Category Archives: Bed Bugs Alberta

Sometimes, that old rhyme, "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite" is just a little too on-the-nose. After all, bedbugs aren't just an alliterative rhyme from a children's saying: they're real pests that can be scary to encounter and hard to get rid of! Given that bedbug outbreaks are so common, there's ample opportunity for a slew of rumors, myths, and flat-out fallacies about the troublesome households pests that can make it difficult for anyone to know exactly how to find them and, more importantly, how to get rid of them.

Woman's Day asks experts to differentiate fact from fiction, and found out everything you never knew about bedbugs including how to find bedbugs, when bedbugs are most active, and what to do if you realize you' have an infestation of bedbugs in your home.

If you think you're facing a bedbug problem, step one is simple: Do not panic. It's important to call a specialist exterminator right away, especially since bedbugs can lay a lot of eggs very quickly, which will only make exacerbate the problem.

The following facts about bedbugs will, hopefully, help you feel better prepared in case you ever encounter the pests. It really is impossible to sleep tight if the bedbugs are biting, so if you want to be ready for what's an inevitability in many major cities, read on to learn everything you need to know about bedbugs.

The Latin name for bedbugs is Cimex lectularius, which means "bug of the bed." But don't let that fool you the pesky creatures can be found anywhere. "Bedbugs want to feed on you at night while you're still, so they're commonly found in your bed," John Furman, president of New York Citybased pest management company Boot-A-Pest, tells Woman's Day. "But I always say the bed is 70 percent of the infestation and the rest of the room is the other 30 percent. They can be all over your apartmentin the sofa, behind picture frames or in the crevices of baseboards."

"There's an unnecessary stigma associated with bedbugs," Susan Jones, PhD, associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University, tells Woman's Day. "Anyone can get them. They're not associated with poor housekeeping or a certain poverty level or anything like that."

So if you have themor know someone who does remember that it has nothing to do with personal hygiene habits. "Every woman whose home I treat tells me how often they shower, how clean they are, that they get manicures none of that matters," Jeff Eisenberg, founder of Pest Away Exterminating, tells Woman's Day.

Unlike with many other pests and insects, research has not yet proven that bedbugs do anything more harmful than give you the heebie-jeebies. But that doesn't mean people should brush them off as no big deal. And Jones believes the research is "incomplete and inconclusive." And Eisenberg insists they are a mental health risk. "People can become so obsessed with bedbugs they don't sleep for weeks," Jones explains. "They miss work, they spend hours Googling the topic. I call it bedbug paranoia."

Bedbugs have also been shown to aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms in people who already suffer from them.

It's difficult to notice a suspicious bite and not immediately consult Dr. Google for an immediate diagnoses. But just because a website tells you bedbug bites look a certain way doesn't mean your bites will follow that pattern. According to Jones, bites often appear in a grouping of three or a "1-2-3 breakfast, lunch, dinner" pattern, but many people around 30 percent, according to Furman don't react to bites at all. And others may have singular scattered bites.

Though these pests like to come out before dawn, don't think you can wait up all night to outsmart them. "A bedbug is an opportunist, and while their peak feeding time is between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., if you work nights they will come out and feed on you during the day," Furman says. And Jones explains that they're attracted to a human's body temperature and, even more so, the carbon dioxide we exhale.

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While itchy bites may indicate you have a bedbug problem, a thorough inspection is necessary to prove it.

"If you have a low-level infestation, most people will miss the signs. You really need to call a professional who will spend the time to find the evidence," Furman says, who takes at least an hour inspecting rooms for signs of bedbugs. Things you should look for include "peppering," which are black fecal spots that are usually imbedded in the mattress seams or on the box spring, as well as insect skins (immature bedbugs shed their skin five times before becoming an adult). You may also see actual bedbugs, which, depending on their age, will be clear or rust-colored. You can never be too careful, but don't panic.

"I've had people email me photographs of Hostess cupcake crumbs, lint, fingernails, you name it," Furman explains.

Well-trained and properly handled canines can track down bedbugs because, like bomb-sniffing and drug-sniffing dogs, they are taught to home in on the scent. But according to Furman, "a dog is a tool to bring a handler to a defined search area. You've still got to find the bugs in the area they alerted you to."

A common misconception about bedbugs is that if you have them, you have to trash your mattress and send all your clothing to the dry cleaner's. Not true! According to Furman, heat is the number-one killer of bedbugs. Exterminators treat rooms and furniture with a combination of dry steam cleaning, deep heat and chemical treatments.

If your clothes have been in an infested room, throw them in a hot dryer (at least 120 degrees) for 30 minutes to kill any bugs.

Whatever you do, don't attempt to fumigate your house for bedbugs yourself. "Don't use a bug bomb or fogger, even if it claims it's meant for bedbugs," Jones warnes. "All it will do is scatter them throughout your home, and if you have an apartment, it will give them to your neighbors."

Jones says that boric acid and other grocery store sprays won't work, either. Calling a professional is essential and it's best to call one early. "You have to deal with this right away," Jones explains. "One single female bedbug can lay 500 eggs in her lifetime, so it can get out of control quickly."

According to Jones, bedbugs started making a comeback in the late 1990s for a variety of reasons. A spike in international travel combined with a change in the pesticides and insecticides we use as well as lifestyle changes all played a role in their resurgence. "Bedbugs reproduce very quickly and live for a long time, so it was just a matter of time until their populations exploded," she says. So what now? Though the situation is manageable, "there's absolutely no end in sight. This is a pest we'll likely be living with for the rest of our lives."

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Facts About Bedbugs How to Find Bedbugs - WomansDay.com

I had a soft spot for them, says Mary, her empathy evident, even wearing a mask, in a Zoom meeting Thursday. I thought I was doing something good.

Within 48 hours of letting the desperate couple stay at her one-bedroom apartment, it had all fallen apart. Beached on the sectional couch, he was drinking rubbing alcohol; she was strung out on pills. Not only did they invite themselves into Marys Centretown unit, but they also had no plans to leave.

Later, they would discover the bed bugs in the visitors clothing and a warrant for his arrest.

On April Fools Day in 2018, Mary (not her real name) and her husband were victims of a home takeover, a little-talked about menace that happens dozens of times in Ottawa annually and targets the vulnerable and elderly.

Numbers are hard to come by, but frontline workers say its likely that every day in this city a marginalized tenant is being preyed upon by scheming friends and hangers-on, creepy relatives or outright criminals looking for a safe base of operation.

Crime Prevention Ottawa has just submitted a report to city council on a multi-year effort to combat the problem, which executive director Nancy Worsfold considers among its proudest achievements in 15 years.

Since 2013, the tiny organization has managed to spark 157 training sessions, which in turn alerted 3,500 workers to the morally complex problem of home takeovers.

Worsfold said the effort grew out of the groups work in vulnerable neighbourhoods and the realization that much of the criminal activity was focused in a small number of addresses, sometimes home to a revolving cast.

When you untangle the problems there, it is really complicated, she explained. There is negative activity there, but it wasnt necessarily under the control of the legitimate tenant.

Indeed, at its worst, units were being taken over by drug traffickers or gangs as bases of operation, with dope sometimes supplied to the tenants as hush payments. The consequences could be horrendous: all-night noise and traffic, assaults, gun play, even homicides.

But this was merely the iceberg tip. Beneath the obvious criminal activity, there were stories of the lonely elderly being squatted by conniving relatives, recovering addicts being swamped by users and their friends and the mentally challenged who could be victims at home at every turn.

Crime Prevention first commissioned a literature review of the problem in 2012 and discovered that not only was there little research done in Canada, but also not even common language to describe the issue. (It is often called cuckooing in countries like England.)

Before long, a committee of 16 groups was assembled, everyone from the Ottawa Police Service to the Canadian Mental Health Association to Ottawa Community Housing and the Ottawa-Carleton Association for Persons with Developmental Disabilities.

The latter association took on co-ordination of the project.

Anne Cole, a supervisor in community support for OCAPDD, says takeovers often start innocently, with one neighbour trying to help another in a sudden jam, like the loss of housing or income.

When negative consequences escalate, she said, the tenant can feel embarrassed because they initially agreed to the arrangement.

Home takeover is often not reported and thats the biggest problem.

Added Worsfold: People are deeply ashamed of these situations and theyre complicated because they feel responsible for inviting the person in.

For the same reasons, victims may be reluctant to turn to the police especially if the home has become a crime haven or simply have no idea where to find help.

But Crime Preventions work is changing that as a series of videos, workshops and printed materials have been distributed or seen by hundreds of frontline workers, including police. Most major local organizations that work in public housing, elder abuse, with the disabled and the mentally ill have been looped in.

In Marys case, she spoke to her husbands caseworker about two days after the unwanted guests arrived from a unit across the hall, where they had been abusing the generosity of a relative for months.

The caseworker alerted Cole, who hustled over to meet the couple in a coffee shop. Upon hearing the story, the caseworker called police. All it took was some prodding from the officers and the unwanted couple departed.

We needed help to do that, said Mary, then one of Coles clients. I didnt know how to deal with a situation like that. I was scared.

Crime Prevention Ottawa now feels it has equipped frontline workers with an understanding of the problem and some tools to bring about a fix.

To me, said Worsfold, truly affecting the lives of vulnerable victims is important.

Like in Marys case, where all it took was the right push, at the right time, to restore house and home.

To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-291-6265 or email kegan@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/kellyegancolumn

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Egan: The creeping, hidden menace of home takeovers - Spruce Grove Examiner

EDMONTON, ALBERTA I watched a couple of playoff games on TV yesterday and have occasionally in my now 31-day stay in Edmonton. The one thing Ive been amazed by: how absolutely different the atmosphere is on TV as opposed to being in the building.

It seems like the real thing on TV: fast-paced hockey, lots of excited chatter by the announcers, lots of piped-in crowd noise that sounds like the real, live thing. In the building? Complete, 180-degree difference.

There is a weird crowd noise button that the building people press when there is a big scoring chance or a big save or some kind of other ruckus involving the players. But its different from that of the TV crowd noise. In the building, it sounds kind of like a giant wave crashing onshore or something, or a big whoosh of air.

On TV, when play stops, graphics flash and replays rolls and the announcers keep up the chatter. When play stops in the building, its mostly dead silent. They do play some music at times, and the home team gets an occasional Lets go (blank) from a pre-recorded video feed on the jumbotron, but it seems ghostly, creepy almost.

On TV, after periods, they go to the studio where lots more excited chatter and analysis happens, with more flash and dash. In the building, its dead, dead silent. There is no music, nothing on the jumbotron. You can hear the workers on the ice as they take off the nets for the Zamboni, and when they re-attach them. In the concourse right outside where I sit, there is just one lone usher, sitting in a chair, trying to stop him/herself from going crazy I would imagine. There is nothing for them to do really. No fans to take to their seats, no fights to break up, no spills to clean up. Its just.me, in the entire section of the concourse where I sit. Sometimes, I have Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sitting near me, but usually not until late in the Avs game, as the Blues always seem to get the late starts. Jim and I are IT for any U.S. hockey media presence here in Edmonton. Kudos to the Post-Dispatch for sending him. Lots of media outlets talk a big game, about how far theyre willing to go for the customer. Well, I think weve seen how much hot air that is in these playoffs. (If that seems a little harsh, so be it. As I said, plenty of sports media companies talk the talk, but dont walk the walk when it comes to spending money on travel).

For people watching on TV, and that is almost all of you reading this, Im happy for you. Im glad its a seamless experience from what you normally see (for the most part). If youre in the building though? Its a totally different world.

-

Speaking of travel: I think I need a new place to stay: Ive been at this airbnb the whole time, and for the first three weeks or so, things were great. Plenty of room, a location right near the arena, an eclectic neighborhood. But in the last week, much of my body has been eaten alive by honest-to-god bed bugs. Ill spare you any gruesome pictures, but right now much of the skin on my legs but some on the upper body too have big fat red welts on them, and they are from bed bug bites.

The entire building had an outbreak. The building was fumigated by a professional, but I can tell you that the bugs are still here, alive and kickin. I woke up to one this morning on my pillow, and the little critter was moving around just fine, probably after a night of feasting on my blood. I gave him one final moment before smashing him to dust.

I really dont want to move on from here. I got a good deal, and the location is so perfect. But I cant take the bugs anymore. I think the building might actually get condemned, or at least thats the chatter from a couple of other tenants.

Sooo, I need to look for another place. This is assuming the Avs win this series, of course. That would keep me here another three weeks, minimum. (If the Avs choke this series, then Im on a plane home in a few days).

I think the local apartment/airbnb owners have jacked up their rates of late, because of the playoffs being here (even though theres no media except me and Jim and the players are all in bubble-protected hotels). So, it might cost me a pretty penny to move.

You know me, I dont beg for anything. But, hey, if you want to contribute to the Avs Travel Tip Jar here, I wont stop you!

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Bubble Hockey: The difference between watching an Avs game in the building as opposed to on TV - Colorado Hockey Now

Update:1st flr will remain closed Fri for completion of bed bug treatment, entire bldg to be closed Sat for further precautionary treatment

On Saturday, the entire building will be closed as computers and tables in the affected area will be removed and processed in a heat chamber, she said.

Fifty chairs will be removed and treated off-site.

Murphy said there is nothing to suggest bed bugs had infested any library books, but as a precaution, staff have asked the company to check the rest of the library.

That way we can feel really comfortable and confident when we open on Sunday morning, she said.

This is not the first time bed bugs have been reported in the library. Last winter, the fifth floor was treated after reports of bed bugs surfaced.

The library, which opened in 1951 and is the largest on campus and the second largest research library in Canada, is expected to reopen at 11 a.m. Sunday.

We want to reassure our community of users it is highly localized, its being treated and we are, as a precaution, checking to make sure everything else is fine, she said.

jgraney@postmedia.com

twitter.com/jurisgraney

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Bed bugs found in small section of University of Alberta's ...

The parts of Bolton with the biggest pest control problems have been revealed.

Postcodes in Bolton town centre, Farnworth and Great Lever all feature in the top ten areas visited by pest control in 2019.

Crompton Way, Hall Lane and Alberta Street had more than 100 rat-related visits between them while Crescent Road was the most visited for mice.

There were 30 rat-related emergency visits, three of which were in Anglia Grove at the start of the year.

Rats were by far the most common pest the local authority dealt with at 8,948 visits almost ten times more than mice at second place.

But for those people who cannot wait for Bolton Council to visit their property and are willing to pay more to exterminate pests, private companies available with some offering a same day service.

Ian Smith from Horwich, who has run his own pest control business for around 20 years, said rats seem to be getting inside buildings and homes more easily these days.

He claims eight out of ten cases of rats found in properties are caused by sewer faults.

This is when there are cracks and breakages in the pipes which connect to the sewer system.

He said: Rats get into the fabric of the building. Its something a lot of pest control companies dont want to admit because it can be hard work to find the fault.

It can be expensive, it can be frustrating. But at the moment thats the key to the problem in Bolton and everywhere else.

Mr Smith, whose father also worked in pest control, said that flooded sewers have also contributed to an increase in rats-related call outs this winter.

Rats and mice tend to keep pest control services busiest in the autumn and throughout the winter.

Andrew Glover, director of Premier Environmental pest control, explained why.

He said: You get problems with rats and mice throughout the year but it usually spikes in the winter because its cold so they look for a warm place where theres more food readily available that outside.

Mr Glover said that having a rat infestations can often be a case of bad luck but sometimes the problem is linked to poor hygiene, building maintenance or pipes not being sealed properly.

He said that wasp nests start becoming an issue in the summer as well as ants.

There were hundreds of visits by the councils pest control team related to wasps, bedbugs and ants last year as well as a small number of cases of silverfish, moles and beetles.

Treatment for rats usually consists of two or three visits but an infestation of bed bugs in Russell Street this year required 15 visits for one course.

Properties on Jessie Street, Philips Avenue and Adrian Road were visited 21 times each for bed bugs while Pixmore Avenue and Kent Court were the most visited cockroaches.

However, Mr Glover said that he has noticed a decrease in the number of calls he receives related to cockroaches in the 15 years he has operated in Bolton.

The postcodes which the council visited the most over the last year were revealed following a Freedom of Information request.

The Middlebrook area topped the list but many visits were routine, relating to a commercial contract with Bolton Wanderers.

The council also has a contract with Bolton at Home relating to Paderborn Court accounting for multiple visits as a preventative measure.

A council spokesman said: The councils pest control team undertake visits to domestic and commercial properties across the borough.

We understand that people may look at the figures and think theres a bigger pest problem in certain areas but this is not necessarily the case.

Quite often a number of visits will form one course of treatment. Many of the locations with higher number of visits are also due to us having commercial contracts in place, which means we will routinely visit on multiple occasions.

This is the case for Bolton Wanderers hence the high number of visits to the Middlebrook area.

We also routinely undertake a number of scheduled checks in some areas this means that while these postcodes may show multiple visits, this is for prevention work rather than to tackle an infestation.

To report a problem in your home call 01204 336553 or 336047 for businesses.

We now have a dedicated Facebook page bringing you all the latest news, events and community news in Bolton.

To keep up to date with all that is happening in Bolton - and to join in the discussion - follow the page here.

Reporter Tom George covers all things Bolton for the Manchester Evening News, you can follow him on Twitter here.

The postcodes which the councils pest control team visited the most over the last year were revealed following a Freedom of Information request.

The data provided shows how many times the local authority visited a property, but some were routine visits.

This includes a commercial contract with Bolton Wanders which explains why the Middlebrook area features so high on the list.

The figures only show visits made by the councils pest control team and does not take into account activity by private providers.

Middlebrook Retail Park, for example, uses a private pest control service.

BL6 6SF (Middlebrook area) 100 visits

BL1 4TX (Paderborn Court) 50 visits

BL1 4BE (Russell Street) 50 visits

BL4 7QS (Hall Lane) 44 visits

BL3 2JS (Crescent Road) 43 visits

BL1 8TL (Crompton Way) 43 visits

BL4 9BJ (Philips Avenue) 42 visits

BL3 5DX (Wellington Street) 40 visits

BL3 5PE (Jessie Street) 38 visits

BL4 7QQ (Glenbrook Gardens) 37 visits

BL6 6SF (Middlebrook area) 74 visits

BL1 8TL (Crompton Way) 38 visits

BL4 7QS (Hall Lane) 35 visits

BL3 5JD (Alberta Street) 32 visits

BL3 4BD (Daisy Street/Broomfield Road) 31 visits

BL3 3AR (Hamel Street) 28 visits

BL3 5DX (Wellington Street) 25 visits

BL3 4AW (Church Avenue) 25 visits

BL1 4LJ (Gilnow Road) 25 visits

BL1 3QE (Wolfenden Street) 25 visits

BL6 6LG (Brazley Avenue) 5 visits

BL3 4QE (Armadale Road) 5 visits

BL2 5HA (Winster Drive) 5 visits

BL1 5RZ (Great Marld Close 5 visits

BL1 6QY (Dunoon Drive) 5 visits

BL2 2RD (Rossall Close) 5 visits

BL1 3XG (Constable Close) 4 visits

BL2 5AA (Winchester Way) 4 visits

BL5 3HS (Beehive Green) 4 visits

BL1 8SD (Parkgate Drive 4 visits

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Revealed: The parts of Bolton with the biggest rat infestation problems - Manchester Evening News