1/13/2012 Bedbugs Force Orlando Salvation Army Shelter To Close

A bed bug infestation has forced a Salvation Army shelter in Orlando to temporarily close.

The Salvation Army announced Thursday that the men’s shelter could be closed for up to a week.

The Orlando Sentinel reports officials are scrambling to find accommodations for up to 75 homeless men – just as the temperatures are expected to dip into the 30s. Another 50 men who are enrolled in the agency’s long-term transitional program will be housed in a gym on the shelter’s property.

Officials say it will cost about $15,000 to tent the building for treatment of bed bugs.

Spokeswoman Vicki Hastings says the Salvation Army hopes the public will help cover the costs.

Bed bugs bites can lead to severe itching and skin infections.