Category Archives: Bed Bugs Saskatchewan

The Masked Hunter may be a predator to small insects, but that doesn't stop it from inflicting painful bites on careless handlers.

Updated: 01/04/2022; Authored By Staff Writer; Content http://www.InsectIdentification.org

The Masked Hunter adult primarily eats Bed Bugs and is active at night. Sightings of Masked Hunters indoors are usually a result of a bed bug presence inside the home. To eliminate the Masked Hunter, its food source -bed bugs- must be removed. This process usually requires the help of a professional exterminator. In nature, Masked Hunters also eat roly polys (wood lice) and earwigs in the absence of their preferred food.

* MAP NOTES: The territorial heat map above showcases (in red) the states and territories of North America where the Masked Hunter may be found (but is not limited to). This sort of data is useful when attempting to see concentrations of particular species across the continent as well as revealing possible migratory patterns over a species' given lifespan. Some insects are naturally confined by environment, weather, mating habits, food resources and the like while others see widespread expansion across most, or all, of North America. States/Territories shown above are a general indicator of areas inhabited by the Masked Hunter. Insects generally go where they please, typically driven by diet, environmental changes, and / or mating habits.

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Masked Hunter - Insect Identification

A Bed Bug Dog is the best tool in the fight against Bed Bugs.Our trained canines use their incredibly adept sense of smell to locate bed bugs in even the most hidden of areas, and in places where people cannot see. Using the canine can save you money by not over exterminating areas that do not require it. Routine inspections will let you know about an infestation before it is extreme and ultimately spreads out of control.

Many University studies have shown that trained bed bug dogs are much more accurate than a trained technician. Combine this with the speed & reliability of our bed bug dogs and you can see the obvious benefits of the ourK9 teams.

Canine vs Human Bed Bugs Sask detectionservices are faster, more accurate and can also be more cost effective compared to technician inspections. WerecommendOn Demand Bed Bug Confirmations and Block Inspections Instead of having a technician respond to the first call to confirm if there are bed bugs.

Our K9s have been used in a variety of unique and creative ways. They have been used to detect bugs in taxi cabs, hotels, airplanes, trains, food courts, manufacturing plants and many other types of properties, both solely and as a part of a team program.

Unlike a human inspection, which can take several hours and require moving furniture, a bed bug sniffing canine can cover a typical room in less than three minutes. For canine bed bug detection nothing needs to be moved and there are no special preparation requirements.

Bed Bugs have made a dramatic come back in hotels, motels, hostels, office buildings, and homes. Bed Bugs are tan in colour until they feed on blood and then they turn a reddish colour; approximately 1/4 inch in size before feeding and will swell once they have fed. Generally, they will feed at night and go into hiding during the day, but have been known to feed at other times if the conditions are right. Female Bed Bugs can lay up to 300 eggs in her lifetime, each hatching in 10 days. Bed Bugs can hide in a variety of places: beds, mattresses, couches, libraries, school buses, kids back-packs, headboards, dressers, floor boards, fabric chairs, behind peeling paint, carpet, rugs, wallpaper, base boards, electrical outlets, switch plates, briefcases, suitcases and night tables.

Our dogs can target specific areas and often locate the sources of the infestation which eliminates the need to to treat unaffected areas unnecessarily. Less area treated translates into less money spent on treatment. If the K9 finds bed bugs, you can investigate your treatment options. With early detection there is a greater chance of eradicating the problem which can save you time, resources, energy and money.

If our dogs do not find bed bugs, you will know with greater certainty that your home/building/hotel/hospital etc. is bed bug free, offering peace of mind.

Canine vs Human Bed Bugs Sask

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Bed Bugs Saskatchewan Focuss Canada

SASKATOON -- Elizabeth Watcheston has been living with her partner at City Centre Inn and Suites for the last 14 years.

Their rent is $1,000 a month for a one bedroom suite. Despite a few cockroaches, she doesnt want to move.

We feel pretty bad because we dont want to leave. We dont. This is our home. We lived in 287 over there and then they moved us to 133. We had no problems. Its nice here and were healthy, said Watcheston.

My partner is diabetic. He uses a scooter to get around. I dont know what were going to do. Live from one day to the next and pray. Pray to a higher power. He knows where well go.

About 150 tenants were forced to evacuate by 3 p.m. Thursday after Saskatoon Fire inspectors deemed the inn to be unsafe and unsanitary.

Inspectors found sewage leaking on a second floor suite, cockroaches and bed bugs in the walls and numerous broken walls and doors. Fire codes were also broken in the building including locked fire escapes and unsafe stairs in need of repairs.

The Ministry of Social Services used city transit to transport most of the tenants to the local shelters like the Lighthouse and the Salvation Army. Tenants with medical needs received temporary hotel accommodations.

Personal belongings will not be accepted because of the infestation of bed bugs. Bikes cannot be taken by the shelter. Everybody is free to leave at any time. We will provide transportation but you will not be allowed back on site at the Inn here, said an official with the Saskatoon Fire Department.

During the announcement, many people were angry while others were crying and feeling uneasy and unsure about where they will live next.

Tenants could be heard telling officials they do not want to stay at the shelters. Another woman cried to the owner of the inn, pleading to stay in her home.

A couple other tenants carried what they could and yelled at officials walking away from the inn. Another man could be seen going down the street pushing a shopping cart with all of his belongings.

Numerous officials including some from the Ministry of Social Services, Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC), Saskatoon Fire Department and Saskatoon Police Service helped move the tenants.

Some are upset, theyre being disrupted and some are happy that they are getting the supports to move on. We just want to ensure that every tenant will be treated safe and put in a safe environment because they deserve it. How do we work together to make all that happen, STC Chief Mark Arcand said.

Charles Glass uses a walker to get around and at 11a.m. he was sitting in his suite having lunch while the fire alarm continued to go off.

Its driving me nuts, said Glass, who didnt pack any of his belongings and wanted to stay.

Kathy Andrews moved into the inn last May and pays $700 a month. She says she has had a difficult time finding an affordable home that would accept her and is thankful for the owner of the inn, John Pontes for taking her in.

John is basically a good man. He gave me a place to rent when I needed one and I think he gave me the nicest room. I just want my damage deposit back, I never missed a months rent, said Andrews.

Randy Kyle, another tenant, also defends Pontes.

I thought it was an okay place. John understood if you had troubles, he worked around things. He always needs things, hes a business man, said Kyle, who added the reason why suites were not cleaned because people lived there and suites did not have to be cleaned by staff.

What do we do? You can go to the Lighthouse or other places but I mean this is an influx of people that they wont be able to handle in town so thank God its the summer time. We can sleep anywhere right, Kyle said.

By 3 p.m. most of the tenants moved out of their rooms with a few who decided to stay despite the health and safety order. Many officials stayed back to continue to help.

This is not their home, its a hotel room. We can work together to make sure they have a nice house or apartment and have a good roof over their heads, Arcand said.

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'Live from one day to the next and pray': Tenants of City Centre Inn & Suites don't know where to go - CTV News Saskatoon

A Regina pest control company says it is becoming difficult to combat bedbugs, an annoying insect whose population is growing across North America.

Shawn Sherwood, one of the managers at Poulin's Pest Control in Regina, told CBC News his firm has experienced a three-fold increase in calls to deal with bedbugs.

"We're doing one or two of these a day, five days a week," Sherwood said. "It's become ridiculous. We'll be back a second time in five to seven days. ... And unfortunately, we're now seeing that it requires, sometimes, three, four or five treatments to eliminate the problem."

Part of the problem, according to Sherwood, is that bedbugs have become resistant to the insecticides approved for use in Canada.

He said the federal government should allow more effective chemicals, which are available in the United States.

While the tiny insects do not pose a serious risk to health, they can create considerable discomfort. Like mosquitoes, bedbugs feed on human blood, usually while you sleep.

"You will see bites and itching after a couple of days from being bit and you'll start to wonder what it is," Sherwood explained about the most common signs of bedbugs. "That's when people come to us."

Health Canada responded to CBC News inquiries about treatment options via email, and said it had created a working group to examine the bedbug problem.

"A stakeholder working group has been created to facilitate the submission of applications to register products that would help to control this pest," the federal ministry said in the email. "The mandate of the working group is to help find a solution to the bedbug problem, which includes an integrated pest management approach."

Sherwood mused that it might take some personal experience, to move federal officials to more concrete action.

"Somebody with a lot of power in Ottawa will get bedbugs in their home and they won't like the solutions that we have and maybe they'll wake up and smell the coffee," Sherwood said.

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Bedbug infestations challenging Regina pest controller ...

What bedbugs are

Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that have an oval, broad, flat body and a short, broad head. Adult bedbugs are usually four to five millimetres in length and will increase in size by a few millimetres after a blood meal. After feeding, adult bedbugs change from brown to a dark red colour.

A female bedbug lays several hundred eggs in her lifetime. The white eggs are usually about one millimetre in length and can be very difficult to see. The eggs usually hatch in six to 17 days. There are three stages of life for a bedbug: egg, nymph, and adult.

Bedbugs have not been known to transmit disease. However, the bites may cause itchiness and people dealing with an infestation may experience stress, anxiety and loss of sleep.

Bedbugs are found all over the world, often in hotels, motels, homeless shelters, work camps, apartments, private homes and sometimes in businesses or offices. Bedbugs prefer dark, cool places such as bedding and along the seams of mattresses where they can easily feed and hide. Other favourite hiding places for bedbugs are underneath wallpaper, behind picture frames, in electrical outlets and crevices in walls and furniture.

Bedbug bites can happen anywhere on the skin but most often on the face, neck, arms, legs, and chest and most often during sleep. The bites look similar to and may be mistaken for flea or mosquito bites. When a bedbug bites, saliva is injected into the skin which may cause a localized reaction, i.e. red lumps or an allergic reaction in rare cases. Most bedbug bites will heal with time and do not require medical attention. Bites may itch and scratching can result in an infection. Antiseptic creams and antihistamines may relieve the itchiness of the bites. Seek the advice of a health care provider for severe reactions to bites or for secondary infections.

Some indicators that bedbugs are established in your home include:

An infestation does not mean that the home or facility is not being cleaned adequately but regular inspection and cleaning may help prevent an infestation. Call your local public health inspector or a professional pest control operator to assist in bedbug identification and to confirm the infestation. Professional pest control is often the best option to eradicate a bedbug infestation. If an infestation is heavy, the room may have a sweet fruity smell. Tenants are encouraged to notify the landlord immediately after confirmation of an infestation. Tenants may also contact the local public health inspector for assistance in dealing with bed bug infestations in rental accommodations.

Bedbugs are very hard to eradicate, but there are some steps that can be taken to help address the problem.

Pesticides can be an effective solution to a bedbug infestation but may not kill all stages of bedbugs. Pyrethrin aerosols may be used in cracks and crevices to treat for bedbugs but may require multiple applications until all the eggs have hatched. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions to safely apply pesticides. Consider the services of a professional pest control company for heavy infestations.

A professional pest control operator may assist in bedbug identification and confirmation of an infestation.

Eliminating bedbug infestations in multi-unit complexes such as apartments or condominiums that share common walls can be challenging. If you are aware of an infestation in your building, adhere to the following.

Know what a bedbug looks like and where to look for them.

Be mindful of possible sources of bedbugs.

Reduce or remove places where bedbugs can hide.

Take precautions when travelling.

Questions regarding bedbugs may be directed to thepublic health inspectorin your area.

Originally posted here:
Bedbugs | Environmental Health | Government of Saskatchewan