Category Archives: Canada Bed Bugs

What Are Bed Bugs?Bed Bug FactsIdentification

Bedbugs are small, nocturnal, wingless insects belonging to the insect family of Cimicidae. They feed on humans and other warm blooded animals. They are an oval shape and are up to 4-5 mm long when fully grown. Adult bed bugs have a flattened body and their skin colour is either rust brown or a deeper red brown. Nymph bed bugs are clear or a yellowish colour and are generally 1-4mm long. Bed bugs have two antennae and six legs. Read more on what a bed bug looks like.

Bed bugs have been known to travel over 20 feet from hiding in order to feed butwill generally hide within 3-6 feet of their host.

Due to the flattened body of a bed bug they can easily hide in small places such as baseboards, cracks in floors, under carpets, behind loose wallpaper, bed frames, sofas, behind picture frames and many other places which makes them very difficult to detect. They tend to stay together and large infestations will give off a sweet but unpleasant smell.

Read more about the bed bug life stages

The combination of re-introduction, increased international travel and the fact that pest control professionals no longer use older pesticides (such as DDT, Chlordane and Lindane) means that bed bugs have been able to stage a resurgence and become a very serious pest in the 21st century. They have a unique ability to hide and due to their ability to spread, new inspection and control methods must be far more thorough and extensive than with many other pests.

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that live near their hosts. Since they feed on humans (their hosts) their habitats include houses, hotels or any property that we frequent. All they require is a protected area in close proximity to a feeding source. Bed bugs bite people when they are sleeping usually on exposed skin. When looking for a meal bed bugs can move very quickly to feed and then back into hiding after their meal. Unless you know specifically how to look for bed bugs these pests can be easily overlooked.

Bed bug bites can also go unnoticed, and are even often misdiagnosed, making detection that much more difficult.

Bed bugs do not cling to people but they can accidentally get caught up in our belongings (i.e. suitcase, purse, laptop bags). From there they can move from their current home into new ones in homes, hotels, offices, hospitals, or any other building as well as modes of transportation. Sanitation and cleanliness of a property is not an issue as bed bugs are notorious hitch hikers and can show up almost anywhere.

Even the cleanest of places can fall victim to bed bugs and once inside they spread rapidly. Bed bugs are great hitch hikers and easily travel from place to place in someones personal belongings or luggage.

Bed bugs do not pose any health risks from communicable diseases but their saliva does contain proteins that can leave itchy red welts on some people.

If you suspect bed bugs, or want to be proactive, look for live or dead bugs or the skins they can leave behind when they are molting. After feeding bed bugs will regularly leave behind small spots of reddish-black fecal matter on your bedding, mattress or box springs. They will lay their eggs (1/32 to 1/8 in size) in dark crevices near feeding areas. Learn more about bed bug signs in your home.

Bed bugs are not limited to any one particular kind of dwelling. They have been found in houses, multi-family dwellings, apartments, hotels, airplanes and hospitals. Sanitation or cleanliness is not an issue in where you can find bed bugs.

Bed bugs never really left. They are common in many nations around the world. We are seeing a resurgence in North America for several reasons including a reduced use of pesticides, the use of second hand furniture and increased international travel as bed bugs are notorious hitch hikers.

Bed bugs do not cling to people but they arenotorious hitch hikers andcan hide in our belongings (i.e. suitcase, purse, laptop bags). From there they can be introduced into a home, hotel, office, hospital, or any other building as well as modes of transportation. Sanitation is not a factor in whether or not you get bed bugs.

Once established, bed bugs tend to stay put but can spread due to any of the following;

QUESTION:True or false: bed bugs are only found in dirty places.

ANSWER:False. Cleanliness of a property is not an issue as bed bugs are notorious hitch hikers and can show up almost anywhere. Even the cleanest of places can fall victim to bed bugs and once inside they spread rapidly.

Schedule a Bed Bug Inspection

Want to learn more about bed bugs? Click one of the links below:

See more here:
Bed Bug Facts & Pest Information: How Do You Get Bed Bugs?

Before I go into detail about this weeks topic, a personal story. Myself and a group of friends travelled over the previous weekend to a popular Michigan travel destination. Upon arrival at the hotel, because of my awareness, room inspections were completed and low and behold... Bed bugs in 1 of the 3 rooms where we were staying. The hotel agreed to move our 3 rooms to another wing of the hotel and after 3 more room inspections we were satisfied that we were clear. Unfortunately with bed bugs you must always be vigilant and not complacent.

Some of the highlights of this survey of Pest Professionals:

1) 99% have encountered Bed Bug infestations in the last year (11% a decade ago)

2) 9 of 10 Pest Pro's dealt with bed bugs in homes, but they are especially on the rise in Pulic Areas:

-College Dorms - 54%, up from 35%

-Hotels/Motels - 80%, up from 67%

-Nursing Homes - 46%, up from 25%

-Office Buildings - 38%, up from 18%

-Schools/Day Cares - 36%, up from 10%

-Hospitals, - 31%, up from 12%

-Transportation - 18%, up from 9%

-Movie Theatres - 17%, up from 5%

3) Over 70% of Pest Pro's name Bed Bugs as the hardest to control

4) Most Professionals feel Bed Bugs are year-round with a minority stating they get more bed bug calls in the summer.

5) Visual inspections are still the #1 monitoring/identification tool used. Although canine detection units are on the rise.

6) 25% of Consumers still attempt to DIY with bed bugs, but engage in often dangerous techniques and are mostly ineffective in their attempts.

You may ask why are Bed Bugs growing to such Pandemic porportions and why can we not get rid of them?

The answers lie in a multi-faceted answer. The largest factor that has allowed bed bugs to spread so effectively is that no one insecticide/pesticide is 100% effective in killing bed bugs on contact and residually. Current bed bug strains are resistant to most pesticides, meaning if you sprayed 100 bed bugs, only a portion of them would die, depending on the active ingredient. Most insecticides have very little residual effect, meaning after the pesticide is 'dry' bed bugs are not harmed by them.

Now remember bed bugs spend most of their time hiding in places that alot of the time are inaccessible, like in wall voids, electrical outlets, under carpets and the like. So if you have to kill them "on contact" it would be virtually impossible to find them all. Pesticides are just part of the problem. Other issues includes very porous multi-family home structures where bed bugs can move from unit to unit easily. This porous nature allows them to spread and move easily, while the moderate and heavily infested units are treated, the lightly infested units go unnoticed.

Furthermore, DIY's and people that do not report the problem until they are largely infested compound the problem. Increased international travel has also caused the spread not only of bed bugs but of different strains of bed bugs that have different resistance levels to multiple pesticides currently used. Imagine in an apartment building, bed bugs from South America, India, and Asia, all transported from the host countries with varying degrees of resistances to the differing pesticides used in the industry. One pesticide will not control them all and so integrated pest management approaches and alternate methods need to be used now more than ever.

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Bed Bugs Canada

Halifax North Memorial Public Library has closed twice in the last week after staff discovered bed bugs on a piece of library furniture and on CDs and DVDs that had been returned.

The Gottingen Street library was closed for spraying last week and again on Thursday morning.

"This is a very rare occurrence for the library but any public space is vulnerable to these types of pests," Terry Gallagher,facilities director atHalifax Public Libraries, toldCBC'sMaritime Noon."They hitchhike very easily on people or other things."

Gallagher said the library has since reopened and professionals found no sign of any bed bugs.

"We've identified that this is not a facility issue, these are things coming to us," he said.

Gallagher said they have a "very rigorousprotocol" when it comes to dealing with insects or pests. He said all staff are trained at detecting various pests and recognizing the signs.

The facilities director at Halifax Public Libraries says all staff are trained at detecting various pests and recognizing the signs. (CBC)

If an insect is found, Gallagher said theprotocol isto trap it using clear tape. It's then sent away to pest control professionals, andif it's a bed bug, the library is then closed and sprayed.

"We're very vigilant on examining materials that come into the library," he said. "We really care. We want to make sure the community is coming in and visiting the library."

Dave Holland, owner ofHolland's Pest Control Services in Halifax, told Maritime Noonit's not uncommon for bed bugs to pop upin public places.

"Any place where there's more people coming or going you have a higher risk of getting bed bugs. So yes, you can pick them up at a mall, you can pick them up on a bus, you can pick them up just about anywhere," he said.

A bed bug is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington. (Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press)

Holland said bed bugs, which are nocturnal, typically bite at night. Once they feed, he said, they tend to hide somewhere"relatively close to their meal" and rest and do so in places like book bindings.

He said if they aren't spotted early on and a pregnant female gets into the picture, it could lead to a public outbreak.

"Sometimes people don't realize they have those bed bugs," he said."About 30 per cent of the population has no effect from a bug bite, so they're the ultimate nemesis when it comes to bugs."

Original post:
Halifax library closed twice in last week after bed bug sightings - CBC.ca

TORONTO, Aug. 1, 2017 /CNW/ -Withthe summer travel seasonin high gear, the country's largest pest control company is warning about an unwelcome visitor that could affect locals and tourists.

Orkin Canada expects this to be a bumper year for bed bugs.The warning comes as the company unveils its first ever list of bed bug cities. The findings by Orkin Canada are based on the number of commercial and residential bed bug treatments carried out by the country's largest pest control provider.

The top ten cities:

Entomologists say having a clean room does not prevent bed bugs; and two bed bugs can lay up to ten eggs in one day. Anyone detecting signs of bed bugs are advised to seek expert advice to prevent widespread infestation.

Tips for homeowners and vacationers:

For more information about bed bug prevention, visit orkincanada.ca

The city rankings were based on all bed bug treatments by Orkin Canada at residential and commercial properties within Canada from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Download here for the full list of Canada's bed bug cities.

About Orkin CanadaOrkin Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollins, Inc. (ROL)isthe country'slargest pest control provider and leader in the development of fast, effective and environmentally responsible pest control solutions.One key program is theHome Pest Protection Programthat prevents and eradicates pest infestations and provides key information about pests.Orkin Canada provides professional services to both residential and commercial clients from coast to coast. For more information, visitwww.orkincanada.ca,like http://www.facebook.com/OrkinCanada or follow@orkincanada.

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Toronto is the Capital of Canada for Bed Bugs

Mississauga

ON THE LIST: Mississauga among Canada's top 25 bed bug cities Mississauga Toronto has become Canada's most bed bug-infested city and some of those pests have spread westward into Mississauga as well. A report released by Orkin Canada has Mississauga ranked 18th on its list of Canada's top 25 bed bug cities. Ed Bandurka ...

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ON THE LIST: Mississauga among Canada's top 25 bed bug cities - Mississauga