Pests & Bed Bugs

1. Request an Inspection

Residents who suspect pests or bedbugs must immediately contact the Housing Hospitality Desk or place a Service Request. To ensure an expedited response, residents should contact Housing or place a Service Request as early on a regular business day as possible as the exterminator cannot be dispatched on weekends or holidays.

2. Exterminator Conducts Inspection

At a time determined at its sole discretion, Facilities and Operations will dispatch an exterminator who will perform a thorough inspection of the room/suite. Residents may not deny the exterminator or Facilities and Operations staff access to their living space (including their bedroom, suite common space, kitchen, bathroom, etc.).

Only the exterminator can confirm the presence of bedbugs. Surrounding units may also be checked for the presence of bedbugs. 

If the exterminator does not confirm the presence of bedbugs, no further action will be taken. Students will be asked to continue monitoring their living space and to notify Housing immediately if there are further problems.

3. Treatment of Infected Spaces

If pests or bedbugs are confirmed in a resident’s room or suite, a Facilities and Operations exterminator will treat the room. Depending on the pest identified, Housing will give residents instructions for prevention and treatment. 

Residents with confirmed bedbugs will be required to clean and bag all clothing, bedding, books and personal items prior to the treatment. Dry cleaning is the resident’s responsibility.

The exterminator will apply pesticide to locations within the resident’s room. The treatment will likely consist of a few different approaches:

• A pesticide will be applied to locations within the resident’s room that may harbor the bugs. Multiple treatments over several days may be necessary and may also include steam cleaning and vacuuming.
• The exterminator may place glue boards in the resident’s room. These boards can show the degree of success of the treatment. If the glue board collects bedbugs after its placement, then another treatment may be warranted. If this is the case, the resident should contact Housing as soon as possible.

The pesticide DDT is no longer used to treat bedbugs.

Residents will be asked to vacate their room for the duration of the treatment, typically a few hours. Residents will then return to their room. 

How does Columbia Housing respond to reports of bedbugs?

We take bedbug reports seriously. If the presence of bedbugs is confirmed, we will implement a comprehensive pest management program under the guidance of our pest control vendor to ensure that the latest and most effective treatments are being used. This includes on-site chemical and heat treatments as well as other proactive measures to prevent and contain bedbugs. In addition, Columbia Housing provides information to students and staff to educate them about potential bedbug problems. 

Partnerships and information sharing with Columbia Health and Residential Life have also been established to ensure that they are aware and available to support students as needed. 

How do residents get bedbugs?

Bedbugs are equal opportunity pests and can infest anyone, anywhere. They are not a sign of poor hygiene or cleanliness. 

Bedbugs thrive in places with high occupancy, such as hotels, residence halls, and apartment complexes. Bedbugs are carried from place to place on personal belongings such as luggage, backpacks, furniture, boxes, and electronics. They spread by crawling and traveling within walls and by latching onto fabrics and upholstered items.

Bedbugs are not always obvious. They are small nocturnal insects and are generally active only at dawn, with a peak feeding period about an hour before sunrise. They can hide in places like the crevices of mattresses and furniture, bed frames, box springs, behind electrical outlet covers, inside drawers, in clothing, and other small places where they are not easily detected. 

How do I check my space for bedbugs?

• Look at the room to identify potential hiding places for bedbugs (carpet edges, mattress seams, pillowcase linings, headboards, wall trim, furniture seams, or other tiny crack-like places).
• Look for signs of bedbug activity: droppings, eggs, bloodstains or even bedbugs themselves. This may look like small blood spots on your mattress or linens, or small black, dirt-like specks or white casings in seams or crevices of furniture. 

What do bedbug bites look like?

Bedbug bites consist of a raised red bumps or flat welts sometimes accompanied by intense itching. Bites tend to occur on areas exposed during sleeping, such as on the neck, hands, or feet, and are usually aligned three in a row. The red bumps or welts are the result of an allergic reaction to the anesthetic contained in the bedbug's saliva.

Do bed bugs carry disease?

According to the CDC, bedbugs are not known to spread diseases to people.  

What should I do if I think I have bedbugs?

If a resident suspects bedbugs, they should follow the steps listed in the Procedure section above. Begin by immediately calling the Hospitality Desk at 212-854-2779.

What shouldn't I do if I think I have bed bugs?

• Don’t panic! Bedbugs can be safely and successfully exterminated if residents follow all guidelines given to them by Housing and Facilities and Operations.
• Do not sleep in a friend’s room or another location on or off campus, as your belongings may carry bedbugs to new spaces. Staying in your assigned room is crucial to containing the spread of bedbugs.
• Do not wait until after 5:00 p.m. on Friday to notify Housing. An exterminator will not be dispatched after business hours or on weekends.
• Do not apply pesticides on your own. Facilities and Operations uses a licensed pest control operator to confirm the presence of bedbugs and to develop an integrated pest management plan.
• Do not move your mattress, furniture, or any personal belongings into the hallway or building common space. Contaminated items can be cleaned and treated. Placing contaminated furniture (particularly mattresses) into common areas or on the street may spread bedbugs to the rooms and suites of other students.

How can I reduce the risk of bringing bedbugs into my room?

• Before returning to your room, inspect clothing, backpacks/purses, electronics, and other personal items. Check crevices for bedbugs or signs of bedbugs. 
• Do not bring second-hand or discarded furniture – especially upholstered furniture – into your room. These items are common breeding grounds for bedbugs. 
• Clean your room frequently and reduce clutter to minimize the places for bedbugs to hide. Use hangers or hooks capable of keeping all clothing distant from the floor or bed.
• Wash and dry clothing and linens frequently in high temperatures to kill bedbugs.

• Look at the room to identify potential hiding places for bedbugs (carpet edges, mattress seams, pillowcase linings, headboards, wall trim, furniture seams, or other tiny crack-like places).
• Look for signs of bedbug activity: droppings, eggs, bloodstains or even bedbugs themselves. This may look like small blood spots on your mattress or linens, or small black, dirt-like specks or white casings in seams or crevices of furniture. 
• Never leave clothing lying on the bed, or any location of possible infestation. Use hangers or hooks capable of keeping all clothing distant from the floor or bed.
• Keep any suitcases or travel bags closed and elevated off the floor to tables or chairs.
• When returning from any travel (especially abroad), immediately wash ALL items in hot water followed by a hot dry cycle (at least 30 minutes).