Students have left campus but the bugs are here to stay – N.C. State University Technician Online
Whether youre the type of person who kills a cockroach on sight or one who scoops spiders up to release them outside, bugs are an unavoidable part of any college students life. Despite our innate aversion to creepy crawlies, there are plenty of bugs that roam around campus, especially in shared spaces such as community showers and kitchens. Now that the bulk of students are living off-campus, what are the bugs up to now?
Scott Wallace, the senior regional facilities manager for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs facilities, says bugs may not be experiencing the same upheaval that students have.
Bugs are still present, Wallace said. Were still performing maintenance and looking for bugs, doing the same things we always do.
With the majority of students having left campus, the number of bugs in dormitories may have changed at the very least, students arent calling housekeeping about the massive spider that suspiciously looks like a brown recluse.
With students being gone, the number of work orders has gone down, Wallace said. Certain buildings arent occupied, so you dont have those work orders originating from students.
Sydney Crawley, an assistant professor of urban and structural entomology, says the most common bugs found on NC States campus can be found at most college campuses.
Roaches, ants, different species of flies, mosquitoes, spiders most insects are pretty typical across college campuses, regardless of where they are regionally, Crawley said. Specific to NC State, there are a lot of fire ants on our campus.
The biggest resource that bugs get from humans is food, but college campuses can be the perfect breeding ground for all sorts of critters. Beyond community kitchens and overflowing trash cans, bugs love moisture, Crawley says which leads them straight to the showers.
Youve got a lot of students taking showers and using hot water, which increases humidity, Crawley said. A lot more humidity than the average residential home.
According to Crawley, the bugs most impacted by the lack of students seem to be indoor pests, from bloodsuckers like bed bugs to ants.
[Bloodsucking insects] can only live for a few months without blood, Crawley said. Any blood-feeding insect is likely to start moving away and looking for a meal elsewhere, [alongside] any insect that likes moisture and inside food.
When bugs do arise in droves anywhere on campus, Wallace explained, pest control management at NC State utilizes effective methods that dont involve pesticide.
We do whats called integrated pest control management, Wallace said. If we do have bugs in an environment, [we find out] whats attracting them and how theyre getting in or where theyre coming from. When you use pesticides and sprays, it pushes bugs to other places, but if you use bait and traps, you eliminate the entire population.
As for the pandemics impact on insects, Crawley says that we may be noticing for the first time just how many bugs are around us on a daily basis.
People are starting to pay more attention to whats around them, Crawley said. It might make it seem like theres been an increase in insect activity when there hasnt.
If youre noticing an unusual number of bugs in your living spaces, Wallace explains that there are plenty of things for students to do to keep their homes bug-free.
Number one is removing trash, not leaving food around, Wallace said. Sealing up [entry points], being clean, vacuuming just normal, everyday things.
Read more:
Students have left campus but the bugs are here to stay - N.C. State University Technician Online
- Toronto tenants accuse property manager of freezing them in their apartments - blogTO - February 27th, 2021
- Eco-Friendly Solutions for the Top 5 Pests - EcoWatch - February 25th, 2021
- Serenity at Highland still troubled by dangerous conditions - wreg.com - February 25th, 2021
- Hove mum's 'fear' after being told she could be 'homeless' - The Argus - February 21st, 2021
- Leeds named as one of UK's bed bugs hotspot with people leaving bed sheets unwashed for nearly 3 weeks - Leeds Live - February 19th, 2021
- Pandemic Adds Roach Infestations To Its List of Living Nightmares - Gothamist - February 19th, 2021
- SaniSnooze Hits the Market - HomeCare - February 17th, 2021
- Dont let the bed bugs bite - Bangalore Mirror - February 17th, 2021
- Toronto residents deliver cockroaches to landlords trying to evict them - blogTO - February 17th, 2021
- Who is doing what to your clothes and your house? | Witness - News24 - February 17th, 2021
- Push to extend foster care from age 18 to 21 could keep more young adults with services they need - The Arizona Republic - February 14th, 2021
- Assassins and Hunters Lurk in the Shadows - North Country Public Radio - February 14th, 2021
- Jax Sheets on Shark Tank: What is the cost, who is the founder and why is it billed as bedsheets for men? - MEAWW - February 14th, 2021
- The US structural pest control market by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% during the period 20212026 - GlobeNewswire - February 12th, 2021
- This City Has the Worst Bed Bug Infestation in America - AOL - February 12th, 2021
- The US structural pest control market by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% during the period 20212026 - Press Release - Digital Journal - February 10th, 2021
- Ilze Hattingh used early-career hardships to become an ASU standout - The State Press - February 10th, 2021
- RCMP and CBSA investigation leads to the arrest of six individuals and the dismantling of a large human trafficking network - Benzinga - February 10th, 2021
- Last Week in The Sentinel | Local News | sentinelsource.com - The Keene Sentinel - February 7th, 2021
- Congrats, Cincinnati! We're Among Orkin's Top Bed Bug Cities - Cincinnati CityBeat - February 5th, 2021
- The History of the Bookworm - Book Riot - February 5th, 2021
- Chicago tops list of cities for bed bug infestations - The Denver Channel - February 3rd, 2021
- Bedbugs: symptoms, treatment and how to get rid of them - Netdoctor - February 3rd, 2021
- Here's what to do if you have bedbugs - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - February 3rd, 2021
- 'Bed Bug Cities' Ranking Puts Flint High on the List - wcrz.com - February 3rd, 2021
- Parenting In Focus: Childhood nightmares and remedies - Sequim Gazette - February 3rd, 2021
- Baltimore Comes In Second On Orkin's List Of Cities With Most Bed Bugs - Yahoo News - February 3rd, 2021
- This US city has the most bed bugs - Fox Business - February 1st, 2021
- New Year, New Top City on Orkin's 2021 Bed Bug Cities List: Chicago - PRNewswire - February 1st, 2021
- Who said there's no good news from this Covid-19 pandemic? You don't have to worry so much about bed bugs now - RT - January 28th, 2021
- Assassins and Hunters Lurk in the Shadows - - The Adirondack Almanack - Adirondack Almanack - January 28th, 2021
- Toronto tops list of worst cities for bed bugs in 2020 - CTV Toronto - January 27th, 2021
- These are the 25 worst cities in Canada for bed bugs | News - Daily Hive - January 27th, 2021
- This northern Ontario city is one of Canada's top 10 for bed bugs - CTV Toronto - January 27th, 2021
- These Are Cities That Top the List for Bed Bug Infestations in Canada for 2020 - To Do Canada - January 27th, 2021
- Housing options for medically vulnerable people are limited as PEP-V centers hover at capacity - Greater Greater Washington - January 27th, 2021
- Toronto is once again the top bed bug city in Canada - indie88.com - January 27th, 2021
- Vancouver ranks #4 most bed bug-infested city in Canada - Vancouver Is Awesome - January 27th, 2021
- Winter at the borders of Europe: fears for refugees - PRESSENZA International News Agency - January 27th, 2021
- The FINANCIAL - University spin-out battles bed bugs with pheromone innovation - The FINANCIAL - January 25th, 2021
- Bed Bugs: How to Get Rid of Them Effectively? - Gilmore Health News - January 25th, 2021
- Garth Rattray | Non-contact infrared thermometers are safe - Jamaica Gleaner - January 25th, 2021
- The areas where Warwick District Council has been called to deal with rats, mice and cockroaches - Coventry Live - January 24th, 2021
- Residents of Lansing's Porter Apartments describe rats, bedbugs and unresponsive owners - WSYM-TV - January 22nd, 2021
- Tenant's nightmare in high-rise flat infested with bed bugs, silverfish and beetles - Glasgow Live - January 20th, 2021
- The One Product Americans Will Need When They Return to Traveling - The Ritz Herald - January 20th, 2021
- The #1 Reason You Should Avoid This New, Trending Supplement - Eat This, Not That - January 20th, 2021
- Who Is The Most Famous Celebrity Ever? We Have The Answer - unCrazed - January 18th, 2021
- DIY Pest Control Products Market 2021 Growing Demand and Research Report Henkel, Spectrum, Bell Labs, Ensystex, Thermacell, Nisus Corp - The Courier - January 16th, 2021
- The Office: The Best Episode Of Every Season, Ranked According To IMDb - Screen Rant - January 14th, 2021
- The cicada's deafening shriek is the sound of summer, and humans have been drawn to it for thousands of years - The Conversation AU - January 11th, 2021
- Afraid Of Rodents And Bugs? 2021 May Not Be Your Year - PRNewswire - January 8th, 2021
- Disinfection exercise has minimised bedbugs in schools in the Northern region---Regional Education Director - Modern Ghana - January 8th, 2021
- Guelph Public Library wants you to stop (literally) cooking the books - GuelphToday - January 8th, 2021
- Judge orders probation and treatment in cancer scam case - Daily Local News - January 6th, 2021
- Released Inmates at Durham's COVID Motel Say It's Just Another Prison - INDY Week - January 6th, 2021
- How to Get Rid of Silverfish in Your House, According to Pest Control Experts - Prevention.com - January 4th, 2021
- Insects and the cold - Plainview Daily Herald - December 31st, 2020
- Bed bugs: The smells warning of an infestation including a marzipan odour - TechnoCodex - December 31st, 2020
- The Road: 100 Days of Travel in Pandemic-Ravaged America - Rolling Stone - December 29th, 2020
- Europe pest control market Outlook and Opportunities in Grooming Regions - LionLowdown - December 25th, 2020
- Python-sniffing dogs are Florida's newest weapon in fighting invasive snakes - ABC News - December 23rd, 2020
- Sniffing Out Pythons: Dogs Being Used To Track Invasive Burmese Pythons - CBS Miami - December 22nd, 2020
- At least we don't have communal bed bugs - The Chatham News + Record - December 17th, 2020
- 'The prison's message is: Cooperate or you'll go back to the cell and be eaten alive by bugs' - Haaretz.com - December 17th, 2020
- Immune and circulatory systems are functionally integrated in all insects, Vanderbilt biologists demonstrate - Vanderbilt University News - December 17th, 2020
- Light of Life Rescue Mission opening two facilities on the North Side - NEXTpittsburgh - December 15th, 2020
- Family worries as shelter strained by virus outbreak - Midland Daily News - December 13th, 2020
- Roxy the Bed Bug Dog: The End of Secure Property Rights in Working Animals? - Reason - December 11th, 2020
- Co-op and Condo Annual Bedbug Reports Are Almost Due - Habitat magazine - December 11th, 2020
- Tenants of Rabbi Shulman Apartments in South Bend being relocated - 953mnc.com - December 9th, 2020
- How To Determine The Type Of Termite Infestation - KHTS Radio - December 9th, 2020
- How often you should wash pyjamas and the nasty health risks if you don't - RSVP Live - December 9th, 2020
- Bed bugs reported at Edgewater apartments - BayToday.ca - December 4th, 2020
- Bed bug bites: Signs can be found close to blood vessels - key locations to look for - Express - December 4th, 2020
- The 12 Best Steam Cleaners, According to People Who Really, *Really* Love Them - PureWow - December 4th, 2020
- A one-stop solution for all crawl spaces and attic related problems by Diversified CrawlSpace Services - Press Release - Digital Journal - December 1st, 2020
- A cleaning expert has warned about making your bed first thing in the morning - FM104 - November 28th, 2020
- Bed bug cases on the rise since 2010 | AgriLife Today - AgriLife Today - November 27th, 2020
- Early Detection, Topical Steroids, and Antihistamines, May Be Helpful for Combatting Bed Bug Manifestations - Dermatology Advisor - November 27th, 2020