Exterminators control vermin increase

The week before winter break, Magnet Biology teacher Angelique Bosse was teaching her first-period class on the third floor when she was interrupted by a small gray blur that flashed across the room. She had just enough time to see that it was a mouse that had scuttled out from under some cabinets, raced along the wall and darted under the door and into the hall.

Bosse is one of many at Blair who have seen rodents and cockroaches this year. Cold weather and food remains are to blame for the recent increase in these pests, causing the school to bring in MCPS Exterminator Ed Barnes, who has made regular visits to Blair about once a week since November.

Business Manager Anne Alban said that the infestation at Blair is under control. Building Services Manager James Brown concurred, saying that Blair's infestation is no worse than that of other schools or of previous years at Blair. He said that Blair is still taking some basic preventative measures so that the problem does not get out of hand.

Brown and Barnes, who work together, have placed mousetraps and glueboards in various locations around the school where mice have been sighted. The glueboards, sticky boards that attract mice with a peanut butter-like smell, immobilize the mice.

According to Brown, rats have never been found inside the building, but rats are known to reside on school grounds near the Beltway sound wall. Because of this, Brown and Barnes have placed rat-poison baits inside the rats' burrows. The poison is not hazardous to humans unless they stick their hands inside the burrows, Brown said.

Winter weather, Brown explained, drives mice to seek warmer environments indoors. Mice are "traditionally a problem in the wintertime," he said. He also said cockroaches can be easily spread by students transporting them from home in their backpacks.

Pests tend to be found mostly in areas of heavy food concentration, such as the SAC, according to Brown. Principal Phillip Gainous sent a reminder to all teachers before winter break that no food is allowed in classrooms and holiday parties should not be held.

School policy prohibits the consumption of food and beverages in classrooms except during instructional activities pre-approved by administration. At the minimum, Brown said, teachers should inform building services whenever they have food in their classrooms so that the rooms can be cleaned properly.

Pests are also often found near the portables because of the portables' outdoor location, Brown said.

The new Blair building has a significantly less-severe rodent problem than did the old Blair building, said Brown. "The old Blair was full of rats," he said.

He also noted that Blair's rodent infestation is not unexpected considering Blair's location. "Silver Spring is notorious for rats," said Brown.

Barnes' most recent visit to Blair occurred on Feb 4. He laid out mousetraps and glueboards around the school. He especially targeted rooms such as the social studies office and English office because they are areas of high food concentration, according to Brown.

Several students and teachers, including Bosse, have reported seeing rodents and roaches at Blair this year. Senior Austin Oh caught a mouse with his bare hands during lunch on Nov 19 in the SAC. It later escaped from a paper bag during the same period, causing some hysteria and screaming among students in the SAC, but Oh eventually recaptured it. Junior Anna Benfield took the mouse home, where it died after a couple of days.