Category Archives: Canada Bed Bugs

Before I go into detail about this weeks topic, a personal story. Myself and a group of friends travelled over the previous weekend to a popular Michigan travel destination. Upon arrival at the hotel, because of my awareness, room inspections were completed and low and behold... Bed bugs in 1 of the 3 rooms where we were staying. The hotel agreed to move our 3 rooms to another wing of the hotel and after 3 more room inspections we were satisfied that we were clear. Unfortunately with bed bugs you must always be vigilant and not complacent.

Some of the highlights of this survey of Pest Professionals:

1) 99% have encountered Bed Bug infestations in the last year (11% a decade ago)

2) 9 of 10 Pest Pro's dealt with bed bugs in homes, but they are especially on the rise in Pulic Areas:

-College Dorms - 54%, up from 35%

-Hotels/Motels - 80%, up from 67%

-Nursing Homes - 46%, up from 25%

-Office Buildings - 38%, up from 18%

-Schools/Day Cares - 36%, up from 10%

-Hospitals, - 31%, up from 12%

-Transportation - 18%, up from 9%

-Movie Theatres - 17%, up from 5%

3) Over 70% of Pest Pro's name Bed Bugs as the hardest to control

4) Most Professionals feel Bed Bugs are year-round with a minority stating they get more bed bug calls in the summer.

5) Visual inspections are still the #1 monitoring/identification tool used. Although canine detection units are on the rise.

6) 25% of Consumers still attempt to DIY with bed bugs, but engage in often dangerous techniques and are mostly ineffective in their attempts.

You may ask why are Bed Bugs growing to such Pandemic porportions and why can we not get rid of them?

The answers lie in a multi-faceted answer. The largest factor that has allowed bed bugs to spread so effectively is that no one insecticide/pesticide is 100% effective in killing bed bugs on contact and residually. Current bed bug strains are resistant to most pesticides, meaning if you sprayed 100 bed bugs, only a portion of them would die, depending on the active ingredient. Most insecticides have very little residual effect, meaning after the pesticide is 'dry' bed bugs are not harmed by them.

Now remember bed bugs spend most of their time hiding in places that alot of the time are inaccessible, like in wall voids, electrical outlets, under carpets and the like. So if you have to kill them "on contact" it would be virtually impossible to find them all. Pesticides are just part of the problem. Other issues includes very porous multi-family home structures where bed bugs can move from unit to unit easily. This porous nature allows them to spread and move easily, while the moderate and heavily infested units are treated, the lightly infested units go unnoticed.

Furthermore, DIY's and people that do not report the problem until they are largely infested compound the problem. Increased international travel has also caused the spread not only of bed bugs but of different strains of bed bugs that have different resistance levels to multiple pesticides currently used. Imagine in an apartment building, bed bugs from South America, India, and Asia, all transported from the host countries with varying degrees of resistances to the differing pesticides used in the industry. One pesticide will not control them all and so integrated pest management approaches and alternate methods need to be used now more than ever.

Read the original:
Bed Bugs Canada

Halifax North Memorial Public Library has closed twice in the last week after staff discovered bed bugs on a piece of library furniture and on CDs and DVDs that had been returned.

The Gottingen Street library was closed for spraying last week and again on Thursday morning.

"This is a very rare occurrence for the library but any public space is vulnerable to these types of pests," Terry Gallagher,facilities director atHalifax Public Libraries, toldCBC'sMaritime Noon."They hitchhike very easily on people or other things."

Gallagher said the library has since reopened and professionals found no sign of any bed bugs.

"We've identified that this is not a facility issue, these are things coming to us," he said.

Gallagher said they have a "very rigorousprotocol" when it comes to dealing with insects or pests. He said all staff are trained at detecting various pests and recognizing the signs.

The facilities director at Halifax Public Libraries says all staff are trained at detecting various pests and recognizing the signs. (CBC)

If an insect is found, Gallagher said theprotocol isto trap it using clear tape. It's then sent away to pest control professionals, andif it's a bed bug, the library is then closed and sprayed.

"We're very vigilant on examining materials that come into the library," he said. "We really care. We want to make sure the community is coming in and visiting the library."

Dave Holland, owner ofHolland's Pest Control Services in Halifax, told Maritime Noonit's not uncommon for bed bugs to pop upin public places.

"Any place where there's more people coming or going you have a higher risk of getting bed bugs. So yes, you can pick them up at a mall, you can pick them up on a bus, you can pick them up just about anywhere," he said.

A bed bug is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington. (Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press)

Holland said bed bugs, which are nocturnal, typically bite at night. Once they feed, he said, they tend to hide somewhere"relatively close to their meal" and rest and do so in places like book bindings.

He said if they aren't spotted early on and a pregnant female gets into the picture, it could lead to a public outbreak.

"Sometimes people don't realize they have those bed bugs," he said."About 30 per cent of the population has no effect from a bug bite, so they're the ultimate nemesis when it comes to bugs."

Original post:
Halifax library closed twice in last week after bed bug sightings - CBC.ca

TORONTO, Aug. 1, 2017 /CNW/ -Withthe summer travel seasonin high gear, the country's largest pest control company is warning about an unwelcome visitor that could affect locals and tourists.

Orkin Canada expects this to be a bumper year for bed bugs.The warning comes as the company unveils its first ever list of bed bug cities. The findings by Orkin Canada are based on the number of commercial and residential bed bug treatments carried out by the country's largest pest control provider.

The top ten cities:

Entomologists say having a clean room does not prevent bed bugs; and two bed bugs can lay up to ten eggs in one day. Anyone detecting signs of bed bugs are advised to seek expert advice to prevent widespread infestation.

Tips for homeowners and vacationers:

For more information about bed bug prevention, visit orkincanada.ca

The city rankings were based on all bed bug treatments by Orkin Canada at residential and commercial properties within Canada from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Download here for the full list of Canada's bed bug cities.

About Orkin CanadaOrkin Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollins, Inc. (ROL)isthe country'slargest pest control provider and leader in the development of fast, effective and environmentally responsible pest control solutions.One key program is theHome Pest Protection Programthat prevents and eradicates pest infestations and provides key information about pests.Orkin Canada provides professional services to both residential and commercial clients from coast to coast. For more information, visitwww.orkincanada.ca,like http://www.facebook.com/OrkinCanada or follow@orkincanada.

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Toronto is the Capital of Canada for Bed Bugs

Mississauga

ON THE LIST: Mississauga among Canada's top 25 bed bug cities Mississauga Toronto has become Canada's most bed bug-infested city and some of those pests have spread westward into Mississauga as well. A report released by Orkin Canada has Mississauga ranked 18th on its list of Canada's top 25 bed bug cities. Ed Bandurka ...

See the original post here:
ON THE LIST: Mississauga among Canada's top 25 bed bug cities - Mississauga

John Langdell said he had some unexpected visitors in his hotel in Whitehorse. An American tourist on a motorcycle trip with his friends, he said he was bitten by bedbugs in his hotel.

"The first night, I thought I'd been bitten by a mosquito, I had a couple of bites on my hands and my arms," said Langdell. He said they swelled to be about the size of a dime.

"The next night I got bit even worse. Boy, they itch like crazy."

He said he wasn't sure what the bites were from, mosquito, spider or bedbug. But he has since spoken to a doctor who told him they were bedbug bites.

Despite the bites sticking around for a week, he said, Langdell wasn't put off by Whitehorse. For him, those creepy, crawly hitchhikers are almost anticipated while travelling.

A recent visitor to Whitehorse reports he was bitten by bedbugs at a hotel in the city. (CBC)

"It's just one of those things that happens," he said, "part of travelling, and you can't really avoid it."

The summer months are the peak for spread of bedbugs, explained Whitehorse exterminator Nolan Newman with Orkin pest control.

With many people travelling, he said there is a greater chance of someone staying in a place that has bedbugs, and picking up bedbugs unknowingly.

"A lot of people when they check into a hotel, the first thing they do is throw their luggage on the bed and they leave their clothing around the bed," said Newman.

"Bedbugs are very attracted to body odours and they will crawl into the clothing or into the suitcase."

It isn't just hotels that are grappling with this pest. They even crawl their way into private residences.

Arthur Johnston said his downtown apartment building has an infestation of bedbugs.

"For the last two months now I haven't been able to stay there at all due to my little bedbug buddies," said Johnston.

Though he is still paying rent, Johnston said he has been living elsewhere due to the bugs. The landlord of the building said they have spent thousands of dollars dealing with bedbugs.

Despite the fact that they make just about everyone feel itchy just to mention them, bedbugs are not actually considered a health concern, explainedCraig Vanlankveld, a public health officer with Yukon'sEnvironmental Health Services.

Bedbugs have not been known to transfer diseases, so they are considered a nuisance rather than a public health issue, he said.

Because of this, cases of bedbugs are not officially tracked. According to Shane Hickey with the Residential Tenancy Office, the responsibility typically falls to the landlord or property owner to deal with the bedbugs, and pest control companies like Orkin are the go-to to get rid of them.

While there are some acute cases of bedbugs in the city, Newman said this year has fewer than previous years.

"We've had some cases where we do almost daily calls for bedbugs," said Newman. He says Orkin is currently receiving a couple of calls a week in Whitehorse about bedbugs.

"This year hasn't been too bad."

Newman said education and early detection is key to preventing bedbug infestations. Listen below to his suggestions on how to curb the pests.

See more here:
'Boy, they itch like crazy': Bedbugs bother Whitehorse visitors and residents - CBC.ca