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Running a pest control business in Canada sounds like a great idea, the main reason being demand. Additional benefits include low marketing costs and start-up costs and a pest-free environment for customers.

Challenges

The main challenge that pest control businesses face is the fact that summer is the time when rodents, bugs, and other pests come out. Summer is a busy season but you will have less work in winter, spring, and autumn. Thus fluctuating cash flows and profits are the main problem due to the seasonal character of a pest control business.

Regulations, Licenses, and Permits

The main acts and regulations in Canada are the Pesticide Residue Compensation Act, Pest Control Products Act, and others. Depending on the province or territory and activity, businesses are required to obtain different licenses and permits such as pesticide permits, vendor license, operator license, etc. In Ontario, for example, businesses that apply and sell pesticides need a license while those that use high-risk pesticides need a permit. There are different types of exterminator licenses as well, including water, land, and structural exterminator licenses. The license is valid for a period of five years. Business owners are asked to submit an application, along with the application fee, proof of pesticide certification, and employment information.

Develop a Business Plan

A business plan helps obtain external financing at competitive interest rates, especially if you have very good or stellar credit. It is a good idea to include a list of services such as advisory and consultancy services, building maintenance and lawn care, insect and rodent control and extermination, bird proofing, and termite control. Other services include pest and mosquito control and eradication and fumigating. Make sure you include separate sections on your business structure, mission statement, potential customers, and target market. Customers that use pest control services include corporations, camp grounds, farms, local communities, kids playgrounds, boarding houses, parks, commercial farmers, and households, among others.

Funding

Funding can come from different sources, including credit unions and banks, finance companies, peer to peer lenders, credit card companies, government-backed loans, and more (https://www.lifeoncredit.ca/refresh-financial-secured-credit-card/). Many business owners apply for government funding under the Canada Small Business Financing Program (https://www.lifeoncredit.ca/the-small-business-tax-reform-in-canada/). Loans can be used for eligible assets such as equipment (tools, instruments, machinery, etc.), leasehold improvements, immovable or real property, and registration fees up to 2 percent. Funding cannot be used to cover things like inventory, working capital, or franchise fees. A government loan can be used to cover website and software development, decontamination costs, and equipment improvement, including installation, modernization, renovation, and construction. In addition to CSBF, unions and banks offer mortgage and loan financing to start-ups and companies operating in Canada (https://www.lifeoncredit.ca/). Religious entities and enterprises, farms, and non-for-profits usually do not qualify. Many financial institutions require personal guarantee as a guarantee of on-time loan repayment. There are other ways to secure additional financing, including business lines of credit and credit cards. A business line of credit, for example, is a good choice to access and withdraw funds at any time. Money can be used for inventory and supplies, to take advantage of trade discounts, or anything else. Lastly, business credit cards go with larger limits compared to personal cards and benefits such as complimentary welcome bonuses, concierge, airmiles, travel and flight discounts, and a lot more.

Bed bugs come in different varieties but are basically parasitic insects that are active at night time. Spread by crawling, they live in linen, clothing, and cracks in furniture.

What Are Bed Bugs

Part of the cimicid family, bed bugs are tiny bugs that feed on bats and other animals and human blood. There are different types and species, including barn swallow, Mexican chicken, and tropical bugs. The Mexican chicken bug, for example, feeds on fowl and birds and is usually found on farms. The tropical variety feeds on human blood and bats and is found in regions with temperate as well as tropical climate. A total of 92 different species have been identified.

Where Can Be Found

They can be found in sofas and other upholstered furniture, textiles, beds and bed frames, box springs, mattress covers, mattresses, etc. Other areas that can be infested include wallpaper cracks, dressers, carpet edges, and curtains. Buildings that are at risk of infestation include buses, trains, and other transportation vehicles, shelters, laundries, office buildings, theaters, and other high-traffic areas. About 2/3 of bed bugs, however, are concentrated in the bed area.

Bites and Signs

Common signs of bug bites include itching, swelling, and redness. They can be mistaken for skin problems, rash, and mosquito and flea bites. Treatment is usually not required. Some patients develop bacterial infections and are prescribed antibiotics. If allergic reaction occurs, doctors usually prescribe antihistamines or topical steroids. Some people use natural and home remedies such as water and soda paste, oatmeal baths, tea tree essential oil, patchouli oil, and cold compresses.

How to Eliminate Them

There are different ways and products to kill insects, including diatomaceous earth, neem oil, and thyme oil. Diatomaceous earth, for example, contains fossils of diatoms, which are miniature aquatic species. There are numerous applications in farming, skin care, food manufacturing, water filtering, etc. Diatomaceous earth is also used to kill parasites, insects, and viruses and to reduce the harmful effect of free radicals. Neem oil is also used to get rid of bed bugs in commercial settings and homes. Azadirachtin, the main ingredient of neem oil, repels more than 200 insect species and is low in toxicity. Washing, fabrics, upholstery, and other surfaces also help eliminate bed bugs. You may add essential oils for better results. Lemon oil, for example, is known to repel insects, including bed bugs. It is best to contact a professional service company, however. They have experience in treating infested areas and use professional products and solutions. Some companies use professional insecticides while others use natural or organic products. Professional insecticides are more effective in treating infested areas. If you choose this option, ask whether the products they use are safe to apply on upholstery, fabrics, and mattresses, especially if you have small children, pets, or known allergies.

It is a good idea to inspect framed pictures, bed frames, fabrics, and soft furnishings on a regular basis. Check for eggs, dead bedbugs, blood stains, and insects to avoid infestation. If you are a frequent traveler, you may want to keep your suitcases away from furniture and your bed area. Put your clothes in the drier for 20 30 minutes when returning from a trip or holiday.

Bed Bugs in Canada, Cases and Infested Areas

The most heavily infested areas in Canada include Ottawa, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Toronto. Other cities that have bed bug problems include Calgary, Scarborough, Sudbury, Halifax, Edmonton, and St. Johns. The majority of cities with bug problems are located in Ontario (14 in total).

In fact, there is a bed bug registry that allows users to browse for sites with reported cases. Sites include both residential homes and commercial properties. Renters and travelers are welcome to report areas with cases and bug infestations, including libraries, movie theatres, hospitals, dormitories, hotels, apartments, and houses. Users, on the other hand, are free to browse by city and state, street address, and hotel name. Information is available for different cities in Canada, including Toronto, Vancouver, Saskatoon, Regina, and others. The registry also features resources, city maps, alerts, and other useful information.

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Bedbugs are small, oval, brownish insects that live on the blood of animals or humans. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. After feeding, however, their bodies swell and are a reddish color.

Bedbugs do not fly, but they can move quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings. Female bedbugs may lay hundreds of eggs, each of which is about the size of a speck of dust, over a lifetime.

Immature bedbugs, called nymphs, shed their skins five times before reaching maturity and require a meal of blood before each shedding. Under favorable conditions the bugs can develop fully in as little as a month and produce three or more generations per year.

Although they are a nuisance, they are not thought to transmit diseases.

Bedbugs may enter your home undetected through luggage, clothing, used beds and couches, and other items. Their flattened bodies make it possible for them to fit into tiny spaces, about the width of a credit card. Bedbugs do not have nests like ants or bees, but tend to live in groups in hiding places. Their initial hiding places are typically in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and headboards where they have easy access to people to bite in the night.

Over time, however, they may scatter through the bedroom, moving into any crevice or protected location. They may also spread to nearby rooms or apartments.

Because bedbugs live solely on blood, having them in your home is not a sign of dirtiness. You are as likely to find them in immaculate homes and hotel rooms as in filthy ones.

Bedbugs are active mainly at night and usually bite people while they are sleeping. They feed by piercing the skin and withdrawing blood through an elongated beak. The bugs feed from three to 10 minutes to become engorged and then crawl away unnoticed.

Most bedbug bites are painless at first, but later turn into itchy welts. Unlike flea bites that are mainly around the ankles, bedbug bites are on any area of skin exposed while sleeping. Also, the bites do not have a red spot in the center like flea bites do.

People who don't realize they have a bedbug infestation may attribute the itching and welts to other causes, such as mosquitoes. To confirm bedbug bites, you must find and identify the bugs themselves.

If you wake up with itchy areas you didn't have when you went to sleep, you may have bedbugs, particularly if you got a used bed or other used furniture around the time the bites started. Other signs that you have bedbugs include:

If you suspect an infestation, remove all bedding and check it carefully for signs of the bugs or their excrement. Remove the dust cover over the bottom of the box springs and examine the seams in the wood framing. Peel back the fabric where it is stapled to the wood frame.

Also, check the area around the bed, including inside books, telephones or radios, the edge of the carpet, and even in electrical outlets. Check your closet, because bedbugs can attach to clothing. If you are uncertain about signs of bedbugs, call an exterminator, who will know what to look for.

If you find signs of infestation, begin steps to get rid of the bugs and prevent their return.

Getting rid of bedbugs begins with cleaning up the places where bedbugs live. This should include the following:

If your mattress is infested, you may want to get rid of it and get a new one, but take care to rid the rest of your home of bedbugs or they will infest your new mattress.

While cleaning up infested areas will be helpful in controlling bedbugs, getting rid of them usually requires chemical treatments. Because treating your bed and bedroom with insecticides can be harmful, it is important to use products that can be used safely in bedrooms. Do not treat mattresses and bedding unless the label specifically says you can use them on bedding.

Generally it is safest and most effective to hire an experienced pest control professional for bedbug extermination.

SOURCES:

University of Kentucky College of Agriculture: "Bed Bugs."

Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: "Bed Bugs."

The New York City Department of Heath and Mental Hygiene: "Stop Bed Bugs Safely."

University of Nebraska--Lincoln Extension Lancaster County: "Managing Bed Bugs."

CDC.

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Bed Bugs: How to Identify Bedbugs and How to Get ... - WebMD

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The United States is currently experiencing a nightmarish epidemic of disgusting blood sucking parasites, and no, I am not talking about our politicians. There is a full blown bed bug epidemic happening all across America and it just seems to get worse with each passing year. For cities such as New York and Philadelphia which are at the epicenter of the outbreak, bed bugs have become an important political issue. Once bed bugs become entrenched in an area, virtually everyone is thinking about them. Bed bugs will not kill you, but they can drive you insane. Anyone that has ever had big, red welts all over their bodies from bed bug bites knows how terribly frustrating bed bugs can be. They can be incredibly difficult to get rid of. So why am I talking about bed bugs when there are hundreds of other important economic issues to talk about right now? Well, this is just another example of how our country seems to be cursed. Even the simplest things seem to become major problems for us these days. The reality is that there were almost no bed bugs inside the U.S. between the end of World War II and the 1990s. But today the number of bed bugs is absolutely exploding. I remember when I was young my mother would tell me to sleep tight and dont let the bed bugs bite, but I didnt even know what bed bugs were because I had never seen any. But today, CBS News says that more than 250 million dollars a year (and rising) is spent fighting bed bugs.

Things have gotten so bad that a National Bed Bug Summit was held earlier this year in Washington D.C.

Will we soon have a war on bed bugs?

I can just see it now: You are either with us or you are with the bed bugs.

So exactly what are bed bugs?

Well, basically bed bugs are small, brown, flat insects that love to suck the blood of animals and humans. They are commonly found in hospitals, businesses, homes, sofas, mattresses, buses, subways, trains, airplanes, classrooms, retail stores, movie theaters and especially in hotels.

As mentioned above, you will not die from bed bug bites. But many people have been driven absolutely crazy from constant bed bug bites for weeks or months on end.

One of the worst things about a bed bug infestation is all of the itching that bed bug bites cause. It can get to a point where it can be absolutely debilitating.

Some people become so traumatized by the fear of having bed bugs crawl all over them and bite them all night that they actually become afraid to go to sleep. A really bad bed bug infestation can cause panic attacks and even depression.

Right now there are large numbers of New Yorkers that are absolutely obsessed with bed bugs. The bed bug infestation in the city just seems to get worse and worse. The following is a quote from a local NBC news station in New York.

New statistics from the citys Department of Housing, Preservation and Development reveal an epidemic: Manhattanites have been complaining about bed bugs at six times the rate they did in 2005. On Staten Island, the number of complaints has soared 32 times higher than it was five years ago.

Just because you have bed bugs does not mean that you are dirty or unsanitary. The truth is that some of the finest hotels in the country have bed bugs.

According to The New York Post, bed bugs have even infested the Metropolitan Opera House, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, the Empire State Building and the United Nations.

I once experienced a problem with bed bugs myself. Back when I was much younger and barely scraping by financially, I figured I would save a few bucks by buying a used mattress.

That was a huge mistake.

For weeks I would wake up with huge red bites all over my legs.

Never, ever again will I buy a used mattress.

Once bed bugs arrive in your home, they can be almost impossible to get rid of without professional help.

Throwing out one piece of furniture or covering your mattress in plastic might help a little bit but it will not solve the problem.

Some adult bed bugs can live for up to 12 months without feeding at all.

Just when you think they are gone they can come out and start feasting again.

Also, bed bugs are great at multiplying. Female bed bugs can lay up to 5 eggs in a single day and can lay up to 500 eggs during a lifetime.

Perhaps your area of the country does not have a problem with bed bugs yet, but this epidemic is spreading. Just check out the CBS News video report posted below.

Perhaps you saw in the news recently that some scientists have found that bed bugs are now carrying a superbug known as MRSA.

Scientists in Vancouver, Canada say that for the first time ever they have found bed bugs that have methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The following is a quote from a recent CTV article about this discovery.

Researchers discovered that a sample of the blood-sucking insects taken from three patients who live in Vancouvers gritty Downtown Eastside were carrying two types of drug-resistant bacteria.

Co-investigator Dr. Marc Romney, a medical microbiologist at nearby St. Pauls Hospital, said five bedbugs plucked from the patients or their belongings were carrying MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) or VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci). Dubbed superbugs, the bacteria are resistant to many standard antibiotics.

The good news is that these scientists do not have any evidence that bed bugs are spreading MRSA to humans.

Bed bugs are able to be infected by at least 28 different human pathogens, but at least to this point they are not very effective at spreading them.

Let us hope that does not change.

It turns out that MRSA has also been found in our supermarket meat.

For the first time in the United States, scientists have found antibiotic-resistant MRSA in supermarket meat.

According to Business Insider, scientists at Wayne State University tested 289 raw meat samples from 30 Detroit grocery stores. Six of the samples were infected with the potentially deadly bacteria, including three chicken, two beef and one turkey.

Yuck!

MRSA is not something you want to mess around with.

This is yet another example of how unsafe our food is becoming.

We like to think of ourselves as so advanced, but we cant even protect ourselves from annoying little bed bugs and we cant even keep very serious pathogens out of our food supply.

If you stop and think about all of the gross things in our society it can really stress you out. For example, the next time you use a soda fountain at a fast food restaurant there is a good chance that you may encounter fecal contamination. Just check out the following quote from Organic Health.

According to a study published in the January issue of the International Journal of Food Microbiology, nearly half of the 90 beverages from soda fountain machines in one area in Virginia tested positive for coliform bacteria which could indicate possible fecal contamination.

But getting back to bed bugs, for those dealing with an infestation the number one thing they want to know is what to do about it.

Well, there was one very effective chemical known as Propoxur, but it has been banned by the EPA. It turns out that Propoxur is a known human carcinogen and is very dangerous to children.

Some are urging the EPA to reconsider this ban, but so far the EPA has been standing firm.

Meanwhile, the bed bugs continue to multiply and terrorize more Americans.

On one bed bug forum, one woman identified as avenae shared a particularly brutal bed bug horror story.

It all started in April, woke up one morning with a red welt on my leg. Never really thought much of it. Then it kept happening, so I thought I had fleas, treated my animals, checked the house for them. Never saw a single flea. Also no one else in my home was being affected. Then I thought maybe I was having an allergic reaction to a new soap I had bought so I stopped using that and nothing changed. Kept realizing I was waking up in the middle of the night scratching my body parts almost raw. The itch was so intense it felt like a million fire ants biting me all over. So I start researching, read up on bed bugs and searched my entire home.nothing. But I seem to be having a sever reaction to the bites.

Mind you I hadnt traveled, had any visitors, nothing that would have brought these nasty little creatures into my home.

Ever night I wake up, every morning new red welts all over me. One night I thought Id wear long pants and sock and a long sleeve shirt, only to wake up with bites all over my neck and face! STILL could not find a single bug. It got to the point were I was crying myself to sleep at night and taking sleeping pills just to be able to sleep. Didnt want to start sleeping on the couch out of fear of them following me out.

Do you have a similar bed bug horror story?

If so, we would love to hear about it. Please feel free to share your thoughts about bed bugs below.

***UPDATE***

A reader named Emily left the following comment that I think we all should consider the next time we travel.

I use to work as a Hotel Manager. Trust me when I say, all hotels are infested with bed bugs. It was terrible fighting with the corp. owners of the property; they only weighed your safety against profits and profits always won! We did try to kill the bugs, but nothing really is effective so we rented out infective rooms and if guest complained, we would offer them a discount on the room. It finally got to the point I could not look people in the face so I left. It goes with out saying; I would never stay in a hotel room, period! What can you do if you must travel, I dont know! It is a fact of life that we must expose our selves to many nasty parasites in the environment and most of the time we survive, but nature is coming up with much more deadly threats all the time and it is no longer an option to be exposed. We need to wake up to these threats.

 

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Bed Bugs - The Economic Collapse