Sadly, it’s all being repeated in Montreal too at McGill — “fumigation” (whatever that means), persistent infestations, students being moved to other locations and perhaps spreading the infestation.

If any colleges want some advice, they can read it here for free, or hire me as a consultant for $200/hour

I wonder if Ryerson will disclose to the incoming students that the rooms they are being moved into had bedbugs? If it’s like my building, they won’t. Tenants moving into our building are not told about the bedbugs. Funny that our management company doesn’t use real estate agents anymore, just Craigslist. Real estate agents are licensed and have rules governing what they have to disclose (and I bet tenants who have paid a real estate agent a hefty 1.5 months rent as a fee will ask for it back if the agent rents them an apartment in a building that has bedbugs).

And somehow, in my shoes or in my jacket or possibly in my bag, or in my hair or HOWEVER, the bugs followed. I would say, from personal experience alone, that it’s safe to assume these kids are transporting bedbugs to new dorms without a clue.

That said, what of this “fumigation?”

Granted, we may not be getting the full story, but considering that it cost me $1500.00 for ONE treatment with only a 30-day guarantee for a two bedroom apartment, I highly doubt that this $1000.00 treatment is going to do much at all, except perhaps scatter the bedbugs to adjacent dorms.

Did the University take care to hire experienced exterminators who would spend hours upon hours (literally) removing outlet plates and ceiling lights on entire floors of dormitories? Did the University do any sort of research on bedbug activity, so as to be as proactive as possible? I’m sure, at any university, entomologists must be available. Were they consulted? Are the people at Ryerson who are handling this infestation even aware of the potential for spread and reinfestation? If not, why?

I suppose that’s my question and my main point: Why? If you know you’ve got a bedbug infestation, why not research bedbugs? And then research them again and again? Why not?

I’ll answer my own question, because I’ve been there. It’s because when a person discovers a bedbug infestation, he or she immediately contacts and relies solely on an exterminator to resolve the infestation. Quickly.

Unfortunately, most exterminators (or Pest Control Operators- PCOs) are not trained for bedbug infestations, which require much more work and diligence on behalf of the customer and the exterminator than a typical ant or roach problem.

I suppose I mean to say that it becomes our responsiblity, as people who have contracted bedbugs or are highly likely to encounter bedbugs (and this includes college personnel, workplace human resource personnel, officials of public transportation, department store managers, storage rental facility managers, car rental facility managers, airline personnel, apartment managers, landords, etc.) to inform ourselves and proceed with infestation control as EDUCATED parties.

Otherwise, we’re doomed to repeat history, as I’m certain will happen at Ryerson University.

Jess