By Valerie Dittrich
A row of desks on the 10th floor of the Ryerson University Library has been blocked off after a report of a possible bed bug sighting.
“The desks were cordoned off as a member of the community alerted the facilities team to a possible bed bug sighting on one of the desks on the 10th floor of the library late Friday,” Ryerson’s facilities and management department (FMD) said in an email to The Eyeopener.
“The university takes reports of potential bed bug sightings very seriously—bed bugs are a common and frustrating pest in Toronto and the university takes proactive measures to try to prevent their spread in our buildings.”
Instagram account @ryerson_confessions, which posts anonymous confessions from Ryerson students, posted a photo on Friday of what appeared to be a bed bug with the caption, “Possible bed bugs found on the 10th floor of the library.”
The same account has also posted confessions of students alleging they have seen bed bugs on the sixth floor of the Sheldon and Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre (SLC) and in a lecture hall at the Ted Rogers School of Management building (TRSM).
The Eye went to the SLC and TRSM on Nov. 17 and did not find any bed bugs. The row of desks on the 10th floor of the library that were covered in plastic with the bottom of the sheet taped down to the floor, wrapped in caution tape.
The FMD said that Orkin, a pest control company, brought in their canine team on Monday morning to “assess the area” and said that “no bed bugs or bed bug activity was found.”
Bed bugs were previously found by The Eye last year inside a classroom in the Victoria Building after the university said “there was no evidence of any bed bugs or other insects” after a “visual inspection” by the FMD.
According to Health Canada, bed bugs are small, wingless creatures that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are most commonly found in small, compact spaces, such as in-between mattress seams and inside box springs.
Bed bug bites usually don’t require medical attention but they can take up to 14 days to appear on the body and appear as red and raised.
“If you see an insect that you suspect to be a bed bug, please send us a photograph so we can identify the pest and address it,” stated the FMD.
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