Category Archives: Bed Bugs Prince Edward Island

A library in west London has closed temporarily following the discovery of bedbugs amid wider concerns about the spread of bedbugs in the UK following reports of an outbreak in France.

Ealing Central Library was shut on Monday after the insects were found in furnishings inside the building.

Although the library is safe for the public, concerns from staff and library users have prompted authorities to take swift action.

They have announced that the library will remain closed until Thursday after the insects have been eliminated.

It comes amid concern in London over bedbug infestations following a recent outbreak in Paris.

Rentokil Pest Control said it saw a 32% jump in enquiries about bedbugs in the UK from January to September this year compared with a year earlier,

The firm also tracked a 65% increase year-on-year in recorded bedbug activity in the second quarter of 2023, versus last year.

An activity is when a technician has been on a customer site and confirmed the presence of bedbugs.

While the thought of bed bugs makes most people's skin crawl, as far as scientists know, they do not carry any human disease and their bite is painless but can leave an itchy red mark, said Prof Robert Smith, professor emeritus at the University of Huddersfield.

He said: "Bites often show up as a straight row of three or four I once woke up with a line of raised bites across my chest in a hotel in Ethiopia, with no ill effects. (I found this experience quite interesting although I can see that others might not.)"

Prof Smith reports of bedbugs have been increasing for many years, both in the UK and many other countries, probably mainly due to their developing resistance to insecticides.

"The five immature stages (nymphs) need a blood meal in order to develop to the next stage and adult bedbugs can live up to a year," added Prof Smith.

Bedbugs mostly feed at night and "hang out in cracks and crevices" during the day, said Prof Smith.

"I no longer use drawers in hotels to avoid picking up bedbugs as they can quite easily hitch a ride in luggage," he added.

"Hence, they can travel between countries in luggage and are widespread. So, I wouldnt worry about them, but would advise avoiding unpacking clothes as far as possible in hotels.

"Some people even advise storing your suitcase in the bathtub, though I dont go that far."

The spotlight may be on Paris, but bed bugs are found globally so are already in the UK, said Prof James Logan, professor of medical entomology and director of Arctech Innovation, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

"Bed bugs are good hitchhikers and could easily be brought from Paris to the UK, but could just as easily go from the UK to Paris," he said.

"It is unlikely that Paris is significantly worse than other places, although they may be unlucky right now with a bit of a bed bug boom."

Prof Logan said experts need to be able to monitor for bed bugs quicker so they can be dealt with quickly before infestations get out of control, adding: "There are traps that lure bed bugs effectively that can do this job e.g. https://www.bugscents.com/ (developed by scientists at LSHTM)".

According to pest company Rentokil, there are a number of simple steps you can take to reduce your chances of an outbreak of bed bugs at home.

They include:-

Washing and drying clothes at the highest possible temperatures

Eliminating clutter in your house to give bed bugs fewer places to hide

Avoid spreading bed bugs to your friends and family by not taking any clothes, suitcases or furniture to their homes

Tidying all areas of your bedroom, especially the floor around/underneath your bed and bed-side cabinets.

Vacuuming can greatly reduce the size of the bed bug population, but only when theyre clearly visible. It cannot guarantee total elimination. (Empty and clean the vacuum to avoid transferring eggs to other rooms.)

DIY products can help eliminate some bed bugs but shouldnt be relied on to get rid of the problem completely

According to Rentokil, bed bugs can easily move from house to house through wall or floor cavities and can spread quickly - which means infestations need to be treated sooner rather than later.

Some people think sunlight can kill bed bugs, the company added.

But it said: "Heat does kill them but it needs to be quite high (around 50 degrees) and over a sustained period so its very unlikely with UK weather!"

Read more:
Bed bugs: Expert reveals tell-tale sign to know if you've been bitten - Yahoo News UK

They arethe subject of a lawsuit in California, and Prince Edward Island has not been immune to the return of bed bugs as a serious problem in North America.

The tiny, blood-sucking insects were all but wiped out in North America in the 1950s, largely through the use of DDT, but the pest continued to thrive in other parts of the world. In the last few years, an increase in international travel and more cautious use of chemical pesticides have led to a resurgence of the bug.

"We discovered them unfortunately, it was reactive because a customer complained about having itch and bites," said hotel manager Michael Bird.

"We reacted to that and it was a first for us. We immediately called in our pest control services and began to take some action."

Bird discovered getting rid of bed bugs is not as easy as calling pest control. Before declaring the room free of pests, they threw out the mattress and box spring not just once, but twice.

"We did do it twice. Our problem was limited to one room, but we took all the precautions and we couldn't kill them," said Bird.

"Even though it wasn't recommended, we felt we had to go to the nth degree to make sure they didn't come back."

Cleaning no help with bed bugs

As the experience at the Delta Prince Edward shows, bed bug problems are not exclusive to squalid tenements.

Proper cleaning has no effect in preventing bed bugs. All they need to survive is a place to hide and human blood. Adults can survive for up to a year without a meal, and they can easily hitch a ride in suitcases to spread from anywhere to anywhere.

They are not even limited to beds. They can thrive in theatre seats, buses, airplanes anywhere they might occasionally find a meal.

Frank Legault of P.E.I. Pest Control said his company has dealt with 30 calls for bed bugs in the last three weeks.

"It is very surprising to me, because when I first came on Prince Edward Island in 1972, we had about one or three calls a year," said Legault.

"You can see the difference now, and it is a problem."

Bites from bed bugs are usually the first sign of an infestation. The reddish-brown bugs are only 0.6 centimetres long and come out in the dark, so are very difficult to spot. Bites develop into itchy, red welts, which can take up to a day after the attack to show up.

It is very unusual for bed bugs to transmit diseases, so while they are extremely annoying, they are not considered a health risk.

Excerpt from:
Bed bugs strike P.E.I. | CBC News

We rented the apartment for 3 nights. It's pretty spacious for our family of three. My husband and daughter's main complaint was that it's too musty. It didn't help when only one window in the entire place could be opened (though there were fans). This tourist home is very old after all. In here, it's like time had stopped since some 40/50 years ago, with no updating, and I wouldn't say this house is the heritage character kind.

For me, cleanliness is the most important thing, especially in the bathroom. I would say that the effort to keep the place clean was evident. The bathroom, the dining table top or the kitchen counter were all pretty clean and bedsheets/cover were quite contemporary as well as clean. It's just that when things are old and worn down, they don't look good, even if they are clean. Also, for me, old carpet is the killer. No matter how much you vacuum old carpet, their age would show AND you know dust and mites are trapped in there.

What's impressive for me, though, was that the simple continental breakfast was served to us. There was a small breakfast room with cutlery, cups and saucers all neatly set up. We sat down and Terra, the nice breakfast lady, asked us if we wanted white, whole wheat or raisin toasts. She also served us tea and coffee. There were also basic cereals that we could help yourselves with.

The front entrance did have cigarette smoke smell. Luckily, our apartment was smoke-free.

Nora, the owner, who appeared business-like, was actually quite friendly and open to chatting. She asked us where we were going next and advised us to take the ferry instead of driving all the way to Cape Breton. As we were talking, her son was putting a new Keurig coffee machine together for the place. So there's some updating!

Would I go back again? Probably not. But if you are looking for an inexpensive place that's close to downtown (we walked to downtown from here) to stay for a night or two, I would recommend it.

The rest is here:
Musty With Bed Bugs - Review of Ambrose Tourist Home ...

How Bed Bugs Get Inside

Bed bugs are insects that are often introduced into homes via infested belongings such as luggage or second-hand furniture. Since these pests bite, homeowners with bed bugs usually want a quick and easy fix to get rid of them.

Unfortunately, these tough pests are able to breed quickly, hide well, and survive all but the most extreme conditions.

Putting infested objects like clothes or bedding in a freezer can help get rid of the bed bugs, but each item should be placed in a plastic bag prior to freezing.

Keep the temperature at -19 degrees Celsius for about four days in order to be effective. Even then, some bed bugs may live through the freezing process.

Cautions

Keep in mind that putting some items into the cold may damage them. Freezing is also best for small items, not whole-house control. For mattresses, furniture, and other belongings, homeowners will need to explore other control methods.

Residents should not attempt to freeze bed bugs by turning off the heat or opening the windows in their homes during cool weather. This tactic does not work and can lead to burst pipes and structural damage.

Some pest professionals use heat or freezing treatments to control bed bugs, but these methods require special equipment, training and skills. As a result, freezing can kill bed bugs but is not the most practical approach for residents to attempt themselves.

A call to the bed bug experts at Orkin Canada is the best option to remove bed bug infestations.

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Freezing Bed Bugs: Does the Cold Kill Them?

Get a Free Estimate Call Now or fill out the form below. REGIONAL PEST REPORT Pest threat Ants and mice are moving inside and wildlife may be looking for potential harbourage areas. Continue reading

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Anonymous on 10/13/2011 I do not live in the building, however I live in the building across the Alley and with in the last 6 months I have seen 3 different tenants (all coming from the same top floor suit) moving their entire life/furniture into the dumpster in the alley and one close friend who also lived in the building get them too. Continue reading

You must be registered in order to be able to bid. 3 Days, 0h 44m 20s http://www.walmart.ca/ $39.97 NEW 3 sided zipper for easy removal Waterproof laminate barrier protection Dust mite, bed bug, household allergy protection Microban antimicrobial product protection Top: 100% Polyester with polyurethane lamination on back Side & bottom: 100% Polypropylene with polyethylene lamination on back Machine wash cold, gently cycle. Continue reading

What Are Bed Bugs? Bed Bug Facts Identification Bedbugs are small, nocturnal, wingless insects belonging to the insect family of Cimicidae. They feed on humans and other warm blooded animals. Continue reading

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Prince Edward Island, Canada Bed Bug Registry Map Bed ...