By Daniel Opasinis
Bedbugs were allegedly spotted on the third floor of the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) building on Sept. 25.
A Reddit user by the name of u/nbdinperticular posted a photo of an insect with the title ‘Bedbugs at TRSM?’ to the r/TorontoMetU subreddit. This was fifth-year accounting and finance student, Januza Regiman, who saw what looked to be a bedbug on a study desk in the hallway of the building’s third floor.
This is one of several reported sightings of bedbugs on Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) campus in the past couple of years, specifically at TRSM, as previously reported by The Eyeopener.
One user commented on the post, “There’s bedbugs again???? What is up with TRSM 3rd floor.”
While studying on the third floor of the TRSM building, Regiman said she noticed the bug on her shoulder and swatted it off. Thinking nothing of it at first, she went back to studying. However, she remembered hearing about bedbugs in the building previously and decided to take a picture.
“So I post it and obviously the consensus is that it’s a bedbug,” she said.
She said other users on Reddit recommended she report the sighting to the campus Facilities Help Desk (Fixit). Regiman emailed the Help Desk about what she saw. She said they replied and told her they were going to send staff to address the problem.
“How are [they] going to find time to do that when lectures are obviously ongoing…it just seemed like a boilerplate statement,” she said.
According to Pest Control Canada, “It often takes hours to properly inspect and treat a bedbug infestation and follow-up visits are usually required.”
Regiman said the department never followed up with her so she could not confirm whether or not anyone was sent to address the bedbug she saw.
In an emailed statement to The Eye on Sept. 30, TMU’s Facilities, Management and Development said, “If a bedbug sighting is confirmed, the protocol for response is to cordon off the area and conduct a heat treatment, which is the most effective extermination measure against bed bugs.” After the treatment, “a canine unit inspection is conducted [and]…if the finding is all clear, no further action is required.”
The statement also reads that, “All reporting sightings of bedbugs are investigated. To date, in 2024, investigations at TRSM have not resulted in a positive result.”
TMU has not yet released a statement about the alleged recent issue.
The Facilities Management and Development department has an infographic explaining the importance of being able to spot a bedbug and understand the difference between them and other bugs. TMU also has an infographic available online in collaboration with Orkin, a local pest control company. The material provides students with tips to spot and prevent bedbugs.
Ashley Zidanic, a fourth-year business technology management student, was surprised to learn about the alleged bedbug in her faculty’s building. She said that awareness and transparency regarding the bedbug sightings should be a priority for the school and they should “definitely address it in a mass email to Ted Rogers [students].”
“I feel very uncomfortable. Now I don’t want to go to class,” she said.
Facilities, Management and Development said, “It’s critical that community members contact us with a photo if they suspect a bedbug has been spotted and details about the location, so we can identify the pest and address it.
Reports can be submitted online to the Facilities Help Desk (Fixit) or by email at fixit@torontomu.ca.
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