By Kassel Pierre-Jean
Residents living primarily on floors three through five in the Constitution dorm are having a problem with bees entering their rooms-with the windows closed.
Graduating senior Amy Zimmerman has been having a problem with bees entering her room since the second week of the fall semester.
“I’ve never opened the window since the beginning of school. I came home one day at the beginning of the semester and found dead bees on my windowsill and a live one in my room,” she said.
Zimmerman alerted her resident assistant (RA) to the problem and he immediately brought it to the plant department’s attention. She said the plant department left her a note telling her they sprayed inside and outside her window.
“Last week, the plant department put caulking around the windowsill, but when I came back the next day, I found a live one buzzing around and a few dead ones again,” Zimmerman said.
She called Public Safety and while waiting for help she was transferred to the plant department. Zimmerman said that the plant department had promised to put in a work order for the problem, but immediately called her back and told her only her RA could put a request through. In the meantime, Zimmerman was transferred to the Office of Residential Life, where she explained her situation to Sean P. Burke, assistant director.
“I’m not deathly allergic, but if I get stung, I need to go see a doctor right away,” Zimmerman said.
Nino Geena, an RA in Constitution, helped some of his residents who reported the problematic pests.
“The procedure is that only the Resident Director (RD) has the authority to call the plant department. An RA can call in an emergency, but if you call ResLife, they’ll take care of it,” Geena said.
Residents located in corner rooms, especially those with room numbers ending in 14 and 15, have been having the most trouble.
Sophomore Matthew deMontagnac, a resident on the fifth floor, said he only had one encounter with the mysteriously appearing bees.
“I found dead bees on my windowsill,” deMontagnac said. He also added that his window had not been open.
Fourth floor resident Heidi Schectman only had two instances of bees.
“I’m deathly scared of them and I’m allergic,” she said. “The first time, I walked into my room and I heard a buzzing. I lifted the blinds and found a bee near my window. I killed it that time, but the second time I found a live one, I ran to the [maintenance] guy vacuuming outside, hysterically crying. I begged him to kill it and bless him, he killed it with his bare hands.”
Burke said ResLife would accommodate residents having a pest problem.
“Residents are always free to ask for a room change,” Burke said. “But pests are a plant department issue.”
Mike Dalto, in charge of extermination at the plant department, was unavailable for comment.
In the meantime, the plant department has made periodic visits to resident rooms to keep the bees at bay. A student aide at the plant department mentioned that a nest was found outside of Constitution.
However, Schechtman hopes that the problem will be resolved soon for residents who are getting the worst of it.
“I hope they take care of it soon. Thank God I haven’t had a real problem with it,” Schechtman said.