Bedbugs found in Mesa Public Libary

MESA, AZ - The Mesa Public Library will spend thousands of dollars to help prevent another bedbug infestation.

Bedbugs were found in the Main Branch this past week on 1st Street near Center Street.

According to Mesa spokesman Steve Wright, bedbugs were on chairs in the computer tech section and upstairs in a reading area. 

The chairs were immediately thrown out after the incident was reported to staff, Wright said. 

The city hired an outside vendor to check the rest of the library with a bedbug-sniffing dog. According to Wright, the problem has been remediated. 

The library is open for business as usual.

This is not the first time bedbugs have been found in a library. The Norman Public Library, in Oklahoma, was closed this past week to treat bedbugs. 

Libraries in New York, Colorado, and California have also reported cases.

According to Terminex, bedbug reports are on the rise across the nation. Phoenix-Metro is listed as an area with a "high bedbug threat" based on the number of reports at homes and businesses.

Mesa is in the process of replacing chairs this week. Wright says it will cost the city roughly $15,000.

The library also plans to periodically check for bedbugs to help prevent the problem from coming back. Wright could not provide specific dates.

Michelle Sherwood visited the library with her daughter Wednesday. "That is gross," she said. "I don't want [my children] to bring them home."

Sherwood says she will think twice before putting her things on the floor. Bedbugs have been known to hitchhike on luggage and be moved by travelers.  

Here is advice from pest experts:

• Do not put luggage/bags/backpacks on the floor or on upholstered furniture in hotels or public places
• Look for signs of bedbugs, such as: small brown spots or blood smears
• Wash your clothes immediately after you take them out of your luggage