As students returned to campus after winter break, many in undergraduate housing were met with unwelcome guests: rats and mice. Reports of infestations spread quickly, with students spotting rodents in dorm rooms, hallways, and common rooms.
Rodents have been a documented issue in upperclass housing for years, notably in buildings such as Brown Hall. However, multiple first-year students from both New College West (NCW) and Yeh College told The Daily Princetonian that they have seen rodents in their common rooms since before fall break, and the infestation issue has only gotten worse.
Yeh resident John Wallar ’25 told the ‘Prince’ that he returned to his dorm during Wintersession to find that he had a mouse under his bedside table. “I heard a little scurrying, and I was like, okay, something probably just shifted,” said Wallar. “And then it continued.”
After contacting the Public Safety (PSAFE) non-emergency number, Wallar was offered a bed in the infirmary or the option to stay in a friend’s room. “The next day, someone from Facilities … came and put two mouse traps,” said Wallar. “Since then, I’ve had no other encounters with the small furry critter.”
Another resident of Yeh College, Kai Harting ’28, informed the ‘Prince’ that there have been reports of mice on his floor since December. Once, Harting’s zee group resorted to catching a mouse by themselves in a cup before releasing it outside.
Lizzie Himmelfarb ’28, who is in the same zee group as Harting, said this mouse was one of two mice spotted in her room and one of many on her floor.
Facilities have since been contacted about the problem on Harting and Himmelfarb’s floor in Yeh. Complaints from other students have continued to emerge.
“It took a while for Facilities to bring traps,” said Olivia Perry ’28, who also lives in Yeh College. Perry continued that Facilities found “four baby mice who lived in my mattress topper over break … it’s basically like seven mice died in our room.”
In an email to the ‘Prince,’ University spokesperson Ahmad Rizvi said, “It is normal to see an uptick in mice activity during colder months as they seek warmth.”
“It is also common to see an increase in such activity after a period of extended vacancy,” added Rizvi.
Undergraduates like Wallar and Gall reported calling the non-urgent PSAFE line or Facilities to reach out to the University for help in exterminating the pests in their rooms.
Rizvi told the ‘Prince’ that to keep buildings pest-free, “weekly exclusion work is also being performed. This work includes sealing up potential entry points around a building like cracks, gaps and holes to prevent pests from entering” in addition to regular maintenance.
Facilities, in partnership with Western Pest, keeps two technicians on campus Monday through Friday to handle routine work and respond to service calls. Facilities recommends a “clean environment with no food left out. Food should be stored in glass or hard plastic containers and trash should be regularly emptied.” Students can contact the Service Point at thepoint@princeton.edu or 609-258-8300 if they encounter any pests.
Hallie Graham is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince’ from Portland, Tenn. She typically covers construction and architecture, facilities and housing, and University dining.
Ben Goldston is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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