Bed bugs continue to plague the University of South Florida College of Business, but school officials are hoping they'll have the problem stamped out soon.
Earlier this month, we reported about a pair of incidents in the newer of the two Business Administration buildings: first, a student had been bitten in a first floor classroom in late August, prompting an exterminator to be called in to treat that room. However, another bed bug was found a few days later in a common area on the second floor, which was also treated.
Now, according to a letter from Business Dean Moez Limayem to students, faculty and staff, an exterminator inspecting the newer building yesterday found "the presence of a few live bugs in three classrooms."
Those rooms, BSN 115, 118 and 120 will be closed until next Monday while exterminators treat them. Classes scheduled for the rooms have been temporarily relocated.
Also, as a precautionary measure, all rooms and areas in the newer Business Administration building will be treated, even if there have been no signs of bugs. That work will be done over the weekend.
In addition, Limayem's letter says that the exterminator found dead bugs as well, making them believe the earlier treatments are working and that there's no reason to suspect an infestation.
College of Business Director of Communications & External Relations Lorie Briggs tells WUSF, "the experts from USF Environmental Health & Safety, Physical Plant, and an external pest control firm have indicated that we have no reason to believe that this problem will continue or that it requires the permanent relocation of classes. The relocation of classes in the classrooms noted and the weekend closure of the building are additional precautionary measures that the team decided to take."
