Overview
- Royal Oak Public Library closed twice this summer for inspections and treatments after staff found bedbugs, and has posted a policy banning large or multiple bags and shopping carts from the building.
- The library hired a pest-control company that removed affected furniture and treated remaining items with a hospital-grade insecticide before reopening to the public.
- Ypsilanti District Library temporarily closed its Michigan Avenue branch after confirming evidence of bedbugs and will require written proof that a patron’s home was treated before that person may return to any branch.
- Advocates and staff warn the new entry rules could create barriers for people experiencing homelessness who relied on indoor storage for their belongings, and some patrons are calling for safe storage or screening options instead.
- Officials have not identified a definitive source of the infestations, so libraries are emphasizing prevention and monitoring while treatment continues and neighboring branches take precautionary steps.