Bed bugs bugging North Bay | Mid-North Monitor

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North Bay has made the list of the top 25 bed buggiest cities in Canada.

Orkin Canada released last years annual list of the top bed buggiest cities in Canada Monday and North Bay squeaked in to the 24thspot.

North Bay wasnt the only Northern Ontario city to make the list. Sudbury clinched second.

Toronto topped the list for the third year in a row. Vancouver went up to No. 3 (up one), St Johns climbed to No. 4 (from No. 6), and Winnipeg dropped to No. 9 (from No. 5 in 2021).

Orkin said the findings, based on the number of commercial and residential bed bug treatments carried out by the company in 2021, show the overall number of bed bug sightings nationwide remained similar to the year prior, and remains below pre-pandemic levels.

This list comes as District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board is once again dealing with a bed bug issue at the Edgewater Apartment building on Lakeshore Drive.

Board chair Mark King confirmed there is a bed bug problem in the building and senior staff are dealing with it.

He said affected apartments will undergo heat treatments.

Its unclear how many apartments are infested and how many units will undergo heat treatments.

Weve identified and addressed the problem, and are trying everything possible to solve it. Its tough to handle, King said.

There is a business that sells used furniture and used clothing nearby and these are prime examples how bed bugs can be carried.

Residents at the Edgewater have been grappling with the bed bug situation for years. In 2020, there were more than five apartments at the Edgewater with bed bug infestations. The problem resurfaced in May 2021.

Travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and a general shift to working remotely have resulted in fewer hitch-hiking opportunities for these critters, and yet they have found a way to stick around. Bed bugs latch onto people, clothing, and furniture. All it can take is an airplane seat, hotel bed or even an office chair for these pesky bed bugs to invade your space, according to Orkin.

Due to their ability to double in population about every 16 days, it will not be difficult for bed bugs to regain their grip on Canadians. With blood as their only food source, bed bugs mainly feed on humans, having their dinners usually between midnight and 5 a.m.

These dedicated blood-feeding insects can travel up to 100 feet in search of a meal, which is quite a trek for these small but resilient creatures. As Canadians start to travel, whether to the office or on vacation, so too will bed bugs.

Concerned Canadians are encouraged to carefully examine furniture and clothing after guests leave your home, drying potentially infested bed linens or clothing on the highest heat setting, and sealing cracks in walls, trims, and bed frames.

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Bed bugs bugging North Bay | Mid-North Monitor