Category Archives: Bed Bugs Canada

Bed bugs. Those two words are enough to make many peoples skin crawl. These little parasitic insects are a common problem in cities around the world and British Columbia is no exception. There was a time when bed bugs were virtually eradicated in the developed world, however, over the last two decades there has been a resurgence in their number.

There are many misconceptions regarding bed bugs and how bed bug infestations develop. It is very important for landlords and tenants to note that bed bugs are not necessarily a cleanliness issue. These insects can be brought into the home in a variety of manners, many of which are common day-to-day occurrences. For example, second hand furniture, books, and electronics can carry bed bugs. They can also come in by hitchhiking on visitors who have been in an area with a bed bug infestation; and these infestations are not limited to residential dwellings. Offices, libraries, and hotels have all experienced bed bug infestations.

The best way to prevent a bed bug infestation is to avoid bringing the bugs into the home in the first place. Vancouver Coastal Health provides tips on bed bug prevention, including washing and drying second hand clothes on a hot setting and when travelling, inspect your sleeping quarters for bed bugs as this will allow you to take additional precautions upon your return home.

Bed bug prevention guides can be found here and are available in English, Vietnamese, and Chinese languages.

What do bed bugs look like and how to spot them?

According to Brent Hampton of 1st Pest Control, Bed bugs look like tiny beetles and in their earlier stages of development, they can be translucent and milky white/yellowish in colour. As they develop into adults, they darken to a brownish-red colour. At their largest, they are smaller than an apple seed and as flat as a credit card.

Who is responsible when a bed bug infestation is discovered in a rental unit?

A question LandlordBC is often asked is who is responsible for the treatment of the unit if a bed bug infestation is discovered? The simple answer is that the landlord or property manager is responsible for the treatment of the unit. However, the tenant is responsible for cooperating with the landlords efforts to manage the bed bug infestation such as prepping the unit for treatment, washing and bagging clothing etc.

To treat the bed bug infestation the landlord will, most likely, need to enter the rental unit. Landlords have the right to enter the property to inspect and maintain rental units, however, tenants must be given a proper written notice and the landlord can only enter between the hours of 8:00 am and 9:00 pm. In cases of emergency, such as a flood of fire, the landlord can enter the unit without notice. Treating an apartment for bed bugs is not considered an emergency and therefore, tenants must be given proper notice and adequate time to prepare the units for the application of a pesticide.

What is the solution to control bed bugs?

Early detection is key to addressing an infestation. As noted above, bed bugs can make their way into rental units in a variety of fashions and once they are there they can be tricky to eradicate. There is no fast, inexpensive solution to bed bugs and a licensed pest control operator will be required because if the job is not done properly, the bed bugs will return and continue to spread! This creates a bigger infestation and the costs associated with treatment will increase.

Unfortunately, due to the behaviors of bed bugs, there is often a chance that more than one units will be infested, even if the other tenants have not noticed any bugs or have not experienced any bites. The pest control operator will advise if there is a need to treat neighbouring units. The rules regarding notice of entry will apply to those units as well. The landlord is responsible for the cost of treatment needed to eradicate bug bugs. However, if the treatment is successfully completed and the bed bugs return, the tenant would then be responsible for the cost thereafter.

Preparation is key to a successful bed bug treatment and prevention of further infestation. It is important that landlords are communicating with their tenants regarding what is required of them to ensure that the treatment is effective. For example, clearing out shelves, laundering all clothing and bedding, moving furniture away from walls, and removing clutter. It is important that all parties work together to address this issue, however if for some reason the tenant refuses to properly prepare their unit for treatment the landlord can issue a caution notice which could lead to a 1 month notice to end tenancy.

Are there any new developments or technologies in fighting bed bugs?

Mr. Hampton believes that the newest technology is heat treatment, a method thats been around for about a decade and has proven to be the most effective method of killing bed bugs, provided the pre-treatment preparation is followed precisely. Its worth noting that heat treatments are much more than simply setting up an industrial heater and leaving it on for a set amount of time. These heaters can not only be dangerous, but also destructive to possessions and not effective if the core temperature of every item in the home doesnt reach the killing temperature, adds Mr. Hampton. When dealing with bed bugs, the best option is to call a professional pest control company to resolve the issue. The pest control specialist will guide both the landlord and the tenant on how to prepare for the infestation treatment and tailor an inspection and/or treatment plan according the specific requirements.

Follow this link:Bed Bugs: What are a landlords responsibilities? LandlordBC

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This entry was postedon Sunday, January 27th, 2019 at 7:40 pmand is filed under Bed Bugs Vancouver.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Bed Bugs: What are a landlords responsibilities ...

Although bed bug bites themselves aren't harmful to humans, affects of bed bug bites can cause health complications like sleep deprivation and anemia from loss of blood. Although the bites are intrinsically dangerous, the bites are itchy, and often require over-the-counter treatment to relieve the itchiness.

Below is an article from Bed Bugs and Beyond detailing the deleterious affects bed bugs can have on your health, and how to relieve the discomfort caused by bed bugs. It goes without saying that you MUST call a professional bed bug pest-control company to get rid of your infestation as soon as possible, to avoid the health risks and physical discomfort that the bed bugs cause!

Bed bugs feed on human, and other warm-blooded hosts, in order to survive and reproduce. They find a host by detecting carbon dioxide emitted from warm-blooded people or animals and respond to warmth/moisture. In order to feed, they penetrate the skin of the host and inject a salivary fluid that contains an anticoagulant to help them obtain blood.

Depending on the stage of the bed bug, they may feed for as little as 3 minutes or as long as 10-15 minutes. They prefer to feed at night on exposed areas such as: the hands, neck, arms and face. Bed bug bites affect people differently depending on the person and frequency of the feeding. Bites will eventually produce itchy red bumps and welts on the surface of the skin. Bacterial skin infections may occur due to skin breakage from excessive scratching.

Some people have been known to respond to bed bug infestations with insomnia, fear, stress, anxiety and even paranoia. Sometimes become too distressed to sleep due to the fear of being bitten, and the lack of sleep can sometimes trigger depression. Heavy rates of feeding have been known to cause significant blood loss and eventually lead to anemia and other complications; children are most susceptible to these further problems.

Although more than 20 types of disease have been found in bed bugs, including, bacteria, viruses and worms, they are NOT known to transmit disease.

If you experience bed bug bites you can use a few over the counter products for relief:

1. Apply a steroidal anti-itch cream that contains hydrocortisone or cortisone.

2. Use calamine lotion to dry out the rash

3. Take oral antihistamine allergy tablets to control the swelling and rash caused by the bites

4. Buy a topical anesthetic that contains pramoxine for pain relief and diphendrydramine for itch control

5. Taking pain relievers that contain ibuprofen or naproxen as needed

From http://www.bedbugsandbeyond.com/bed-bugs-and-your-health/html

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How Bed Bugs Affect Your Health and What to Do About It ...

Bed bugs are a risk to home and business. The bites are unpleasant to say the least, and the idea of bed bugs can be revolting. If you would like an alternative to the chemical treatment, Heat Treatment is a new and innovative bed bug elimination technique that Pesticon has mastered so we can better serve our customers.

In this technique, no chemicals or pesticides are used, making this an ideal method for cautious homeowners. Recent research has shown that bed bugs cannot tolerate extreme heat and will not survive it for more than a few hours. Pesticons state-of-the-art heat-generating units can kill off bed bugs and their offspring within just 3-6 hours depending upon the size of the property. This treatment is 100% natural and comes backed by Pesticons famed 6-month pest-free guarantee.

It can be a more expensive form of bed bug treatment, but many of our customers find the peace of mind they get from a 100% natural treatment administered by trained professionals to be well worth their investment.

The process for using heat treatment to kill bed bugs is simple. First, our highly trained technicians inspect the property to decide which type of heat-generating unit to use (we use electric heaters in apartments, hotels, and condominiums and propane-units in residential homes). All items which cannot withstand the extreme heat are removed from the premises and the area is sealed in order to prevent the heat from escaping.

Then, we clean the area thoroughly by vacuuming the entire area before placing the heating units in the appropriate places to target the bed bugs. Our technicians maintain the heat for 3-6 hours until we can be confident that all of the bed bugs have been exterminated. Before leaving your home, we remove all of the dead bed bugs and inspect the premises to be 100% certain that all of the pests have been both eliminated and removed from your home.

The reason we have confidence in our treatment is that make sure we properly assess your bed bug problem. We have had a lot of success with Heat Treatment for bed bugs in the Vancouver area. This is reflected in our Homestars ratings and testimonials. If you live in the Vancouver area and are suffering from a bed bug infestation, call, email, or chat with Pesticon right away so we can make your bed bug problem disappear!

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