Bryan Hall’s basement will be closed until Wednesday due to reports of fleas.
No, it’s not your family dog Bryan that might have fleas, it’s Bryan Hall on East Green.
Monday afternoon, Bryan Hall’s Graduate Resident Director Lacey Rogers notified residents via email about a “potential flea issue.”
Rogers said in the email the basement of the hall will be closed all day Tuesday starting at 7 a.m., and will reopen Wednesday at an unknown time while crews are “treating” the area.
The basement of the hall houses a laundry center and a kitchen, and Rogers said in the email she realized the closure will be inconvenient to students.
Pete Trentacoste, the executive director of housing and residence life, said in an email the first alleged report of fleas was reported Friday shortly before 3 p.m., to OU’s Environmental Health and Safety Department.
After the call Friday and subsequent calls since, staff members have placed flea traps in reported areas. Trentacoste said in an email Environmental Health and Safety staff members have checked the traps “on a regular basis.”
“To date EHS staff have not recovered any fleas in any of the traps in any of the areas of concern identified by students,” Trentacoste said. “In other words, we have not confirmed reports of fleas in the building.”
Some students residing in Bryan were concerned after the email from Rogers.
"I haven't personally seen any yet," Devon Swanson, a sophomore studying English and theater performance, said. "The email definitely freaked me out.”
Erin Hollowell, a sophomore studying sports management, said she hasn’t found any fleas in her Bryan Hall room yet, and she hopes she doesn’t find any.
“I’m disgusted,” she said. “I think it’s so gross.”
Sam Mitchell, a sophomore studying sociology and English, said she had a personal interaction with one of fleas.
“I saw one today on my desk,” she said. “One girl was studying in the basement and woke up with 30 bites.”
Trentacoste said in an email a treatment plan can’t be selected until a pest is identified, and therefore there are no estimates on how much it would cost.
Other students who don’t live in Bryan expressed their concern if they had fleas in their residence hall.
“I’d be grossed out because that’s where I live,” Griffin Allman, a freshman studying pre-media arts, said.
Dustin Miller, a sophomore studying business managment, said if it were him, he’d find another place to stay.
“I would be really upset about that, that’s not cool at all,” he said. “I would probably like stay somewhere else, like with a friend or something, like take my clothes and everything.”
For those not residing in Bryan, don’t worry.
“I am unaware of any other buildings reporting a sighting of fleas besides the reports received from Bryan Hall,” Trentacoste said via email.
Kaitlin Fochesato contributed to this report.
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