As bed bugs continue their proliferation throughout the state, one case of the insects was found in an apartment at Binghamton University’s Susquehanna Community two weeks ago.

According to Rene Coderre, the associate director of Residential Life at BU, this has been the only case of infestation of bed bugs on campus this semester. This past academic year, the University saw only 10 cases of Cimex lectularius, commonly known as bed bugs.

Coderre attributes the relatively low numbers to the University’s policy on dealing with bed bugs, which includes inspection, removal of all of the mattresses in the room, spraying the perimeter and checking and spraying the rooms surrounding the affected one, even if nothing is discovered in them.

‘We return in 30 days, reinspect the room, and spray the infected room even if we haven’t seen a recurrence,’ Coderre said.

This policy began four years ago, when the first incident of bed bugs occurred on the BU campus.

‘We were aggressive in dealing with it, and that turned out to be a good thing for us,’ Coderre said. ‘We met with exterminators and developed a program that went above and beyond what needed to happen. We must be doing something right ‘ other schools have been calling us to see why there isn’t a problem [at BU]. We’re ahead of the game.’

But BU is a haven in the larger context of the Binghamton area where local exterminators have seen a dramatic increase in cases.

‘There have been three times more cases this year than last year and more cases last year than in the past 20 years combined,’ said Doug Ritter, owner of The Bug Killer, a pest control company in Binghamton.

Chris Sablich, of Ehrlich Pest Control, a national pest control company with a branch in Binghamton, said he has also seen ‘a substantial increase in bed bug cases.’

According to United Health Services Hospitals in Binghamton, bed bugs are not known to spread disease when they bite, but they do leave their mark.

According to information from UHS, ‘the site of the bite usually is red and itchy, and the bites tend to be in rows or clusters.’ The bites are most commonly found on the face, neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Some people may have an allergic response in the form of severe itching, blisters or hives.

Since it can be difficult to distinguish bed bug bites from other insects or lesions, UHS recommended consulting a physician before bite itches intensify and cause a secondary reaction.

Chris Coddington, director of the Division of Environmental Health for the Broome County Health Department, said bed bugs do not actually pose a significant health problem.

‘Bed bugs are non-noxious and can’t spread disease to humans,’ he said.

He added that students living off campus may help prevent insect infestations by referring to the New York State Building Code under Property Maintenance and Minimum Conditions and Extermination to understand the responsibilities of property owners and tenants.

For students off campus whose apartments have been infested, the issue can get complicated.

‘Most landlords are quick to contact a certified pesticide applicator to fix the problem,’ Coddington said. ‘Often the responsible owner of a multi-unit dwelling will have multiple adjacent units treated with pesticide at the same time to ensure that the bed bugs are eliminated and reinfestation does not occur.’

He said, however, that responsibility is not easily determined.

Those living on campus can just inform the Residential Life staff, who will get in touch with the right people, and the problem will be taken care of.

‘If you find bed bugs in your room, tell your RA, RD or any members of the Residential Life,’ Coderre said.

For Coderre, the solution is all about being aggressive.

‘Bed bugs are hitchhikers. They’ll come back with a person and there is no way to prevent that,’ she said. ‘We can’t be proactive, we must be reactive, unfortunately.’