Category Archives: Canada Bed Bugs

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Bed bugs and rats, oh my.

These are the top pest problems searched online by Toronto residents.

In Canada, in the past 12 months, online searches for pest control were up 200%, according to a Confused.com report.

Torontonians struggle with bed bugs the most and they created 1,300 searches for how to get rid of bed bugs, according to the report

Of all the pest problems analyzed in the country, these bed bugs had 8,100 monthly searches for how to get rid of bed bugs on average.

This is a 49% increase in the last year.

Getting rid of rats is the second leading pest problem invading Canadian homes with 8,100 monthly searches for art traps.

But the search for rat traps only increased by 23% in the last year.

In Toronto, there was an average of 880 online searches per month for rat traps.

People in Toronto have searched for ways to get rid of these pests 720 times a month on average.

Experts say eliminating these pests needs to be done as quickly as possible as an infestation can reduce the value of the home by up to 20%

If an infestation is allowed to grow the home could be worth up to $33,000 less because of pest damage.

Insurance companies dont always cover the cost of all pest removal, or repair any damage.

Homeowners and renters should read the fine print of your policy details as some providers have different definitions as to what a pest is. For example, the removal of a beehive might not be covered whereas a mouse infestation could be more likely to be covered, said Jessica Willock, a home insurance expert at Confused.com.

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Howard Bright, president and founder of Anti-Pesto Bug Killers, said to keep the pests away it is important to keep a clean home as pests are attracted to sources of food like dirty dishes, leftover food, and unsealed containers.

If you dont plan on hiring a professional, experts suggest baits and traps are a good DIY option to get rid of pests.

Liquid concentrates can get rid of pests overnight.

Once diluted in water, liquid concentrates can be sprayed in the cracks and crevices of your home where pests are most to be.

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PEST PROBLEMS: Canadians despise bed bugs, rats most ...

While bed bug and flea bites may look similar, there are ways to tell them apart. Discover how to spot the difference and tell if its a bed bug or fleasTHINK YOU HAVE BED BUGS?Use BugID to find out

Regardless of whether you're dealing with bed bugs or fleas, you want them gone from your home. Now. But before you drive yourself crazy scratching, it's important to know which of the two nearly invisible arthropods you're dealing with. Treatments are necessary in both cases. However, depending on whether you have bed bugs or fleas, the most effective treatment will differ.

While both require a warm-blooded host to provide blood meals, fleas tend to prefer feeding on hairy or furry animals such as cats and dogs. Bed bugs prefer feeding on your family.

To this end, cats, dogs and other animals (including outdoor wildlife) are generally associated with bringing fleas into the home, as opposed to bed bugs, which are generally brought in by people.

While fleas can live several months without a host in the pupa stage, adult fleas can only live about two weeks. Adult bed bugs can survive up to a year between feedings.

One flea can lay between 150 and 300 eggs every week. One bed bug can lay 200 in a lifetime (approximately 10 months to one year).

Bed bugs do not fly or jump. They have to crawl across your bed to feed. Fleas can jump almost 200 times their body length: 13 inches. This helps them transfer between hosts and "hitch rides" to travel to new sources of food (i.e., you and your family).

While bed bugs have not been discovered to pass on human pathogens, fleas have the ability to spread diseases such as typhus, plague and cat-scratch fever.

If you've captured one of these little assailants, immobilize the pest with a piece of clear tape. This will ensure it doesn't escape to bite again while also allowing you to examine the bug before showing it to your professional pest control experts. Here's how to tell if you've caught bed bugs or fleas:

If you're scratching at red marks on your body, you likely already have an infestation. If you have children and pets, check for signs of bites on them as well. Here are a few things that will help you figure out whether you have fleas or bed bugs, although it is important to remember that bite marks depend on the person and can be very situational:

Whether you have bed bugs or fleas, there's only one true solution:kill them now. Call Terminix at the first sign of intrusion; even one bloodthirsty biter can take over your family's home.

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Are These Bed Bugs or Fleas? | Terminix

Toronto is known for being at the top of many national rankings, but this one is nothing to brag about. Toronto was just named the city with the worst bed bug problem in all of Canada and honestly, who's surprised? Canadian pest removal and exterminator company Orkin recently released the list of cities with the worst bed bug infestations in Canada and the results are pretty gross.

READ ALSO:These Small Ontario Cities Were Ranked The Best Places In Canada To Find A Job

The rankings were based on the number of bed bug treatments Orkin performed from January 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2018. Toronto, unfortunately, came out on the very top of the list with the most bed bug infestations. It looks like Ontario is also the province with the most bed bug problems because six cities in the top 10 list were located in Ontario.

READ ALSO:These Ontario Cities Have The Highest Number Of Reported Rat Infestations In The Entire Province

Ottawa was the city with the second-most bed bug infestations in Ontario, coming in sixth on the list. Hamilton came in seventh, Sudbury ranked eighth, Windsor took ninth place. Scarborough finished off the top 10 rankings at 10th place.

Via Orkin Canada

Now that it's a new year, Orkin is reminding Canadians to take careful precautions to prevent taking home bed bugs. "Bed bugs are extremely efficient hitch hikers," reads the report from Orkin. "They can move easily across a room and climb onto luggage or anything left on a bed in just one night".

You do not want these creepy critters settling into your home, especially because they tend to bite humans and leaving itchy marks. However, before you freak out, not all hope is lost - there are ways to help prevent a bed bug infestation in your home.

The pest removal and exterminator company shared some useful tips to help avoid creepy bed bugs from getting into your home. Orkin Canada recommends doing the following to lower your risk of a bed bug problem:

The other cities that made the list for the worst bed bug problems in Canada were Winnipeg, Johns, Vancouver and Halifax.

For more information on the list and how to prevent bed bug infestations in Toronto, you can visit Orkin Canada's website.

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Toronto Officially Has The Worst Bed Bug Problem In All Of Canada - Narcity

Written by: A ONeill, Licensed Pest Management Professional

Did you know 84% of pest control companies reported they get called out to treat a particular pest (people often think its fleas), only to find that its actually bed bugs?

Its important to be able to identify and know what a bed bug looks like as you dont want to delay treating a growing infestation. From the description below and the following images, youll see that bed bugs are:

Lets find out a bit more about these pests.

The scientific name for bed bugs is Cimex lectularius and they are small, wingless insects with flat bodies. They are reddish-brown in color and are about the size and shape of a small apple seed.

They only feed on blood and prefer the blood of humans, but will also feed on animals.

They are nocturnal, so they hide during the day but a close inspection will find them on mattress seams, box springs, bed frames, headboards, and in cracks and crevices near to where you sleep.

Bed bugs are not seasonal so they bite all year round, but they do prefer warm temperatures of between 70-80F (21 26C) so the female can lay her eggs.

Its easy to get them confused with similar-looking pests, and as mentioned above, a lot of people misidentify them, so the photos below will give you an idea of what they look like and what to look for.

Well begin by looking at what these bugs look like up close.

1. This photo is one that I took when treating a bed bug infestation.

In this close up you can see the segments on the abdomen and its six legs as its crawling on the mattress.

In front of the bed bug is a speck of fecal matter and just behind it is a bed bug egg.

Although this is not the actual size of a bed bug, it does show you what they look like and help you identify them if you think youve found one.

2. This picture is a good example of a bed bug close-up. You can see its feeding by piercing the skin and taking blood from the person.

One particular identifying feature of the bed bug as I mentioned above is the protruding eyes, which are situated to the side of the head.

Bed bugs will bite any area of skin exposed when youre sleeping.

Well get to the photos of bites to the face, back, and other areas of the body further down the page to get a good idea of what the welts look like.

3. I took the magnified photo below to show what bed bugs look like close up and how they compare in size to an apple seed (left) and a flaxseed (right).

Although other bugs are mistaken for bed bugs, they do have some features which will help you to correctly identify them, and these are:

Head short and broad with distinct eyes that are clearly seen on each side of the head.

They have a long proboscis to feed, which pierces your skin and sucks your blood. When not feeding, the proboscis is tucked back underneath the body.

Bed bugs have two antennae, each with four segments that work together as sensors for locating a blood meal.

Thorax is attached to the head and abdomen and enables the body to move.

Its not always easy to tell the difference between the thorax and the body, but the thorax is in three segments and the segment nearest the head is flatter and partly surrounds the head.

The legs and wing pads (bed bugs cannot fly despite having wing pads) are also attached to the thorax.

Abdomen the bed bug has 11 segments on its abdomen so the body can expand whilst feeding.

After feeding the body looks swollen, elongated, and darker in color.

You can also tell if the bed bug is male or female by the shape of this area. The female is larger with a rounded abdominal tip, whereas the male has a more pointed abdominal tip.

4. Here is a good picture of a bed bug as it shows you in detail all of the features mentioned above.

You can see how the segments on its body expand and become darker in color as it fills itself up with blood.

This is what a bed bug looks like after feeding.

5. A closer image of number 1 above. Although this photo is a bit blurry (its hard to take photos when youve got all of your pest control gear on).

Again, you can see the segments on the abdomen as it crawls across the mattress.

6. This frontal close-up image of the bed bug shows it is feeding. Notice its body is similar to the shape of an apple seed.

You can see the wing pads which dont actually develop into wings, so thankfully, bed bugs cannot fly.

7. I took this close-up photo when treating a heavily infested mattress and box spring.

The adults cluster together in their hiding spots.

You can also see what bed bug eggs look like which are the pearly-white, almost translucent oblong shapes in the photo. These have hatched as there is an opening at one end of them.

8. The next photo is an extremely detailed one of the head and thorax.

Obviously, you wont be able to see this level of detail with the naked eye, but I hope it gives you a good idea of their body shape.

9. Another good close-up photo of this dreaded pest using its mouthparts to pierce the skin and take in a blood meal.

Notice how the body has become longer as it feeds.

10. This is a great (but rather scary-looking) image that was created using a digitally colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM).

From this view, you can see the mouthparts of the bed bug which it uses to suck up your blood.

11. This picture is taken from a slide that shows a bed bugs body structure.

12. Can you tell the difference between male and female bed bugs? This picture shows a male (left) and a female (right) as well as bed bug eggs.

The males body is more pointed as this is where the sex organ is, and the females body is more of an oval shape and is wider than the males.

13. This photo (magnified picture at the top), although not very clear, shows both a male and female bed bug, as well as bed bug eggs.

You can see the fecal matter, which is digested blood.

14. An adult bed bug is about 5-7mm long. This up-close photo shows its size in millimeters.

This is an adult and as you can tell they are very small so they are excellent at hiding in the smallest of cracks and crevices in your bedroom, hotel room, workplaces, and anywhere people generally are.

15. This image indicates the size of a bed bug by the scale at the bottom of the picture. Again this is an adult and you can clearly see the segmented parts of the body.

16. This is a picture of a nymph, or bed bug baby after feeding.

Baby bed bugs can be hard to see as they are semi-translucent and as the measurement scale on the image shows, they are tiny.

This baby bed bug has had a blood meal which is the dark area in the abdomen.

17. The next picture shows the size of bed bugs in comparison to the coin.

The adult bed bug on the left has an elongated body meaning it has recently fed. If you think youve got bed bugs, then just remember this image to see how small they are when searching for them.

18. What do bed bugs look like on a mattress? If you look closely at the picture below youll see an adult crawling where the seam of the label joins the mattress.

Bed bugs can be found anywhere on or near the bed, and this shows just how carefully you need to inspect everything as they are so small and can easily be missed.

19. The image below is one I took after treating a house for an infestation.

To show the actual size of a bed bug, I placed it alongside a ruler and if you look close enough, youll be able to see it had fed shortly before it died.

20. How small are bed bugs? Small but you can see them with the naked eye.

I took this photo of a baby bed bug, probably 4th/5th instar, that I found during an after-treatment inspection.

21. The next photo is a close-up of a dead bed bug that was placed on the pen tip for size comparison, again to show what size they are.

22. I took the photo below to show the size comparison of a bed bug (middle), apple seed (left), and flaxseed (right).

This bed bug was not quite an adult, so an adult would have been slightly larger, but it still gives a good indication of their size and similarity.

There is also a close-up version of this picture at number 3 above.

23. Another close-up image I took of a bed bug at the end of a Q-Tip (or cotton bud if youre in the UK).

Hopefully, these pictures are giving you a good idea of what they look like and how easily they can hide away in the seams of your mattress.

24. And another for size comparison with the bed bug next to the Q-tip.

This bed bug had been dead a few weeks as you can tell by its dried-out appearance.

The following are pictures of bed bugs feeding on people.

As these pests are nocturnal, you often wont know you have bed bugs straight away because not everyone reacts to the bites, and if they do, they usually think its a bite from a different insect.

Adult bed bugs and nymphs will feed about once a week, and they need regular access to a blood meal so they can grow and reproduce.

Although they feed on your blood, and the blood of animals, thankfully they do not transmit diseases!

25. The image below shows an adult getting a blood meal from a person.

26. This picture of a bed bug shows the pest crawling on a persons hand and feeding.

If you woke up and discovered a welt on your hand, would your first thought be that its a bed bug bite?

27. This is a great bed bug poop photo! Not only is it defecating but its also feeding on a person at the same time.

The fecal matter is actually blood taken from a person which the bed bug has digested.

Notice how dark the dropping is. Well take a look at how you can spot this on your mattress in the photos further along.

28. You can see from the next picture exactly what bed bugs look like after feeding when the abdomen becomes longer and fuller as it fills with blood.

Newborn baby bed bugs (or nymphs or larvae as they are also called) are about 1mm (1/16) in size and look almost transparent as they are so pale.

They go looking for a blood meal after they hatch, and when fed their abdomen becomes red making them easier to spot.

Nymphs will molt five times before they mature, as long as they have access to blood.

As they molt and become bigger (a 5th stage baby bed bug will grow to about 4.5mm), they look like the adult bed bugs only smaller and become brownish-red in color.

Baby bed bugs can reach adulthood in about 21 days if temperatures are between 70-80F (21-27C), but the average time is usually about five weeks.

Once they become adults, they can reproduce and add to the infestation.

29. Apologies for the blurry image, but sometimes its quite difficult to get into spaces and get good photos.

This close-up photo of an infestation shows baby bed bugs (nymphs) in different life stages as their cast exoskeletons are visible. This means they have been able to grow to the next molting stage as they have had access to blood.

You can also see two adult bed bugs have fed as their abdomens are a darker color.

30. If this baby bed bug (nymph) wasnt filled with blood, it would be hard to see as its almost see-through.

Notice the prominent eyes at the side of the head.

31. In this photo you can again see that the immature bed bug has recently fed because of the dark area in the abdomen.

As it has had access to blood, it has been able to molt to the next growth stage (called instars) and leave behind its exoskeleton, which is at the top right of the photo.

32. This magnified image of baby bed bugs below shows a cluster of hatched bed bug eggs, tiny nymphs, and casings.

An adult female bed bug lays about 5 eggs a day and hundreds throughout her lifetime. She also mates with her offspring, so the infestation will just grow and grow unless treated.

The eggs are extremely small like a speck of dust (1mm) and are a translucent white color so you can imagine how hard they are to see with the naked eye.

The female uses a clear and sticky substance to attach the eggs to cracks and other surfaces like wood.

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What Do Bed Bugs Look Like? 65+ Pictures Of Bed Bugs

As is the case with most insects, people want to know how to get rid of bed bugs fast. Whether youve seen one in your home, on your luggage or hiding in personal belongings, your first reaction is likely to try figuring out what kills bed bugs fast. The good news is theres lots of information including products and tips for elimination. The bad news is that anything other than professional pest control is likely to be ineffective.

Bed bugs are small, flat insects with an oval shape and brownish color that feed on the blood of humans and warm-blooded animals. Their flat bodies allow them to fit into tiny spaces about the width of a credit card, and they hide in cracks and crevices located close to your resting areas such as mattresses, box springs, bedside tables, bedding, bed frames and headboards. This gives them easy access to sleeping humans, thus the name "bed bugs."

Bed bugs aren't an insect you can live with. Their bites don't carry pathogens that may cause disease, but they can cause a lot of itching and discomfort. On top of the bites, bed bugs populations can develop quickly unless they the population is removed and eliminated.

Consider getting rid of anything unneeded such as old magazines and newspapers. Its difficult to inspect a cluttered home, and the more items you can eliminate, the less places bed bugs can hide. If youre wondering what bed bugs are attracted to, other than warmth, blood and carbon dioxide, dark crevices also get their attention.

Bed bugs can hide in cardboard, so if you need the storage, plastic bins are less likely to foster infestations.

Pick clothing and accessories off the floor. If possible, throw away or donate items you no longer need, taking care to ensure its all free of bed bugs.

How to get rid of bed bugs fast starts with how thoroughly pest control professionals can inspect your space. Clean furniture, baseboards, behind outlets, switch covers and other items to give them a head start.

Wash and dry clothing and bedding at the highest heat as allowed by the manufacturer. Place items in sealed plastic bags for transport between rooms, and then seal clean items again in new plastic bags.

If possible, remove and clean fabric window coverings and hardware. Placed in sealed plastic bags.

Wash and vacuum floors thoroughly. When finished, double-bag the vacuum bag in a trash bag and place in outdoor bin.

Check baseboards for any cracks or crevices and caulk as needed.

Ensure wallpaper is not loose and repair any wall damage.

Check outlets and wall switches for bed bug evidence.

Make your bed an island to help get rid of bed bugs fast by moving it at least six inches away from the wall.

Wash and dry all bed linens including pillow cases, sheets, comforters and mattress pads at the highest settings allowed by the manufacturer. Seal in plastic bags once clean.

Post-treatment, use encasements (bed-bug-proof covers) to cover your mattress and box spring. Ensure they have zippers and are high quality to cut down on tearing.

Check under your bed and discard anything unneeded. Items you want to keep should be stored in the same room to prevent the infestation from spreading.

What kills bed bugs fast? Pest control professionals. Give them your full cooperation and make sure they have access to closets, walls and areas around furniture.

Dont wait for the problem to get out of hand. To get rid of bed bugs fast, you need a trained professional to identify the pests and find signs of infestation quickly. Contact Terminix for powerful, customized treatments that can help eliminate bed bugs where they live and breed.

If bed bugs have infested your mattress, you need to take action immediately. But don't panic. Bed bugs are treatable, as long as you use the proper methods.

It's important to first reduce the ability for bed bugs to travel around your home, as bed bugs are constantly looking for ways to travel and spread.

Bed bugs can be removed from your furniture, so it's not necessary to throw it out. However, if you're absolutely sure that you don't want your infested furniture anymore, do not sell it or donate it unless it's been inspected for bed bugs. This will likely only spread bed bugs to another home.

As for your mattress, this depends on the severity of the bed bug damage. It's important to note that simply throwing away your mattress doesn't immediately get rid of your bed bug problem. You'll still need a professional to inspect your home and make sure bed bugs aren't living in another area of your home. Even though they're called bed bugs, they can live in dressers, nightstands and even floors among other places. And moving an infested piece of furniture around the home can move bed bugs into other areas.

Related: Where Do Bed Bugs Live?

If your mattress isn't seriously damaged, it can be salvaged if you go through the above steps and schedule a professional treatment. There may be no need to throw away anything as long as you properly address the issue.

You may be squeamish about using your bedding after an infestation (which is totally understandable), but a few hot cycles in the washing machine followed by a high heat dryer cycle and some time spent sequestered in a plastic bag should kill all bed bugs in your sheets, blankets and pillowcases. Just be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions when washing and drying your bedding.

Having bed bugs in your home doesn't mean that you're messy or lax on housekeeping. Bed bugs are adept travelers, and they're constantly looking for ways to 'hitch a ride' and gain ground. For example, they could be present in a hotel room, crawl or climb onto your suitcase and stay on the bag until you return home.

If you do have a bed bug infestation, it's important that you contact a bed bug control professional to treat and get rid of the problem. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to control, and a professional is best equipped to spot the signs, find the visible and hidden bed bugs, and provide the right service to address bed bugs.

Prevention is important as well. Here are some things you can do to help prevent these intruders:

Taming bed bugs isn't something you have to tackle alone. Our trained Terminix professionals are always here to help you protect your home. Contact Terminix for powerful, customized treatments that can help eliminate bed bugs where they live and breed.

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5 Ways to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Fast | Bed Bugs in Mattress ...