Google Has a Bed Bug Infestation in Its New York Offices
Google employees work on the company's Chelsea campus in New York City received a notice on Sunday alerting them to a possible bed bug outbreak at the office. Exterminators came to the scene with a sniffer dog “and found credible evidence of their presence,” according to an email obtained by WIRED. The email was sent to all Google employees in New York on behalf of the company's environmental, health and safety team.
Employees were told to avoid the office until treatment was completed. They were allowed to return on Monday morning. Google is conducting additional inspections at other Google campuses in New York, including buildings on the company's Hudson Square campus, “out of an abundance of caution,” the email says.
The company advised employees to file a report “if you experience symptoms you believe are linked to possible exposure to bed bugs.” In addition, “if you suspect you have seen a bed bug on site,” employees were told to report the sighting to the facilities team. Employees were also told to contact professional exterminators they found bed bugs in their house.
Sources tell WIRED that Google's New York offices are home to a number of large stuffed animals that are rumored to be involved in the outbreak. WIRED was unable to verify this information prior to publication. Google declined to comment.
This is not the first time that a Google office in New York has been infested with bed bugs. In 2010, the company's 9th Avenue offices in Manhattan experienced an outbreak amid a wider bed bug infestation in New York.
