[Michlib-l] Bed Bug Prevention

Tue Oct 31 10:46:13 EDT 2023

Thank you for all the great information Cynthia-- you really have it
covered! Love calling the zapper "The Bakery".

I  toured the Advanced Learning Library in Witcha, Kansas during the ARSL
convention. They have 14'x20'-ish *room* devoted to bedbug treatment--
including an oven/kiln that looks like a bank vault. They didn't share as
much helpful information as you did though-- mostly "here's our stuff and
where we cook materials and ick".

I never thought about our upholstered furniture as harboring bedbugs. Just
cloth, or vinyl too?

On Tue, Oct 31, 2023 at 10:01 AM Cynthia Stanczak via Michlib-l <
michlib-l at mcls.org> wrote:

> Hello, all!
>
> Bedbugs suck, and this has been a bad year for them.  I shared our
> procedures and equipment lists back in 2020, but they haven't changed much
> and still work really well for us. There's no true prevention, because
> bedbugs are hardy and well-adapted to their biological niche, but there's
> also an amazing sense of relief and empowerment that comes from knowing
> you've been inspected and knowing how to address it for the safety of your
> staff and patrons.  Bedbugs are a public health concern and must be
> addressed as such.  They are also potentially a PR nightmare for a
> library.  I don't know about your community, but gossip and old stories
> rule in our small town and get shared for years, and no institution needs
> that.
>
> Our canine inspection company is K9 Bedbug Hunters. The dogs are eager and
> well-trained and managed. You can tell that they really enjoy their work.
> Owner's name is Sara Rodeheaver. The business phone is 269-317-4970.  You
> can also reach her at k9bedbughunter at gmail.com.  They currently have
> 4 trained dogs and usually bring two to a job, so that they can confirm
> hits or switch out the dogs for fresh noses when inspecting large spaces.
> We found them through Orkin, and have 6 canine inspections per year, with
> chemical treatments by Orkin, if necessary.  However, we haven't needed to
> have chemical treatment since we got rid of the last of our fabric
> upholstered furniture.
>
> Any materials that are on a shelf with an inspection hit, as well as the
> shelves above (because bedbug scent falls), are removed and baked in our
> heat treatment unit (we use ZappBug).  The metal shelves are wiped down in
> 90-91% rubbing alcohol and allowed to dry.  When the heat cycle is done and
> the items have cooled, each is inspected for signs of bugs or blood stains,
> and, if clear, marked discreetly on the inside cover with the treatment
> date, and returned to circulation.  We note which areas were hits, and any
> items returned by patrons in the following 6 weeks that would be shelved in
> that area are checked for that discreet mark and date.  If missing, those
> items are sent directly to "the bakery" ('cause no one wants to start
> itching when we say 'bedbug') for treatment, inspection, and then
> reshelving.  We also check every item when going out and every item coming
> back, including from MelCat. Anything suspicious is sent to the bakery.  It
> also works for fleas and lice, if those are concerns.
>
> My bedbug procedures, and quarantine and treatment equipment lists are
> available to anyone who might want them (attached).  We funded our
> equipment purchase through a grant from our library co-op.  The whole topic
> makes me and my staff itch, and it's always a weird moment in training for
> new people, when they learn that bedbugs and bookworms are real.  That
> said, we're more comfortable with confirmed hits that can be immediately
> addressed and resolved, than a general uneasiness of not knowing what we
> might be taking home.  If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer and
> you can reach me by phone or email.  We've been inspected 6 times/yr for
> the last 5 years, and while we have something hit almost every time, the
> scale of the hits have steadily decreased and are usually easily addressed
> in a single day.
>
> Cynthia Stanczak, MLS (she/her)
> Library Director
> Albion District Library
> 501 S. Superior St.
> Albion, MI  49224
> (517) 629-3993
>
> Albion District Library: Transforming Minds, Changing Lives.
> Proudly serving our community since 1919.
> Online at www.albionlibrary.org, or find us on Facebook!
>
> *My working day may not be your working day. Please do not feel obligated
> to reply to this email outside of your normal working hours.*
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 27, 2023 at 2:19 PM Kimberly Feltner via Michlib-l <
> michlib-l at mcls.org> wrote:
>
>> What is your library doing, if anything, for the prevention of Bed Bugs?
>>
>> After talking to several pest companies today and being told different
>> things from each, I would like to know if anyone in library land has a
>> solid action plan for the* prevention* of Bed Bugs.
>>
>> Thank you!
>> Kimberly
>>
>> --
>> Kimberly Feltner
>> Assistant Director
>> Branch District Library
>> 10 E. Chicago St.
>> Coldwater, MI 49036
>> Phone: (517) 278-2341 ext. 123
>> Fax: (517) 278-2342
>> http://www.BranchDistrictLibrary.org
>>
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-- 
Jean Fellows
(she/hers)
Programming Coordinator
Grand Ledge Area District Library
131 E. Jefferson St.,
Grand Ledge, MI 48837
517-627-7014

*The Grand Ledge Area District Library is situated on ancestral,
traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires
Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples-- land ceded in the
1819 Treaty of Saginaw. For more information, see the article from Central
Michigan University
Library:https://blogs.cmich.edu/library/2019/11/26/the-1819-treaty-of-saginaw/#:~:text=In%20the%201819%20treaty%2C%20the,living%20on%20the%20ceded%20territory.
<https://blogs.cmich.edu/library/2019/11/26/the-1819-treaty-of-saginaw/#:~:text=In%20the%201819%20treaty%2C%20the,living%20on%20the%20ceded%20territory.>*
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