The Observer, October 5, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 6
Northside recovers from bug infestation
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Two weeks ago, Case's housing staff was alerted to the infestation of multiple buildings on Northside by hordes of small black bugs. The problem is now taken care of, but the insects caused quite an inconvenience for students whose rooms were infested.
Multiple buildings on Northside were plagued by the insects, including Storrs, Pierce, Cutler, Hitchcock, Sherman, Tyler, House 5 in the Village at 115, and the Alpha Phi sorority house. The bugs have been identified as minute pirate bugs, Orius tristicolor, a non-threatening member of the aphid family. The bugs are predators of the plant world, feeding on mites and other aphids, in addition to occasional plant matter, which they will bite to determine its edibility. Minute pirate bugs are native to the area, but typically found on crops such as corn, cotton, and soybeans. It has yet to be determined how they found their way onto campus.
Alma Sealine, director of housing, does have a hypothesis on how the fraction-of-an-inch-long bugs infiltrated dormitories. "The bugs are small enough to fit through the holes in window screens, so we believe that they traveled up trees, and then proceeded to enter the open windows of rooms. This also explains why most of the affected rooms were on the third or fourth floors of the buildings."
Housing was informed of the insects' presence Sept. 22. The bugs were still unidentified at the time, so students with buggy rooms were forced to evacuate and either live with friends for the weekend or in Clarke Tower's Refuge, due to fear that the bugs were potential disease-carriers and/or poisonous to humans.
EcoLab was on campus Tuesday, and immediately began researching exactly what these bugs were and the best course of action to rid the dormitories and surrounding areas of the insects. After consulting with a local entomologist from the Botanical Gardens, EcoLab workers determined the exact identity of the minute pirate bugs, and proceeded to enact their treatment of the affected rooms. Treatment consisted of mixing a repellant powder with water, creating a paste that was spread on any surface near a window, including the windowsills, frames, and screens.
"The treatment seems to have done the trick. We did have to re-treat a few rooms, but we decided to also treat the affected building's exteriors as well, so this second treatment should completely eradicate the bugs," Sealine says.
As for preventing any future incidents like these, Sealine offers a few tips for students. "To keep away other pests, such as roaches and mice, keep all living spaces clean of crumbs. Crumbs are the number- one attraction for these animals, and eliminating them eliminates unwanted pests, especially in the fall season, when these animals want to be indoors in the warmth."
This was the first reported incident of any bug-related problems on Case's campus, and as the cause of the infestation has yet to be determined, there are no exact tips for keeping bugs out of dormitories. If you have a pest problem of any kind, contact your Resident Assistant or Greek Life staff member, and they will get in touch with Case's 24-hour extermination service, who will respond to your complaint within a day. You can also call your local area office for immediate assistance.
