Pitt treats two dorm buildings for bedbugs

The University of Pittsburgh said today it found evidence of bedbugs in two campus dorms -- Sutherland and Lothrop halls -- and has treated the affected areas.

Reports of bugs were verified through visible inspection in three rooms, Pitt said. Two are located in Sutherland; one in Lothrop.

A university statement said that because two of the rooms were on the same floor of Sutherland East, the rest of the rooms on the floor and ultimately all of Sutherland East were inspected.

As a result, 28 more rooms were deemed to have bugs, "although most of these showed no visible signs of bugs," said the statement released by Pitt spokesman John Fedele.

"Like many cities, colleges, and universities across the country, the University of Pittsburgh is dealing with bedbugs, but fortunately, our incidents have been few and minor," the statement read. "The University is encouraging students to report suspicions of bedbugs and will continue to respond quickly when they are confirmed."

An e-mail to students reminded them of the importance of early detection and referred them to the Panther Central website, which has information on the topic.

Pitt said follow-up treatments to affected areas will be given as a precaution.

Bill Schackner:bschackner@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1977.

First published on January 7, 2011 at 6:15 pm