Category Archives: Canada Bed Bugs

REGIONAL PEST REPORT

Pest threat

Ants and mice are moving inside and wildlife may be looking for potential harbourage areas. Spiders are constructing egg sacs and mosquito activity is increasing. House fly activity can be expected. Commercial accounts will need to be aware of increased small fly activity. Nuisance wildlife, such as squirrels and chipmunks, will be much more noticeable.

Home Pest Library Bed Bugs Identifying Bed Bugs

Since bed bugs are nocturnal and so small, detecting them can be very difficult. Signs & symptoms of a bed bug infestation can be found in bedding and on mattresses. People will sometimes roll onto bedbugs while sleeping, resulting in blood stains on the sheets. Live bed bugs will leave dark brown or black spots of dried excrement on infested surfaces after feeding and also exude a very subtle sweet, musty odour.

Bedbugs are small, flat and have oval-shaped bodies. They have six legs and two antennae. Bed bugs cannot fly and have short, golden coloured body hair that can make their bodies appear to be striped.

Adult bed bugs are reddish-brown in colour and approximately 5-6mm in length. After feeding, bed bugs can swell to upwards of 10mm and get fatter and darker in colour.

Bed bug nymphs are approximately 1-4mm in length (the size of the head of a pin) and are white or a golden colour until they feed. This light coloration acts as a camouflage and helps them hide in mattresses and carpets.

Learn more about bed bug life stages.

Our well-equipped laboratory helps Orkin Canada Technicians and our clients identify the exact species of pest in an infestation.

The Orkin Canada QA lab is well equipped with the latest in diagnostic and identification technology.

Equipment used for analytical entomology in the QA lab includes a compound microscope with digital camera. It is capable of magnifying objects up to 1000x times and capturing images at a high resolution to assist our technicians with high defined analysis (examination) of extremely small specimens.

Here are some of the thousands of photos we have in our reference library:

Top-down view of an adult bed bug

Close up photo of a bed bugs head

A single bed bug egg

A bed bug nymph

Bottom-side view of a bed bug on its back.

A bed bug after it has had a blood meal.

Images on this page have been taken with a compound microscope/digital camera in the Orkin Canada Quality Assurance laboratory. Images are property of Orkin Canada.

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What Do Bed Bugs Look Like? Bed Bug Identification

How big are bed bugs? Here's one on a thumb.

What Are Bed Bugs? Bed bugs are the common name for Cimex lectularius, a reddish-brown, oval-shaped insect that can grow to a quarter of an inch long. Bed bugs are wingless and survive by sucking blood from a host animal, preferably a human. See: Bed Bug Pictures and What's a Bed Bug?

Why Are They Called Bed Bugs? Bed bugs commonly hide in mattresses, carpets, behind peeling paint or wallpaper, and in crevices in wooden furniture (like in the cracks of the wooden headboard of a bed).

Why Are Bed Bugs Reappearing? Bed bugs were once all but eradicated with broad-spectrum pesticides such as DDT, which killed a wide variety of bug types. Concerns about health and the environment led to many of these pesticides being removed from the market. Today, pest control methods are more focused, designed to kill a particular species (like cockroaches). Bed bugs, since they are not specifically being targeted, are slipping through the cracks.

Where Did Bed Bugs Come From? Bed bugs travel surprisingly well, and are quite comfortable stowing away in luggage and even clothing. The bugs are increasingly found hiding in beds, upholstered furniture and behind baseboards in urban hotels in America. Since they tend to stow away and travel with humans, any place that sees a number of world travelers is susceptible. Pilots, wealthy people, and business travelers can bring bed bugs along unwittingly.

What Can You Do to Avoid Bed Bugs? Look around. Bed bugs are large enough to see. Look particularly under the mattress and in the seams, in and around the bed frame, and along any cracks or peeling paint in the wall or picture frames. Check for bed bugs in the cracks of any wooden furniture, particularly antiques. You can also spot droppings from bed bugs, which may be tinged with blood. See: Are Bed Bugs in My Hotel?

What Should You Do if You Are Bitten by Bed Bugs? Bed bugs bite exposed skin and leave behind small, red, itchy welts. The good news? Bed bugs are not generally thought to transmit any diseases. The damage is more emotional than physical. The CDC does say that bites from bed bugs can be treated with topical emollients or corticosteroids. You can also take an oral antihistamine. If you are exposed, you may consider treating your home as well. See: Are Bedbug Bites Dangerous?, Is This a Bed Bug Bite?, and Treatments for Bedbug Bites

What Should You Do if Bed Bugs Are in Your House? Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate. They hide well and can go up to a year without feeding. However, it's important to rid your house of them as soon as possible, as they can breed and spread very quickly. Most pest control companies are equipped to handle bed bugs. There are a few home remedies you can also use to protect yourself, your clothes and your furniture. See: Bed Bug Control and Bed Bug Spray

Have you seen bed bugs up close? Send me your pictures of bed bugs or bed bug bites.

Battled Bed Bugs Yourself?

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Bed Bugs (Bites, Signs, Getting Rid of Bed Bugs)

Bed bugs (picture on the left) likely get their name from their habit of feeding on humans while they sleep in their beds. They are found in virtually every place people tend to gather, including residences, hotels, schools, offices, retail stores and even public transportation.

If you do identify bed bugs in your home, contact a pest professional promptly. They will be able to inspect your home, confirm the species and recommend a course of bed bug treatment.

Bed bugs like to travel and are good hitchhikers. They will hide in suitcases, boxes and shoes to be near a food supply. They are elusive, nocturnal creatures. They can hide behind baseboards and in cracks, crevices, and folded areas of beds, bedding and adjacent furniture, especially mattresses and box springs. Bed bugs can also hide in electrical switchplates, picture frames, wallpaper and nearly anywhere inside a home, car, bus, or other shelter. Bed bugs usually come out at night for a blood meal. However, they are opportunistic insects and can take a blood meal during the day, especially in heavily-infested areas. Bed bugs usually require 5-10 minutes to engorge with blood. After feeding, they move to secluded places and hide for 5-10 days. During this time in the bed bug life cycle, they do not feed but instead digest their meal, mate, and lay eggs.

So where do bed bugs live? Bed Bugs like to hide in small cracks and crevices close to a human environment. They can be found behind baseboards, wallpaper, upholstery, and in furniture crevices. Beg bugs are also known to survive in temporary or alternative habitats, such as backpacks and under the seats in cars, busses and trains.

Although bed bugs can dine on any warm-blooded animal, they primarily dine on humans. Bed bugs do not transmit diseases, but their bites can become red, itchy welts.

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Bed Bugs - PestWorld

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Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. They are easily moved from room to room on infested objects. Bedbugs cannot easily climb metal or polished surfaces and cannot fly or jump.

Adult bedbugs can be as long as 10 mm. They have an oval, broad, flat body and a short, broad head. Adult bedbugs are brown, but darken to a blood red colour after feeding. Young bedbugs are shaped like adults, but are smaller (1.5 mm long) and lighter in colour. They also darken after feeding.

Bedbug eggs are white, about one millimetre long, and are almost impossible to see on most surfaces. The female bedbug lays at least 200 eggs in her lifetime, at a rate of about two to four each day. The eggs have a sticky coating and are laid in cracks and crevices, behind woodwork and other hidden locations. They usually hatch in 6 to 17 days.

Bedbugs come out at night to feed, attracted by the carbon dioxide we exhale. They will feed on both people and pets. Bedbug bites may not be noticed right away because bedbugs typically feed at night when people are asleep.

Bedbugs prefer locations where they can hide easily and feed regularly, like sleeping areas. Their flattened bodies allow bedbugs to hide in extremely small locations: under wallpaper, behind picture frames, in electrical outlets, inside box springs, in mattress pads, and in night tables. Newly hatched bedbugs feed as soon as food is available. Bedbugs can live from several weeks to up to a year and a half without feeding. Older bedbugs can go even longer without feeding.

Adults usually live for around 10 months, but can live for a year or more in a home where the environment is good for reproduction (with temperatures ranging between 21C and 28C).

A bedbug bite can take as long as 14 days to appear, depending on the person. While bites can happen anywhere on the skin, they are often found on the face, neck, arms, legs, and chest.

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Bedbugs - What are they? - Healthy Canadians

REGIONAL PEST REPORT

Pest threat

Ants and mice are moving inside and wildlife may be looking for potential harbourage areas. Spiders are constructing egg sacs and mosquito activity is increasing. House fly activity can be expected. Commercial accounts will need to be aware of increased small fly activity. Nuisance wildlife, such as squirrels and chipmunks, will be much more noticeable.

Home Pest Library Bed Bugs Bed Bug Treatment & Control

Although bed bugs dont pose any serious health concerns they do live and hide in the areas where we sleep. They are mostly found in bedding, mattresses, on headboards and in bed frames and box springs. Due to their size and nocturnal nature bed bugs can easily go undetected. Dark spots and small blood stains may indicate the presence of bed bugs. Bed bugs also give off a sweet musty odour and will often leave their eggs and molted skins near areas they have infested. Good housekeeping may not eliminate the problem. Even upscale hotels are not immune bed bugs can thrive in a spotlessly clean room. Bed Bug infestations are difficult to deal with, and success depends on the thoroughness of the preparation, treatment and the follow-up. One of the most important steps in effective bed bug control is the accurate identification of bed bugs presence before starting any treatments. Home remedies, available in stores, are not very effective getting rid of a bed bug infestation. If you do choose to use an over-the-counter insecticide, make sure to read the label closely and follow directions. Your best course of action is to immediately contact your local Orkin Canada branch as we have extensive experience dealing with bed bugs. Pest control professionals administer the most effective treatments. It is advised that anyone with a suspected bed bug infestation contact their local expert to arrange an inspection and consultation.

There is no way to prevent bed bugs entirely; however, experts agree that early detection is the best way to prevent them from establishing themselves. A bed bug dog is your best tool for early detection. To prevent bed bug infestations you need to be vigilant in examining your surroundings. When returning from a trip, or a night out check both your clothing and luggage. If you think you may have a bed bug infestation, contact a pest control professional. This is not a pest that can be controlled with do-it-yourself measures.

Bed bugs are small, nocturnal and very difficult to detect. They are also very rugged insects and that can live for up to a year without feeding. They can hide in cracks and crevices and in hard to find spots and can withstand a temperature from almost freezing up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. All of these facts make treating bed bugs very difficult and should always be done by a professional pest control technician such as your local highly trained Orkin Canada Technician.

Short of inspecting your own or a guests luggage and belongings as they come in, there is no known way to completely prevent bed bugs from entering a property. And once they are inside, two bed bugs can lay up to ten eggs in one day. Thats why it is important to have any rooms with a bed bug problem treated immediately to prevent them from becoming a widespread infestation.

To address current infestations, Orkin Canada will provide an aggressive treatment strategy that includes a thorough inspection of areas of concern to locate harbourage sites, as well as treatment of both infested and potentially infested areas. Orkin Canada will also conduct a follow-up inspection to ensure that the treatment was effective.

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Bed Bugs - Orkin Canada