A thrift shop in a small community may be forced to permanently shut down after they received a bed bug-infested donation.
This nightmare began when one of the store’s volunteers opened a bag containing some type of fabric. The woman didn’t even have a chance to put her hand in the bag before a swarm of bed bugs started crawling up her arm. She was bitten many times, and was left traumatized by the exposure. They closed the store within minutes after the discovery.
The owner of the store said that all items had to be removed from the shop, and thousands of dollars-worth of products had to be destroyed.
A cleaning crew, all dressed in hazmat suits, was brought in to perform a deep clean. Their fee was over $3,000.
Two more deep cleans will be needed before the store can be reopened, and that may take up to 10 days to complete.
Because of the financial impact of this bed bug infestation, the future of the store is uncertain. The owner said that the store is 100 percent volunteer run, and that all of the profits stay in the community. The shop will be holding a community barbecue to raise funds to help them stay in business.
Ladies and gentlemen, bed bugs are by far and away the most difficult insect to deal with. It is very important to remember that these pests are imported from other places. So, be very careful when staying in hotels, using public transportation, or when you bring new items into your home. You’ve got to be on the lookout for these “hitchhikers”!
