Professors at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications should lock up their cheese and grab their carving knives. During the past few weeks, mice have been discovered in the recently dedicated Newhouse III building.

A handful of mice sightings have occurred on the third and fourth floors of Newhouse III as faculty have been moving into the building during the past few weeks, said Syracuse University spokesman Kevin Morrow.

‘It’s not unusual for mice to be present at the site of new construction,’ Morrow said.

Openings to the building during the construction were entrances for mice seeking a warm and dry home, Morrow said.

Physical Plant, the university maintenance department, responded by contacting CNY Exterminating. The exterminators laid traps, which have so far been successful in capturing the mice.

SU also spoke to contractors working on the Newhouse buildings, asking them to expedite work on finishing thresholds and weather stripping to prevent more mice from entering the building.

Newhouse Dean David Rubin said he only knew of mice problems in some of the offices in Newhouse II. Morrow confirmed some mice sightings in Newhouse II as well, which he said is the result of the construction of connecting hallways between the three Newhouse buildings.

Newhouse faculty members working in the buildings have been notified of the mice sightings and were advised to refrain from leaving food out in their offices, but Morrow said there was no reason to make a widespread announcement about the ‘small handful’ of sightings.

‘This is not terribly surprising,’ he said.

Published on September 27, 2007 at 12:00 pm