Bed bugs appearing in books at UW libraries

SEATTLE — Bed bugs are bucking the system and migrating into books at University of Washington libraries.

The New York Times reported there have been at least two bed bug incidents in books at the university.

The bugs of course tend of live most commonly in places where people sleep, such as dormitories.

But according to the New York Times, the bugs are working their way from people's beds into books.

The bugs crawl into the spines and lay eggs.   When the books are returned to libraries, where other people can check them out and bring them back to their living spaces, they can quickly become a big problem.

In response to the issue, a UW employee came up with a plan to check for and kill bed bugs when found in books at the university.

When the bugs are found, staff put the books into a freezer that’s set to -18 degrees to kill the pests.

KIRO