When Nicole Winkelmann and Krista Connelly moved into their Ivory Tower double in August, they found it was already occupied.

The juniors said since they arrived, they’ve shared their room with more than 250 cockroaches.

“At one point there were cockroaches literally crawling out of the drain in our kitchen sink,” Winkelmann said.

The pair said they’ve seen roaches crawling all over their room, from inside the refrigerator and freezer to the sinks, dishwasher, ceiling, floors and countertops.

Winkelmann and Connelly said they submitted a FIXit request to combat their room’s pest problem the day they moved in. But the first and second pest treatments failed.

Following a third treatment in mid-September, the residents said they noticed fewer and fewer roaches every day for a week afterward. For about five days, they didn’t see any at all.

Connelly said two weeks later, she found about 25 roaches on the shower floor.

Facilities came to inspect the room and performed a fourth treatment, and since then, the residents have seen five bugs in their room.

“Basically, the whole roach thing has taken over our lives,” Connelly said.

She added that out of a fear of roaches, the two avoid using their kitchen and are blowing through their dining dollars and Colonial Cash.

“I’ve been afraid to unpack any of the food I bought because of the roaches,” Winkelmann said.

Winkelmann and Connelly said the University told them their room’s roach problem is an isolated case, but after putting up posters throughout the building, they received e-mails from students living on the second, third, fourth, fifth and eighth floors who had similar problems.

The University conducted a building-wide treatment in Ivory Tower last summer after receiving an influx of pest complaints.

University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard declined to comment on the number of roach complaints FIXit has received this year for Ivory Tower, as well as whether roach complaints have targeted any other residence halls.

She said students who notice pest problems should submit FIXit requests and a pest control team will respond.

Winkelmann and Connelly said they are looking to receive some sort of compensation for their troubles.

Typically, the University does not credit students’ accounts because of facilities-related issues, Sherrard said.

“We have in the past worked with students to move if they are unhappy with their rooms,” she said.

Winkelmann and Connelly said they looked at other rooms on campus, but didn’t want to give up their Ivory Tower double. They added that while FIXit responds to each pest complaint promptly, they do not always successfully resolve the problem.

“Everyone is really nice, but nice isn’t getting anything done,” Winkelmann said.

Winkelmann and Connelly said they are in talks with housing regarding the issue and hope to reach a solution.