Just like any apartment, dorm rooms occasionally do attract a few pests.
I learned that the hard way one morning, as the piercing shriek of my roommate, Kiera jolted me awake. I dashed to our suite bathroom, where I found Kiera staring down a gigantic cockroach under the sink.
Within seconds our four suitemates joined us, and the six of us stared down at the bug too scared too do anything, but too afraid to just leave it (think of where it might turn up next).
Kiera snatched a bottle of Windex and began frantically squirting the bug, hoping that the cockroach would die instantly from contact. Instead it moved faster darting away from the liquid, out from under the sink, and towards us.
We screamed and scrambled away.
Finally, as the cockroach made a move towards my door, I snatched a container from the bathroom and slammed it down on top of the insect, successfully crushing it. Then Kiera grabbed the container and smacked the cockroach a few extra times (we had to make sure it was dead).
Once we were assured that not one of the limbs was moving my roommates wandered off, unwilling to clean up the guts, and complaining that squashing cockroaches scatters eggs all over the floor (that is so not true…I think).
Bugs are not fun.
However, if you follow these steps they shouldn’t be an issue.
Contact Maintenance
It isn’t your responsibility to catch mice or spray your dorm for bugs. If you do have an issue, contact the head of your residence hall or the appropriate maintenance supervisor (contact information is usually available online or at the check-in desk). Remember that if you see one bug or one mouse there are probably a lot more, so make sure you let the right people know so they can take the appropriate action, before it’s an issue.
Keep Clean
The best preemptive strategy is to keep your living space neat and clean. Don’t leave food or dirty dishes lying around, and carefully clean up any spills or sticky messes. If you don’t attract bugs or mice, you might never see one.
Put Food Away
Don’t put food in places where pests can easily get to it. Boxes and fresh food should never be placed in drawers or cabinets near the floor or left out in the open on the counter. Store your food in the fridge, in high cabinets, and in plastic containers to keep all the bugs and mice out.
