Bad News: Bedbugs and Books

Suzzallo Library Reading Room, University of Washington (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bedbugs found in UW library books

This is the headline I came across doing some other Internet research.  Apparently the bedbug brouhaha is far from over.  I had heard the warning about the pesky critters when staying in hotels and even when ordering clothes, yet, never thought they would be interested in books.  The Seattle Times article discusses how bedbugs hitch rides in books and live in the spine and come creeping out at night to feed.  This is especially bad news for those of us that fall asleep with a book in hand in bed.

Here is one suggestion: give the little buggers the cold shoulder by popping the book in a Ziploc bag and popping it into the freezer.  The cold makes them chill out for good.  That comes from Stephanie Lamson, head of preservation services at the University of Washington Libraries.

English: Bedbug sniffing Dog, New York (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• University of Washington library freezes bedbugs off infested architecture books (oregonlive.com)
• Worst Cities for Bedbugs (newser.com)
• New Saskatoon task force to battle bedbugs in libraries (cbc.ca)
• eBooks Don’t Have Bedbugs – Library Books Do (goodereader.com)
• The Wall Street Journal Has A Bedbug Problem (capitalnewyork.com)
• The top ten cities to get bedbugs. Avoid staying in Chicago at all costs [PSA] (fark.com)