One of the main reasons bed bugs are such difficult pests to treat is their expertise in hiding and seeking. It doesn’t help that these parasites are the size of an apple seed. while they are fully grown and only need to occasionally feed on unsuspecting humans.
They like to call cool, dry corners home and can also live an unimaginably long time without feeding. these characteristics are why it is no longer safe or reasonable to expect that bed bugs can only be confined to the bed.
You are reading: Bed bug in books
They’re good at hide-and-seek, but they’re just as experienced when it comes to hitchhiking, which can turn libraries into potential breeding grounds for bedbugs.
Can bed bugs live in books? Bed bugs can live in books because the living conditions in books are almost ideal for them. Bed bugs may not be able to live between the pages of the book due to lack of space, but they will most likely live on the spine of the book, especially if the book is in a hard cover.
A book will provide cool temperatures, dry and hidden corners, and the high possibilities of being tucked next to a sleeping host, etc. So yes, bed bugs can live in books and even cause a severe infestation at the home of unsuspecting book owners/readers.
With the recent resurgence of the bed bug population, picking up a bed bug from your favorite dummy corner at the local library is not a strange concept. There have been reports of bedbugs infesting libraries in several states. These unfortunate incidents have caused a panic among library goers because no one wants to risk the possibility of bringing a bed bug back into their home.
library staff, on the other hand, have taken a proactive approach to their libraries in an effort to protect their patrons and businesses. this article covers the possibility of bed bugs living in books and what can be done to eliminate them, so read carefully!
Do bedbugs hide in books?
Yes, bed bugs hide in books because they provide an ideal haven for bed bugs. some of them come with loose covers which in turn provide the perfect place for bed bugs to hide.
Remember that all a bed bug needs to feel comfortable is a small space, the size of an apple seed or a credit card, a cool environment, and a place out of sight.
Books are quite popular with bed bugs because they provide the perfect means of transportation for bed bugs and some readers even get into bed to read their books, a situation that is more than ideal for the mites. so yes, bedbugs will definitely hide in books.
can bedbugs lay eggs in books?
It is quite possible for bed bugs to lay eggs in books, especially if the books are not used regularly. their seclusion and possibly their proximity to the host, be it a bed or sofa, makes books an excellent place for bed bugs to lay eggs.
Once a bedbug finds a nice, quiet corner to call home, the next step is to start its own population. This location can be anywhere that has the ideal conditions for bed bugs to comfortably lay their eggs.
can bed bugs live in pocket books?
Once they have found the safe conditions of a book and decided to lay their eggs, they are free to continue living in their new space. the best setting for this is the spine of a hardcover book as these tend to have more space in them compared to paperbacks.
Bed bugs can be found living in paperbacks, but they are more likely to find a home in hardcover books. Bed bugs are not likely to be found between the pages of any type of book due to lack of of space.
can bed bugs travel in books?
yes, bedbugs can travel in books. the largest percentage of an infestation is the result of hitchhiking bed bugs. not only stick to clothes, bags, etc. of travelers, but also get hooked inside a book.
this can range from an infested house to the library and then to the house of the next library user who will be unlucky enough to borrow the infested book so be careful when checking out books at your local library, your love of reading could be the reason your home is infested.
can you get bedbugs in used books?
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Like used furniture, used books can also harbor bed bugs. Books tend to be found in close proximity to highly infested areas, e.g. beds, sofas, etc. Not only that, books are constant companions in bed, a place where bedbugs are likely to collect and transport them to their next destination or even make a home in the book.
can you get bedbugs from library books?
yes, you can get bed bugs from library books. why? Library books can be borrowed by anyone, including people whose homes are infested with bedbugs. once these people return the books to the library, there is a chance that these insects will travel to other books, resulting in an infestation.
The reason bed bugs are found in libraries is not just because of their ability to hide in books, no bed bug has more ways of getting into a library. One of those reasons is the most obvious of hitchhiking on people’s clothes.
There are cozy spots within a library meant to give you a quiet reading experience, and once you settle into those spots, those little bugs can get on your clothes.
Are bedbugs likely to stay on books for a long time?
the possibility of bed bugs staying on books for a long time is really high because bed bugs have the ability to stay alive for a long period without eating. this characteristic is known as diapause, which allows insects to go dormant once the environment changes to unfavorable conditions.
an adult bed bug can go an entire year without eating. while its typical instinct is to try to find a host to feed on, it will remain inactive and attempt to outlive its current unpleasant conditions if necessary.
However, this only comes into play when conditions are a bit worse, but the idle state doesn’t work when environmental changes become extreme. If the temperature exceeds 118 degrees Fahrenheit or drops below -13°F, the bed bug will not survive and will die while still dormant.
bedbugs and library books: how much damage can bedbugs cause?
Bed bugs do not feed on anything other than blood and therefore cannot feed on books. However, the fact that they have a rather weak feeding straw for a mouth does not It means that your books are completely safe from damage.
Any bedbug-infested area has a telltale feature: blood stains. These blood stains are bed bug droppings. they stain any infested area, and so if bedbugs have made their home in library books, those stains will definitely do some nasty damage to the books.
Can you heat books in the microwave to kill bedbugs?
Although a microwave has the ability to reach very high temperatures which, in turn, will kill bed bugs, it is not the ideal place to treat your books. why?
- microwaves can reach very high temperatures and damage the book, their heat is difficult to regulate.
- Books are made of more material than just paper, so any other material in the book can be damaged.
- If the book has any metallic material, it may cause a fire.
In general, it is advisable to stay away from the microwave while trying to kill bed bugs.
freezing books to kill bedbugs: does it work?
Freezing your books has a higher chance of killing bed bugs and still preserving your books than the microwave method. bed bugs don’t survive below freezing temperatures, so you can put your books in ziplock bags and freeze them for a couple of hours.
zip lock bags will ensure that your books do not come into contact with any water/ice in the freezer and thus preserve the quality of the book. After five hours have passed, take the books out of the freezer and inspect them for live bugs.
Keeping those books in the freezer for a little longer would be the ideal option to ensure those eggs die too.
Related: Can Bed Bugs Survive in Cold Temperatures?
can you put books in an oven to kill bedbugs?
you can try it! but here are the consequences of doing that:
You can damage your books even if you set the heat below 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature at which paper ignites. As mentioned above, books are made up of more than just paper.
- The glue that holds the book together may melt.
- the color of the book may change.
- some books are tied with string that could catch fire.
- some books have plastic material on the cover that could melt.
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In short, if you care about your books, don’t try to bake them, you can destroy your books along with bedbugs.
how to get rid of bedbugs in books – 4 best methods
heat treatment
The microwave and oven ideas weren’t entirely misleading, no, in fact, they’re the right idea but the wrong execution. heat treatment works and kills bed bugs. it is very effective but needs to be used well.
some pest control officers use this as their access method. they bring a portable heater and raise the temperature of your house to an unbearable degree for bedbugs. This method is effective but it is also costly and time consuming.
freezing the bugs
Another very effective method is to take the opposite route of heat treatment and freeze your books.
Place your book in a ziplock bag and leave it in the freezerr for a considerable time, preferably overnight to ensure those eggs don’t have a chance of surviving.
Bed bugs may prefer cooler temperatures, but freezing temperatures are deadly for them.
isolate them
Another method is to isolate the bed bug population on your books and remove it from the food chain. this can be done by placing the books in ziplock bags and keeping them in storage.
This is not the most ideal way to get rid of bed bugs because all bed bugs take a long time to die, remember, bed bugs hibernate.
use of pesticides
This is the most common way to deal with bed bugs anywhere, even in your books. using a spray can is very effective because you can then spray on the spine of the book where bed bugs are most likely to hide.
After you’ve treated your books with bed bug spray, be sure to use a residual spray to treat your bookshelf to keep bed bugs off your books for a long time.
summary
The bottom line is that bed bugs will find a home anywhere they deem ideal for survival. Libraries that were once safe have now become a potential ground zero for breeding bed bugs.
Should we let these pests dictate how or where we read our books? no, this is why you need to be aware that bedbugs reside in books and libraries and take the necessary precautions to ensure you don’t inadvertently spread them.
Double check all books in your library before checking them out and also before returning them to the library. if you spot a bed bug, take the necessary steps. being proactive ensures that these mistakes don’t ruin a great hobby like reading.
source list
how to kill bed bugs on portable items – ohio state university
eppa. (May 2010). bed bug control. pesticides: pest control. (April 26, 2017)
potter, m. Bedbugs. Extension Entomologist, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture
diseases & conditions – bedbugs, mayo clinic