Albany

Bedbugs typically live in mattresses or in hidden spots within eight feet of where people sleep, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.

But they're also turning up in the Holland Avenue headquarters of the state Office for Mental Health.

The discovery has prompted a wake-up call among state officials who are spraying for the pests and union leaders who wonder if enough is being done at the work site.

"I was stunned," said one employee at the facility, who spotted the wingless insects on a desk.

Others have reported itch-inducing bites on their lower legs and ankles, and employees are turning their pockets inside out before they get home to make sure they're not transporting the insects to their residences. Bedbugs have been known to tuck themselves into clothing pockets as well as handbags and backpacks.

Also known as cimex lectularius, bedbugs can grow to the size of the Lincoln's head on a penny. They feed on human blood, usually when their hosts are asleep. But they can go for a month without eating.

One good thing: they don't live in nests.

OMH spokeswoman Kristin Salvi confirmed the bedbug sightings, and said in an email the agency's property manager "contracted with a licensed pest control technician" to carry out spraying late last month.

"The area where the insects were discovered is a confined space which contains the OMH Design Center and some Office of Information Technology Services offices," she said.

An internal memo that went out to OMH workers on Tuesday said the area was slated to be sprayed again that evening. Some, though, have asked whether managers should bring in special dogs that can sniff out concentrations of the bugs.

And one of the unions representing OMH workers, the Public Employees Federation, says its members are worried about contents of the pesticides that are being used.

"We are very concerned that so far our members have received no information about the type of chemicals used," PEF spokeswoman Jane Briggs said in an email.

"In addition, since the source of the bedbugs has not been found, we are very concerned about the adequacy of this spot treatment and how much re-infestation could occur. If there's no resolution in a timely manner we will be forced to seek redress through a PESH (public employee safety and health) complaint."

Bedbugs are not known to carry diseases, and are considered by the CDC to be more of an annoyance than a danger. Bedbug bites can cause itchiness similar to those of a mosquito, but the accompanying marks can take 14 days to appear.

New York City hotels have for the past few years been famously plagued by them, with the insects even turning up in five-star facilities.

Bedbugs were in the news locally several years ago during an outbreak in the Saratoga Housing Authority homes.

Criticism of a supposedly lax response by the Authority's director, Ed Spychalski, was one of several factors preceding his decision to depart at the end of this year.

rkarlin@timesunion.com • 518-454-5758 • @RickKarlinTU