Students have reported seeing mice in Serra Hall this week, the first sighting on Saturday, Nov. 15 and a second sighting on Monday, Nov. 17.
Tara Hart, director of Housing and Residence Life, confirmed the two sightings.
According to sophomore suitemates Jeff Hawriluk and Jason Supplee, there have been other sightings in the dorm before this week as well. Everyone in their suite has seen a mouse around “three or four times,” according to both Hawriluk and Supplee.
They reported the case to housing.
“We got traps from the exterminator and then my suitemate got traps from his house,” Supplee said.
“Mice are not an issue singular to Seton Hall,” Hart said. “The change of weather to cooler temperatures is a seasonal trigger for mice to seek shelter and food indoors.”
There are no other reports of mouse sightings in any other residence hall at this time, according to Hart.
She said: “we work with both the SHU department of Facilities Engineering and, if needed, the university extermination vendor.”
“When we receive a report of an indoor sighting, the HRL staff advises the facilities department,” Hart explained. “The GMM for the building will visit the location of the sighting and take steps to close possible entry paths. They will also set capture devices.”
Some students feel that proper protocol has not been taken.
“It’s been two days since I reported the mouse sighting, and I have yet to see an exterminator,” sophomore Maria Desantis said.
A mouse was reportedly seen in both her room and in the room of her suitemates, sophomore Katherine Yenesel and sophomore Neena Farzaneh.
“It’s gross, and it’s added stress to feel like I have mice in my room when I actively keep my room clean,” Farzaneh said.
As of Nov. 19, exterminators had not brought mousetraps to Farzaneh’s or Desantis’ room.
Hart advises students to keep their rooms clean, store food off the floor and in glass or metal containers, and to promptly report any sighting.
Kaitlin Stellingwerf can be reached at Kaitlin.stellingwerf@student.shu.edu.
