Bed Bugs in Library Book Removed in Middletown, NJ
Challenge
With bed bug infestations, the most commonly asked question is “How could I have brought these into my home?" Bedbugs are the nation's best hitchhikers. Bedbugs can’t jump or fly; all they can do is scurry around moving about as fast as an ant. They patiently wait for an opportunity to find a host that is seated or rested nearby and then climb on board, or they climb onto that person’s belongings like their handbag or suitcase. That is why bed bugs are often picked up in population-dense places where people are constantly coming and going like motels, office buildings, dormitories, hospitals, public transportation, and even movie theaters. My experience treating bed bugs in a Middletown home showed yet another potential bedbug “exchange facility” — libraries!
Solution
While treating a home in Middletown for bed bugs, I noticed a book on a nightstand in the bedroom where bed bugs were present. Upon further inspection, I found a bedbug egg hidden in the binding. This book had been borrowed from the local library. There were two possibilities. One, the book was brought into the home with bedbug eggs. Or two, the eggs were deposited here in the home. Either way, this book would have been returned to the library with potentially viable eggs or bedbugs hiding in the binding of the book. This could have easily led to an infestation in the library or, at a minimum, the next patron who checked out this book, would have not only checked out eggs or live bed bugs, but also have given them a free ride into his or her home.
