By Madison Ferril
Reporter
Baylor relocated two students to a hotel Tuesday for three nights after bedbugs were found in their South Russell Residence Hall room.
Four adjacent rooms were also inspected by Ecolab and no bedbugs were found.
Baylor paid for the hotel room for the two students who had bedbugs and offered students in the surrounding rooms the option to stay in other rooms in North Russell Residence Hall or stay with friends.
The room with the infestation was treated Tuesday and Wednesday by Ecolab. All clothing and bedding was removed from the room for professional laundering.
The treatment for the infested room took 48 hours.
Haymarket, Va., freshman Megan Conrad lives in one of the adjacent rooms. She said she had to pack up her belongings and leave her room by noon Tuesday and was not allowed back into her room until 4 p.m. Wednesday for the inspection and treatment.
“I stayed with friends up the street,” Conrad said. “If I had breaks between classes I just had to find somewhere else to go.”
Director of Media Communications Lori Fogleman said Ecolab gave the four rooms barrier treatments, which prevent bedbug infestations.
“The majority of students chose to stay with friends during the barrier treatment process, which takes 24 hours,” Fogleman said.
Baylor notified all South Russell residents by email. Fogleman said the infestation was isolated to one room and while bedbug infestations are not uncommon, they are inconvenient.
“Baylor is moving swiftly to address the issue and provide students with additional information if they want it,” Fogleman said.
The last incident of bedbugs at Baylor was at Penland in 2009, when two rooms were treated for bedbug infestations.
