UC, Xavier prepared to deal with bedbugs

CINCINNATI - They could be anywhere. In the mattress, the drawers, the carpet, even hiding behind a wall outlet.

Bedbugs. Bloodsucking pests that all but disappeared decades ago, are back, and looking for their next meal.

College campuses can look pretty inviting, said Carl Dieso, Associate Director of UC Housing and Food Services.

"When you've got 4,000 18-year-olds running around, are there going to be pizza boxes in the hallway, are there chicken wings around, did somebody forget to wash their towels or their sheets after three or four weeks? It happens."

Student housing staff at both UC and Xavier University are taking bedbugs very seriously.

Their protocols require inspections of the rooms by qualified exterminators, usually within 24 hours.

Perhaps because of their aggressive stance, neither campus has been overwhelmed by these painful parasites.

"I can count on probably one hand the number of issues that we've had," said Angie Kneflin, Assistant Director for Apartments and Off Campus Life at XU.

"We might get five, six cases a year that are positive," said Dieso.

UC is going to a vinyl, seamless mattress, which keeps the bugs out.

Dieso said they also send the student to the health center to get checked.

"We want to make sure that they, number one, identify, is it an actual bite, vs. a rash, and make sure they're getting taken care of."

Bedbugs are not known to transmit disease.

While both schools are adamant that having bedbugs is not a cleanliness issue, getting rid of them is.

"We'll ask them to take their bed linens," said Dieso. "Put that in a bag, seal that up. Then generally clean up their room. Make sure the desk is clean, corners of the room are clean, if there's any food, garbage, have that thrown out."

That way, hopefully the only residents will be the ones paying rent.