There have been confirmed bedbug hotspots at all of our public libraries and I have to admit that it's put me off borrowing books. Luckily, they still have an epub download for borrowing, but is anyone else skeeved out by the possibility of getting bedbugs and then needing to cope with the expense and hassle of dealing with them?
I may be unique in this horror I feel.
Libraries and Bedbugs
Bedbugs are very hearty creatures. They can survive near freezing temps and temps in the 170s or so. Once you are infested, it will likely take multiple treatments to get rid of all the bugs. You'll have to wash all your clothes in hot water and dry on really high heat and leave the dryer on the highest heat for 30 minutes after the clothes have completely dried, then placed in air tight bags. All your furniture will be doused with toxic chemicals as will your dwelling. You have to be very diligent and thorough about the eradication process. If one bug manages to survive in your clothes or belongings placed in storage during fumigation, your attempts at eradication will have been in vain. And those suckers really chow down on your blood! I've had welts that covered nearly half my arm. The welts also itched for a couple weeks.
map shows where there have been known infestations at specific addresses.
http://bedbugregistry.com/
http://bedbugregistry.com/
From my hometown: http://www.thespec.com/news/local/artic ... bug-battle
It's an increasing problem, Chad. I want to live where you do that it's not an issue.
Skeeves me out. I've got friends in Toronto who have had to deal with them, and it is not a pleasant experience as jzt83 points out.
It's an increasing problem, Chad. I want to live where you do that it's not an issue.
Skeeves me out. I've got friends in Toronto who have had to deal with them, and it is not a pleasant experience as jzt83 points out.
Yep, that was helpful. Source information always puts my mind at ease. I'm inclined to the same attitude as the expert in the article...meh. I'm sure there are tons of very very bad germs all over cities right now, but almost no one actually catches these diseases, so it's a waste of time and would limit my life to worry about. Same for the bed begs. I won't ever be buying a used mattress, but bringing home a book isn't going to worry me.
Bedbugs die at 122F sustained for about one minute; the difficulty is achieving that temperature uniformly within an article (this I get from the head of a large exterminating company here in bedbug city). A clothes dryer can achieve this temperature, as can a hair dryer set on high or an oven, which gives new meaning to the phrase "cooking the books" (sorry, I just couldn't resist).
One of the best and cheapest prophylactics against bedbugs is rubbing alcohol; it kills bugs and eggs on contact. A spray bottle makes a good luggage decontaminator, since it doesn't affect most materials and fabrics; I use it on street finds. Rubbing alcohol even works as a bedbug repellent when applied to the skin.
As to library books, I wouldn't be concerned; bedbugs are small but not microscopic, more likely to get squished in a book than transported, and the chances of something like that probably aren't worth worrying about.
One of the best and cheapest prophylactics against bedbugs is rubbing alcohol; it kills bugs and eggs on contact. A spray bottle makes a good luggage decontaminator, since it doesn't affect most materials and fabrics; I use it on street finds. Rubbing alcohol even works as a bedbug repellent when applied to the skin.
As to library books, I wouldn't be concerned; bedbugs are small but not microscopic, more likely to get squished in a book than transported, and the chances of something like that probably aren't worth worrying about.
Thanks for telling me that little tidbit from the article, Chad. For some reason, even though it's only November 2 and I haven't been on that website 35 times, it won't let me read it.
Interesting information, Hoplite. I got cockroaches once from a grocery delivery service, and while I was somewhat grossed out and it was rather expensive to take care of the problem, they aren't little blood suckers, so didn't bother me nearly as much as bedbugs might.
Maybe I will cook my books.
Interesting information, Hoplite. I got cockroaches once from a grocery delivery service, and while I was somewhat grossed out and it was rather expensive to take care of the problem, they aren't little blood suckers, so didn't bother me nearly as much as bedbugs might.
Maybe I will cook my books.
BPA: maybe try the freezer rather than heat? Put the books in a ziplock and keep them in the freezer for a few days before reading. Also, maybe try to get paperbacks (without nooks & crannies on the spine).
Oh, are you in an apartment? Seems like it might be more likely to get them from your neighbors than the Library.
Oh, are you in an apartment? Seems like it might be more likely to get them from your neighbors than the Library.
Thanks, Justjohn. I'll google to see if freezing them might help. And the paperback suggestion is a good one. Maybe I could also make up a bedbug dance for when I'm checking things out of the library.
I live in what is known in some places as a duplex and in others as a semi-detached house. Currently we are sharing a mouse problem, but I can deal with that: traps and cats. Fortunately, when I got cockroaches, I dealt with it quickly enough that my next door neighbours didn't get them. Bedbugs do creep me out, but I am reasonably assured now that I probably won't get them from the library.
Becoming more minimalist would help in a potential bedbug situation.
I live in what is known in some places as a duplex and in others as a semi-detached house. Currently we are sharing a mouse problem, but I can deal with that: traps and cats. Fortunately, when I got cockroaches, I dealt with it quickly enough that my next door neighbours didn't get them. Bedbugs do creep me out, but I am reasonably assured now that I probably won't get them from the library.
Becoming more minimalist would help in a potential bedbug situation.