Bed bugs have been reported in Botany Bay, where students have been moving in to their accommodation for the year, according to a student living in the building.
The student claims to have been severely bitten by bedbugs in their room in Botany Bay. The bed bugs were allegedly clinging to “recessed screw heads”, according to the student.
The student has reportedly contacted Trinity’s Accommodation Office regarding the complaint. The student recommended that residents who are yet to move in “take a long hard look at [their] mattress and bedframe before [they] put anything on them”.
In 2014, eight Trinity students were forced to leave apartments in Goldsmith Hall on Pearse Street and relocate to alternate accommodations due to bed bugs.
Bed bugs are parasitic insects which feed on blood. They are known to spread quickly throughout shared accommodation like hotels, dormitories and apartment buildings.
According to pest-control experts, bed bugs are a growing problem in recent years due to an increase in air travel and tourism, which facilitates the spread of the parasites.
Accommodation in Botany Bay consists of shared apartments with two or three single bedrooms, a kitchen and living area, and shower and toilet.
Speaking to Trinity News, Head of Media Relations Caoimhe Ní Lochlainn confirmed that the presence of bed bugs were identified by pest control contractors “in one bedroom in Botany Bay”. She outlined that College protocol in these cases involves inspecting adjacent rooms, dealing with resident’s belongings, providing the resident with an alternative room, and taking the room out of service to strip it of furnishings and floorings.