Even at Google, some bugs need exterminators, not coders

Ironically, Google, known for killing online bugs, couldn’t escape the real ones. Here's what reportedly happened.

Google is no stranger to bugs. Its engineers routinely tackle software glitches and security vulnerabilities to keep its platforms safe. Yet, the tech giant recently faced a very different kind of bug problem that no engineer could solve: bed bugs. A serious infestation at its New York office was severe enough that employees were sent home while exterminators worked to get it under control.

Google had to call in exterminators to get rid of a bed bug problem at its New York Chelsea office.

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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Wired reported that this affected Google's Chelsea campus in New York, where employees received an email alerting them to a potential bed bug outbreak. The email reportedly mentioned that there was credible evidence of their presence, and Google was quick to bring in exterminators along with sniffer dogs to confirm the situation.

Employees Asked To Stay Home

According to the report, the email was sent by Google's Environmental Health and Safety team, advising employees to stay at home until the infestation was successfully dealt with. The problem was resolved quickly. Employees received the email on Sunday, but by Monday, they were permitted to return to the office, giving them no respite from Monday blues.

This is amusing, considering Google constantly deals with various bugs affecting its online services. To address those online bugs, Google employs engineers and other specialists who code solutions to make the digital environment safer, as such bugs can be exploited by hackers for nefarious purposes.

But bed bugs, well, they are a real, tangible menace; they exist in the physical world and are notorious troublemakers. They can infiltrate nearly anywhere, are highly adaptable, and have reportedly become resistant to various treatments over time. For those unaware, bed bugs can bite and feed on human blood, much like mosquitoes. Many people have reported infestations in their homes; bed bugs hide well, move quickly, and, considering this incident at Google's offices, pose a significant health and safety concern. They can latch onto employees and be carried to their homes, potentially escalating the infestation.

The ironic part is that no engineer can solve this problem. Only professional exterminators, using methods such as heat treatments, chemical treatments, and more, can effectively handle it.

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