BRANDON, Fla.---- The Brandon Regional Library has temporarily closed in order to perform pest control maintenance after staff found bed bugs in some recently returned books.
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The books with bed bugs found in them were immediately discarded by staff.
Library officials contacted a pest control company immediately. The company is thoroughly inspecting, treating and cleaning the building.
ABC Action News was at the library as dozens of people showed up to check out or return books. The sign out front said the library was closed due to "maintenance." People we talked to were shocked to learn the maintenance was to kill any lingering bed bugs.
"I read books, so, I don’t want any bed bugs in my bed if they are coming through the books I don’t want any books near me it makes sense," "Jamie Broderick said.
Officials said they will be doing a heat treatment, chemical-free, that will kill the bugs instantly. The treatment will cost $6,000.
People we talked to said it's been annoying not having the library open. But, having it closed is better than taking home a bed bug in your book.
"Unusual, it is something you would never even think of in a library," Karen Ambrose said. "It came in on a book? Wow! That’s something you don’t think they’d be that strong where they could survive that."
We are told that the books were never placed on the shelves. Inspecting returned books before they go back into rotation is common practice. Staff looked for any damages or anything suspicious. In this case, they found bed bugs. The county said this was an isolated incident and not an infestation but they are doing the treatments to make sure no bed bugs hitch a ride home with the public.
The library is scheduled to reopen on Friday, February 23. All scheduled programs and events have been canceled until the library reopens on Friday.
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