FREDERICTON (CUP) — Bedbugs have descended on the University of New Brunswick.
A case of bedbugs has been discovered in the oldest student residence building on campus, and is in its final stages of treatment and extermination. Only one room has been affected by the infestation, though.
James Brown, residence life executive director, said UNB has protocol in effect in case a residence is infected with the insects.
“It’s not difficult to control if students report to us immediately that they suspect bedbugs either because they have seen them or because they have the small bites typical of bedbugs,” he said.
“We inspect the room; have the student wash all clothing and bedding in hot water. We may encase the mattress in plastic and dispose of it. We move the student to another room and may provide a special liner for the new mattress,” Brown said.
The room is then kept vacant and closed off while the Brunswick Pest Management team steam cleans the room three times over the course of several weeks. Adjacent rooms are also inspected for bed bugs and are treated if necessary.
A newly-approved chemical for combating infestations is also being used in New Brunswick. The chemical, known as Demand, is used in conjunction with steam cleaners.
If the room is carpeted, the carpet may be removed, disposed of and replaced with tile flooring.
Linda O’Brien, a residence assistant in the building, said the bugs were discovered shortly before students returned to campus after the holidays. O’Brien was impressed with how quickly the university responded to the infestation and ensured it did not spread to surrounding rooms.
Cases of bed bugs at UNB are “not frequent” according to Brown and he said they average about one or two cases a year. O’Brien has been working in the residence building for a year and a half and said she has only seen two cases throughout her time there.
In late 2010, cities in New Brunswick were plagued by bed bug infestations. In Saint John, a number of charities began declining clothing donations for fear of the spread. A hospital was also hit by the outbreak.
A residence building at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. reported several cases of bedbugs in student rooms in September 2010. While all minor cases, the university acted quickly to ensure they didn’t spread to other rooms or buildings.
The city of Toronto has declared a war on bedbugs, hosting the first-ever bedbug summit in September. The city received an estimated 1,500 infestation reports in 2009, up from just 46 in 2003. On Jan. 10, the Ontario government pledged $5 million to help public health units fight the pests. The government will also be increasing its public education tactics, ensuring Ontarians know how to prevent outbreaks.
Bedbugs are also becoming a more common occurrence in Maritime households, with pest control companies receiving calls weekly. They are only small, about as large as an apple seed and brownish in colour. Bedbugs feed on blood and thrive in clutter. Infestations are widely discovered through the bites the bugs leave on their prey.
