Viral UMaine Extension bedbug video focus of Sun Journal article

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

February 12, 2016 Cooperative Extension, Outreach, UMaine in the News

The Sun Journal reported on a University of Maine Cooperative Extension video going viral more than five years since it was posted online. “How to Look for and Avoid Bedbugs in Hotel or Motel Rooms,” which was posted on the UMaine YouTube channel in October 2010, recently was picked up by Lifehacker, a daily weblog that recommends downloads, websites and shortcuts to help people work smarter and save time. The video was then cited by Yahoo and Fox News, and has been circulated through Facebook, bringing its views to more than 1.5 million. “I don’t think we’ve ever reached that many people so efficiently and inexpensively before,” said John Rebar, executive director of UMaine Extension, adding now is the time for follow-ups to get more education out to the public. The “Experts on Demand” video features Jim Dill, a pest management specialist with UMaine Extension, advising people to place luggage in the bathtub before they check the bed, mattress, luggage rack and bureau drawers for bedbugs. “I’m often at the Legislature,” Dill said. “Everybody down there is giving me good-natured grief, but the funny thing is they’ve all watched it.”