Bedbugs not found in University Teaching Center after more reports made – UT The Daily Texan

Despite reports of a second bedbug sighting in the University Teaching Center, the Universitys pest control team said they have not found any more bedbugs in room 2.102A.

Bedbugs were first confirmed in the room Oct. 18, and the University hired a private pest control company to treat the room the following week, Landscape Services manager Jim Carse said. A month later, journalism junior Alejandra Gavilanes said her professor, Samantha Pinto, warned her class that another bedbug report was made to the University.

Veronica Trevino, Financial and Administrative Services media manager, said after the University received November reports of the pests, the private company inspected the room but found no bedbugs, so the classroom has remained open.

Theyre state-certified with over 35 years of experience in pest management, and they havent found anything, Trevino said. There was an inspection, but no bedbugs were found.

Gavilanes said Pinto, an associate professor of English, told the class on Nov. 20 she did not want to risk exposure for the students, so she encouraged her class to stand or sit on the tables in the room instead.

Gavilanes said another student in her class found a bug after it fell on her, but they were not sure if it was a bedbug. Pinto said in an email she worries that the University is placing the fault on students for the bedbugs.

It seems like individual students who locate and document the ongoing bedbugs in the lecture hall are actually being targeted as the cause of the bedbugs, rather than vigilant victims acting for the public good, Pinto said. I hate that my students and teaching assistants feel unsafe in the room. The students need information and resources, and the University needs to be monitoring the room every day.

Gavilanes said the University should be more thorough in checking the whole room, proposing that the bugs may be in the ceiling since one fell on the student.

As a student and as somebody who spends a lot of time in there, Im kind of pissed that its not cleared up, Gavilanes said. I get it its an old room, and its probably bound to have problems. I dont think its impossible for them to possibly be on the ceiling or something. They dont jump, so theres no way for one to just fall on you.

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Bedbugs not found in University Teaching Center after more reports made - UT The Daily Texan