KALAMAZOO, Mich.– Kalamazoo Public Library’s Washington Square Branch, located at 1244 Portage St., will remain closed until further notice after an incident involving bed bugs.
An inspection done by Griffin Pest Solutions on Tuesday did not find any live bugs inside the library. However, the building is still going to be treated for the pests as a precaution, according to Farrell Howe, Marketing and Communications Manager for Kalamazoo Public Library.
“We want to be sure,” said Howe.
A detection dog trained to sniff out bed bugs was used during the inspection.
The treatment involves heating and is typically costly.
“It will be expensive, but we don’t know the exact cost right now,” said Howe.
The branch was shut down on Friday after library workers found bed bugs inside several of the books in the return drop box, hiding in the bindings and pages.
As part of standard library procedure, the books were immediately quarantined and placed in plastic bags and disposed of.
The branch was then shut down.
The library staff began checking all books for bed bugs in the fall after infestations became more prevalent across the country and in Southwest Michigan.
“Bed bugs are night feeders,” said Howe. “People tend to go to bed with their books, so they lay down and they will have the book next to their bed and during the day they go and hide,” said Howe.
