The roach report: Cockroaches found in Stavig Hall
A recent discovery in Stavig Hall left residents grappling with unexpected guests: an infestation of cockroaches. It started with a sighting the first week of January.
A student on the sixth floor reported seeing cockroaches in her room. Throughout the week, more individuals stepped forward, saying they discovered the bugs in their rooms as well.
Two weeks after the first sighting, Heather Hemmer, a senior Viking Advisor on Stavig's sixth floor, found a cockroach on the floor of her room.
“A resident, who was my neighbor, informed me that she was seeing them because I wasn’t paying attention, and then I didn’t find one until two weeks into it, but I had residents sending me pictures of them, so that’s scary,” Hemmer said.
According to Hemmer, some of the residents on floor six stayed clear of their rooms, crashing on neighbors' futons or returning home until the issue was resolved.
Hemmer said seven to eleven rooms were affected on floor six, with most students spotting three to five bugs. Floors three and four were also reported to have been affected, according to Hemmer.
When asked how the cockroaches were traveling to other floors, Hemmer stated they migrated to the elevator; specifically, they latched onto people or their possessions and took a ride to other floors, quickly infesting more areas in the building. Hemmer said she’s seen them ride the elevator before.
Students reached out to Stavig Hall Director Noah Gassman in hopes of removing the cockroaches. Housing & Residence Life immediately alerted an exterminator from Presto-X Pest Control in Sioux Falls to work with students impacted and rid of the pests.
Traps containing sugar bait, which is poisonous to pests but harmless to humans, were set in the affected areas and helped to catch the cockroaches. They were placed in corners, along the wall, in front of doors and underneath furniture in students’ rooms. Around a dozen were found in the traps throughout the building. The last report of a cockroach sighting was filed during the last week of January.
One of the main concerns for Gassman and Stavig residents alike was how the cockroaches got there in the first place. After the exterminator from Presto-X came to the building, he provided information on the likely reason the cockroaches made their way to the building: They did not originate there but instead arrived clinging on to outside possessions.
“Our expert thinks they arrived from students' Amazon packages that they brought into the building,” Gassman said. “Or they arrived from a student’s possessions after returning to campus from home for J-term.”
Gassman, who has been the Stavig Hall director for two years, said this has not been a common issue.
“I’ve learned a whole lot about cockroaches from the emails I’ve received because there’s a lot of emotions from the cockroaches,” Gassman said.
Rylee Stadick, a senior in Stavig whose room was affected, stated, “I was definitely panicking because I am not a bug lover. I was worried we were going to find more but the exterminator put the traps out and we only ever found one.”
As of now, the issue has been resolved and there have been no recent cockroach sightings.
Gassman and Stavig residents provided a few tips for students to help prevent the cockroaches from affecting more rooms.
- Keep food and snacks in the refrigerator, and ensure they are tightly sealed and stored in a clean area.
- Wipe down furniture and keep condensed spaces clean
- Keep dirty clothes and laundry in a hamper
- Make sure bedding is clean
- Keep rooms clean and tidy
Following these steps will help to prevent the cockroaches from returning. Students in Stavig are urged to report any further sightings to Gassman and to take extra precautions in their communal spaces.
