Investigation Reveals UCLA Dining Cut Pest Control Budget Ahead of Rat Infestation

UCLA has consistently underallocated funds to pest control in its residential dining halls, despite warning signs.
The dining halls – including Feast at Rieber, De Neve Residential Restaurant, Bruin Plate and Epicuria at Covel – have not allocated sufficient money for pest control since 2017, consistently failing to increase budgets despite the departments being forced to blow through them each year. 
And amid the administration’s cuts to pest control budgets, a rat infestation forced the closure of Feast in May 2025.