Vancouver ranked third most popular city for bed bugs in Canada in 2019 – Vancouver Sun

An annual ranking of top Canadian cities for bedbugs has been released and Vancouver has itched its way into third place.Mark van Manen / Vancouver Sun

An annual ranking of Canadian cities for bedbugs shows Vancouver has itched its way into third place.

On the 2019 list released by Orkin Canada, Vancouver is bested only by Toronto in first place and Winnipeg in second. St. Johns follows in fourth and Ottawa in fifth.

The only other B.C. city to make it to the top 25 is Burnaby, coming in at 19.

As in previous years rankings, larger cities and travel hot spots populated the top of the list, with bed bugs reported in both clean and dirty homes, and office buildings. According to the pest control experts, bed bugs were a rarely experienced irritant just 20 years ago, but have become a common problem in urban centres.

Signs of a bed bug infestation include tiny, dark coloured spots or stains or cast skins. The critters are often spotted in and around mattress tags or in seams, under seat cushions, behind headboards, creases of furniture, buckling wallpaper and carpets.

The ranking is based on the number of commercial and residential bed bug treatments carried out by the company between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2019.

1. Toronto2. Winnipeg3. Vancouver4. St. Johns5. Ottawa6. Scarborough7. Halifax8. Oshawa9. Sudbury10. Hamilton11. Windsor12. Edmonton13. Montreal14. North York15. Moncton16. Calgary17. Mississauga18. Etobicoke19. Burnaby20. Whitby21. London22. Saskatoon23. Peterborough24. Nepean25. Dartmouth

When travelling, dont put clothing or luggage on the bed, which allows the bugs, if present, to climb in.

Use metal luggage racks to keep suitcases off the carpet and away from walls or wooden furniture. (The bugs cant climb metal surfaces very well.)

Use plastic bags to pack clothing. This prevents the spread of bed bugs if they do happen to hitch a ride in your suitcase.

Its rare but bed bugs can thrive not just in hotels, but also on airplane and train seats, buses and rental cars.

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Vancouver ranked third most popular city for bed bugs in Canada in 2019 - Vancouver Sun