Multiple findings of living and dead mice in students’ rooms were reported at McCormick Hall at the end of the fall semester, with more incidents occurring early this semester.
Rick Arcuri, associate dean for administration, said the university took the problem seriously immediately after the first finding was reported.
“As soon as we knew there was a mouse in the building, we called our pest control company,” Arcuri said. “It turned out that we had several different incidences. When you first get them and it’s on the same floor, you start thinking it might be the same mice. When they show up on a couple of different floors, then you understand that it’s a little bit more than one mouse and you go after it.”
Maggie Griffith, a freshman in the College of Communication and a McCormick resident, said she saw a mouse in her room about two weeks ago, but other residents probably had it worse off.
“I only saw one,” Griffith said. “You could hear (more) squeaking around in the vents. A room at the other end of the hall had them in their closets.”
Arcuri said there were no mice found inside the dining hall, which is open until midnight throughout the entire week.
“We trap in that area and there’s no activity whatsoever,” Arcuri said. “All of it has been in the tower of McCormick.”
Though critters were found on six different floors, Arcuri said he believes the problem is resolved and the university constantly keeps tabs on pest control in campus residences.
“We’re proactively treating for all kind of pests, and they monitor that throughout the course of the year,” Arcuri said.
He also said the small infestation did not stem from any structural issues, but rather from open containers and bags of food on the floors where mice were found.
“It’s not a structural problem,” Arcuri said. “Mice are opportunistic, and if they find something to eat, they know they’ve found a home. What we found in almost all instances where we were seeing mice was that there was some type of food in the room either opened or on the floor.”
The mice may be gone for now, but Arcuri said the university will continue to look for any further infestations.
“We’ve eliminated the issue,” Arcuri said. “We will continue to monitor it just to make sure, but I think we’re on the front end of it.”
Acuri and McCormick Hall Director Jennifer Steiner advise students living in McCormick not to leave any food or crumbs on the floor and to vacuum or remove anything from the floor that could attract more mice. Steiner also suggests that students properly seal all food items.
