorms
If you work for a college or university with campus housing, you understand that there are a variety of pests that could invade each of your facilities. From ants to rodents, each of these pests pose a potential threat to your students and your campus.
Many pests commonly discovered throughout dormitories threaten, not only student retention but also student health. Here, we will discuss the most common dormitory pests, along with how you can take a few steps to ensure you are protecting your facilities from them.
Most Common Dorm Pests
Bed Bugs
The dreaded bed bug infestation is not one we wish on anyone. However, they are prevalent in classrooms due to higher traffic from different homes. With many belongings and even nap time for the younger attendees, some classrooms provide the perfect breeding grounds. Bed bugs do not transmit disease; however, their bites can leave red itchy welts after feeding and will quickly upset parents.
Rodents
Perhaps the most frightening pest found in schools—mice and rats—invade buildings in search of food, water, and shelter. Not only will they distract students in the class, but they also pose a health risk as they carry a number of serious diseases, parasites, and could even damage student’s belongings. Unfortunately, rodents are difficult to eradicate as classrooms provide them with many places to hide and an abundance of resources.
Flies
Many different flies could infest classrooms by simply gaining access through ripped window screens. Along with that, many schools have set temperatures throughout each building to save on electricity. Not to mention, teachers may often open their windows for some fresh air for them and their students. As a result, it’s that much easier for flies and other flying insects to gain access to the room.
Ants
Ants are a problem in most classrooms because they infest buildings quickly and they are difficult to eradicate. They will commonly infest classrooms after discovering a food source they want to share with the rest of their colony, sending an alert via pheromone trail to inform the others. Ants don’t pose a serious health threat to your students. However, with rapidly growing colonies, ant infestations can quickly frustrate students, faculty, and visitors.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches commonly invade classrooms in their search for moisture, shelter, and food. This pest quickly becomes a concern not only because of their creepy appearance but mostly due to health and safety concerns. They can spread over 30 different types of bacteria and are even known to trigger asthma attacks. Needless to say, this is not a pest issue you want your students dealing with while in a classroom setting, chaos will surely follow.
Tips To Control Pests In Dorms
These are just a few tips that we would recommend to better manage a pest situation in dorms. These tips alone will not singularly solve your pest problems and should not replace a current IPM protocol. If you currently have a pest problem, please contact a pest professional for assistance.
- Educate Residents on the importance of a clean facility
- Place many public trash cans around buildings on campus and ensure that your staff empties them daily
- Keep dumpsters at least 50 ft away from each building
- Ensure that leaks are quickly reported and fixed
- Ensure that window screens are checked each season for tears
- Install door sweeps on all external doors
- Educate Residential Assistants (RA’s) and advise them to regularly inspect dorm rooms for risk factors such as trash and storing food in unsealed containers.
To assist in educating your residents of the importance of keeping the facility clean, download the PDF for Dorm residents by completing the form. This 1-page download is easy for you to provide to your RA’s to place around the facilities or email to your residents.
Contacting A Pest Professional
American Pest has been protecting colleges and universities across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. from ants and other pests for almost a century. With our experienced technicians and access to the latest pest elimination technology at our disposal, we can solve any pest problem you may be facing.
If you’re an administrator or other higher education professional that wants to create a pest-free environment for students, contact American Pest today to find out how regular treatments can keep your campus protected.
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