I attend a public university in Wisconsin, and right now we are at the very end of summer. It’s very hot and humid. I live on the fourth floor, and last night I had three wasps in my room. Two came at once, and my RA killed them. Then she inspected the window and said the screen was detached from the frame. She taped it up, but there is a bigger issue because later a third wasp flew in right at me. She killed it and told me to shut the window. We didn’t find the other source of where the third wasp came in.
According to the RA, there is a was nest somewhere but maintenance hasn’t gotten around to fixing it yet. She also said that other people in this area of my dorm have had wasps in their room. She reported the window issue, and today maintenance came. I expected them to fix the window, but instead all they did was spray some repellent around the window and call it good! They didn’t even fix anything else, so the place the third wasp came in is still unsure and not fixed. Apparently, they would have to bring in someone from outside the campus to fix the window. Is that supposed to be unreasonable?
I think this is absolutely unacceptable. Not only do I pay to live here and should have a window screen that actually serves its purpose, but having wasps in the dorms is extremely dangerous. I can’t believe that putting some tape and spray around a broken window near an active wasp nest is the acceptable solution.
I’m totally not the right person to respond to this because I would have totally freaked out. I’m allergic and almost watched my grandmother die from a sting when I was a child. I would go as far up the ladder as possible to complain and demand that the nest be immediately removed and the screen/window repaired. Good luck!
I agree they should fix the issue. They are probably doing a quick fix in hopes one cold evening night will solve the problem for the season. As mentioned above, maybe take it higher to get it rectified.
I would go to ResLife, let them know you have tried to work with your RA but even with his/her efforts things have not been satisfactorily handled. Let them know all of the issues. Try to get clarification on what they will do to resolve the problem and when they will do it. If that doesn’t work ask your parents to email or call ResLife – I know it is best to handle things on your own when you can, but the sad truth is (through no fault of your own) that sometimes colleges act faster when the complaint is coming from an adult who pays the bills.
She reported the window issue. To whom, and how? Has anyone actually formally reported the wasp issue? Find out how to file a formal maintenance request, and file two. One, for your window. Two, for the wasp’s nest. Have everyone you know who has had a wasp in their room file a formal maintenance request. If they don’t fix it quickly after that, then escalate the issue. But until then, it’s not on the books until it’s on the actual books - so file the request. Get all that documented, so that you can then escalate. To escalate, you’d go to the RD for your dorm, then to housing, also to facilities.
It is very likely that the people who came to fix the window are just those trained to do the basic stuff. They really do need to bring in another person to fix it. Likewise, they need to bring in someone with special training for the wasps. It will help them to understand what needs to be done, and how urgently, if as many people as possible file the formal requests. So do that first, then escalate if things aren’t fixed in 1-2 days max.
It could be a two-pronged fix. First spray to kill the wasps, then remove the nest. I agree the window needs to be fixed. The OP definitely needs to escalate the problem.
I had wasps in my office when I worked at a U. Maintenance had a hard time getting rid of them and they came back. Mine loved to hang out in the recessed light fixtures and would sometimes come down and land on my head. Its not good to have wasps in the room but wasps aren’t harmful for most people. We never really thought they were “unexceptable.” OP could start killing her own instead of having the RA do it.
Report as described above. Also get a can of wasp spay to keep in your room. It shoots about 20 feet. I keep one near my front door since wasps like to make nests under the porch overhang.
Wasps treatment may be a bother for maintenance since the nest needs to be sprayed very early in the morning or near dusk when the wasps return to the nest. The spray residual will kill the ones trying to leave, too.