As Burnaby's libraries hope they've seen the last of bedbugs, it appears the bugs are on the move.
The New Westminster Public Library reopened on Wednesday after a one-day closure due to the discovery of bedbugs in books.
Late Monday afternoon, a live bedbug and several dead ones were found in an area of the library's collection. These books were immediately removed from the shelves, sealed in plastic bags and disposed of outside the building.
As a precaution, the library was closed for the day on Tuesday, while staff met with a pest control company to map out a strategy to deal with the problem.
"We are very pleased to report that as a result of quick action by library staff and the work of pest control personnel, including the use of a
bedbug sniffing dog and handler, New Westminster Public Library is able to open at noon today," chief librarian Julie Spurrell said Wednesday morning.
After hearing about reports of bedbugs in the Burnaby Public Library system, New Westminster Public Library staff had been doing regular checks for bedbugs.
Late Tuesday afternoon, a bedbug sniffing dog and handler from a pest control company searched the library for further evidence of bedbugs.
"We have completed a search of the library. We found an additional four bedbugs in the collection in the area adjacent to where the original few were found," said Blair Fryer, the city's communications manager. "They have been removed from the library. Pest control staff did additional work and physically inspected and found no further evidence of bedbugs."
As a precaution, a large area around the collection was treated with high heat steam. Pest control conducted a physical inspection of all shelving and furnishings and found no further evidence of bedbugs.
"Shortly before midnight they gave us the allclear," Fryer said.
The library reopened at noon on Wednesday.
"I would like to sincerely thank our valued library users for their patience and understanding yester-day as we dealt with this issue," Spurrell said in a press release.
"Even though we've been given the all-clear, we will remain vigilant and will be including regular checks and inspections by pest control in our library maintenance program. Library staff look forward to welcoming everyone back to the library at noon today."
Bedbugs were found at the Cameron branch of the Burnaby Public Library on Oct. 18.
The Burnaby Public Library is having all of its branches inspected after dead bedbugs were found in books in the thrillermystery section of its main branch in Metrotown at the end of September.
