Schools

College Bedbug Situation Under Control, Officials Say

Eight cases initially reported, but now officials say some of those cases turned out to be fruit flies.

The bedbug situation at William Paterson University is under control, school officials said Thursday.

An exterminator was brought in and sprayed for the insects earlier this week, said John Martone, vice president for student development.

Media reports initially reported there had been eight cases of bedbugs in two dormitories, Matelson Hall and White Hall, but the number was less than that, Martone said.

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Out of the eight cases initially reported, bedbugs were only found to be “in some of those,” Martone said. The first case was reported in late September.

Fruit flies were found in some of the rooms, not bedbugs. Martone said that the files were attracted to a coffee mug that hadn’t been washed out.

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If more insects are discovered in dormitories an exterminator will be brought back to address the problem.

“We fully expect that we will get other reports during the course of the year and we will deal with them as they come up,” Martone said.

All dorms are cleaned and fumigated before students move in, Martone said.

“We take student safety and their quality of life very seriously,” Martone said.

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