Ayesha Saleem | Contributor
Featured Image: Affordable housing close to campus can be a struggle, but we shouldn’t have to compromise our health. | Courtesy of Flickr
As many students return to York for the fall semester, concerns about grades, classes, internships, and part-time jobs all rank high in the minds of students—however, a new concern seems to be taking precedent.
In the Village, and the GTA at large, a new, albeit tiny problem has emerged for many students living on or near campus—pests. To be more specific, bed bugs and cockroaches, infesting residences by the thousands.
Being a student is hard enough; worrying about cockroaches running around or bed bugs crawling up your side shouldn’t be added to your list of troubles. Between working, going to classes, having a social life, and living on their own, many students lack the time and resources to deal with these infestations.
“We found the bed bugs because the problem was so bad and they were just everywhere. We didn’t notice at first, but during the first night after moving in, dozens of them started crawling out from the baseboards,” explains Alix Best, a third-year Psychology student.
Many view these unwelcome house guests as a minor nuisance, overlooking the truly damaging physical and mental issues these pests can present in a person’s life. Not only do they create an unsanitary and unpleasant living space, but recent research has shown a deeper, psychological issue that exists when it comes to dealing with these pests in our lives.
Bed bugs, though known to be harmless as they do not carry transmittable diseases, can still prove to be far more than a mere annoyance to the person hosting them. These bugs are known to be nocturnal, coming out at night and often biting humans. They are extremely small—one centimetre at the largest—but they feed on human blood and the blood of other mammals. They’re brown in colour until they’re finished feeding, when they bloat and turn red.
“Our landlord never mentioned anything about bed bugs before we moved in, he didn’t know they were there because the previous tenants never reported any bug problems. But once we found them he got an exterminator first thing the next morning, who had to perform four different spray treatments to get rid of them,” says Best.
Though their bites provide little to no threat, they can leave behind itchy red bumps all over the body. Other health issues resulting from a bedbug bite include allergic reactions—in which case, the affected should immediately seek a doctor, otherwise it can lead to serious infections if the person treats the bite under non-hygienic conditions.
Further, serious mental health issues resulting from an infestation can include insomnia, psychosis (in severe instances), and depression. Insomnia is caused by bed bugs biting and keeping a person awake for a majority of the night, causing a severe lack of sleep, and red bites can often lead a person to become paranoid and/or depressed.
A much more common and terrifying pest known to inhabit many homes is the cockroach.
This ugly bug thrives in environments that are dark and humid, attracted to unsanitary spaces, uncovered garbage, leftover food that is not properly packaged, and dirty dishes.
Cockroaches are drawn to places where they have a constant source of food, and are often found hiding in corners or crack in the walls.
These pests are especially dangerous, as they are the cause of many health issues for humans for a variety of reasons—the primary one being their unhygienic state.
Cockroaches leave droppings, skin, and even saliva wherever they go—and worse yet—are carriers of transmittable diseases, so their bites can prove to be fatal if not properly checked.
They can spread viruses such as E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus, can contribute to other various infections, and can create further complications if one’s immune system is already compromised. Cockroaches have also been known to cause health problems relating to asthma and allergies. The impacts on one’s mental health includes increased anxiety and sleeplessness, both of which can lead to depression, and aggravate existing mental health conditions that an individual may have.
The best way to avoid these pests is to always ensure that a clean space is kept, no garbage is left uncovered, all food is put away, and surfaces are wiped and sanitized on a regular basis.
These bugs thrive in unsanitary conditions, so maintaining a clean home means keeping them far away. Unfortunately, when tenants move in—most often in older buildings—cockroaches are already permanent residents, and require regular sealing to “control” the problem.
Any form of housing in Toronto is expensive, which is why when challenges such as this occur, they shouldn’t be brushed under the rug. York apartments, such as the ones on Assiniboine Road, where cockroaches are known to be a problem, cost between $854 to $1,639 a month. In the Village, where bed bugs are also quite common, the average price of a room is about $500 to $800 a month. Off-campus living—in particular, much older apartment buildings in the city—are known to be on the bed bug and pest control registry.
Though not discussed often enough amongst the masses, pest infestations can have serious mental and physical implications on a person’s health. It is vital to make efforts to keep your living space as clean and hygienic as possible, and visit the doctor for frequent checkups. The best way to control this situation is to either alert a landlord as soon as suspicion of bugs arises, or call a professional exterminator to handle the problem in an effective manner.
