Bedbugs found in Delaware library books
A few bedbugs have been snuggling into the pages of Delaware's library books.
Six to eight months ago, librarians at downtown Wilmington's main branch started noticing the bugs in books that were returned to the library, said the director of the city's library system, Larry Manuel. The bugs went away after the returns counter was treated, but they returned in the past week. It has been, "one here, one there – we're not talking about hundreds," Manuel said.
In April, the library's exterminator, Ehrlich Pest Control, did a three-part chemical treatment of the circulation counter and a 25-foot radius around it, according to Chiram Hughes, of Ehrlich.
After that, the bugs didn't show up again until a couple of weeks ago and they've just been in some books returned to the library, Manuel said.
When a book is flagged for hosting a bedbug, it is put aside in a bag and inspected, he said. If it does have the bugs, it is disposed of, he said.
In the last week, the library threw away three or four books because of bedbugs, Manuel said.
A resurgence in bedbug infestations across the country started around 2003, said Cindy Mannes, spokeswoman for the National Pest Management Association. The rate of infestations has stayed steady in recent years, she said, citing a study the organization did this year with the University of Kentucky. That study also found that bedbugs are the hardest pest to control.
In the case of serious infestations, Mannes said, the bugs leave small black spots. They feed on blood and cause itchy bites; adult bedbugs are about the size of an apple seed.
"It's an increasing problem," Manuel said of the growth in bedbug infestations. "No one is immune from it."
The number of bugs showing up in Delaware libraries is low – two books sent through a sharing agreement between the city and county systems from the Wilmington library had bedbugs, said Tony Prado, spokesman for New Castle County. One book went to the Elsmere Library and one went to the library in Bear.
When the Delaware Division of Libraries learned of the bed bug issues showing up in New Castle County, it contacted the public health department, said Annie Norman, director of the division.
She was relieved to hear that bed bugs are classified as a nuisance, not a public health emergency, she said.
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About a month ago, the Selbyville library had a chair with bedbugs in it, said Sue Nilsson, president of the board of commissioners for the library.
"It was taken care of immediately," she said. The library had a local exterminator come in to remove the chair and treat the building.
The library was open with its patrons, Nilsson said – it put together a fact sheet about bedbugs to let people know what to look for.
The state library division is planning to conduct training on how to deal with bedbugs with libraries across Delaware in December, Norman said.
Contact Saranac Hale Spencer at (302) 324-2909,sspencer@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @SSpencerTNJ.