Hamilton library not alone in battling pesky bedbugs

Hamilton Public Library's struggle with bedbugs isn't unique. Other city libraries have had similar experiences, including Ottawa, Toronto and Burnaby.

Bedbugs are wingless insects that feed off the blood of mammals, animals and humans alike. And their problematic presence is not limited to public libraries. Entomologist Antonia Guidotti says hospitals and other public institutions are being infested, too.

Any place where people go, people can pick them up, including the subways, Guidotti said, noting she's cautious about sitting down in Toronto's subway cars.

A bedbug inspection in March at Hamilton's Central library found many spots potentially inhabited by the pests. Library branches inspected since then have revealed similar spots where specialized sniffer dogs picked up the scent of bedbugs in localized areas. The library says all of the affected areas were promptly treated after hours. The inspections are ongoing.

The issue became public after a Spectator story in May. However, the library only recently started posting inspection results online, a move chief librarian Paul Takala says shows a commitment to transparency and being proactive.

Guidotti, an entomology technician at the Royal Ontario Museum, believes the pests cannot thrive in libraries because bedbugs are primarily nocturnal and people, a key source of food, are not in libraries overnight. The bugs also need a stationary meal ticket, meaning the bugs fall off if a person moves, she said. You can shake them off fairly easily.

Learning of libraries with potential bedbugs is not going to stop me from a good book, Guidotti said. We have to learn to deal with them, how to avoid them and how to identify them rather than avoid places.

She suggests patrons avoid bringing too many bags with them into the library, and shake out their coats, clothing and bags.

The Canadian Library Association referred The Spectator to Deb Thomas, acting chief librarian in Burnaby B.C. to talk about bedbugs in libraries. Thomas has dealt with bedbugs in Burnaby's library since September 2011 and has written about it, including descriptions of staff in haz-mat suits, boot covers and dust masks wiping down and shaking out books after the items were treated and set aside for 15 days.

Thomas, who says she was consulted by Hamilton library officials recently, considers it not uncommon to find bedbugs in urban libraries but says things have really improved in Burnaby since they instituted a preventive program. The pest management company has recommended patrons keep their borrowed books in sealed plastic bags when not being read.

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Hamilton library not alone in battling pesky bedbugs