Associated Press

Fresno State gets its fair share of unwanted guests like rodents and cockroaches and much of it has to do with the school’s agricultural emphasis.

The San Joaquin Valley, called “the food basket of the world” by some, is ripened with history, culture, agriculture and apparently pests.

Patrick McKinney, the facilities coordinator of the University Courtyard residence halls at Fresno State said it’s almost as if the San Joaquin Valley was built on a giant anthill.

Unlike other campuses, Fresno State has to take more preventive measures to ensure the school is not overrun with pests, he said.

Rick Finden, director of plant operations said because of the agriculture department on campus, the university does get its share of pest complaints.

“We have general complaints like black widows in the barns and flies around O’Neil Park,” Finden said. “We do have a contract for a pest control company to come out on a monthly basis and spray the outsides of all buildings.”

On Monday, Sept. 20, Savannah Brandle, The Collegian distribution manager, saw a large amount of cockroaches all over campus. When she opened an outside news rack in front of the Engineering East building, about thirty roaches were inside and quickly scurried out, she said.

According to Brandle, there also was a pest control unit near the Engineering East building that morning.

Finden said that the company only sprays on weekends when there are little to no students on campus.

“All the chemicals are legal and safe but we still don’t want students to be exposed to them,” Finden added.

Many of the insects on campus are coming out more frequently because colder temperatures are approaching and the insects are hurrying to find warm shelter.

Erin Boele, director of the University Courtyard residence halls, believes that cold weather has a lot to do with the recent increase of insects seen around campus.

“When the cold comes around, there will always be an increase of movement amongst the insects,” Boele said.

To combat the increased activity of the insects during the cold seasons, the residence halls also increases their preventive measures.

“We have a contract through Ecolab and they come out on a weekly basis and spray for pests and empty all the traps that were set,” McKinney said. “We have over 60 bait stations disguised as rocks. You can walk right by them and not even notice them.”

McKinney said because of all the precautionary measures, the insect and pest problem is almost entirely absent from the residence halls.

Each room is sprayed for pests three times a year and even though it may be overkill, it’s better to do it and not have to worry about a problem, Boele said.

McKinney doesn’t see the presence of insects and rodents as a major problem.

“You have to remember that we live in the San Joaquin valley and this area is just full of rodents and insects because of all the agriculture and they will always be around,” McKinney said.