Category Archives: Canada Bed Bugs

A mother trying to kill bed bugs in her Fort McMurray apartment used an imported pesticide that fatally poisoned her infant and left her other children critically ill.

The substance used in the apartment was a pellet form of phosphine, an agricultural pesticide that is strictly controlled in Canada and requires special training to use.

When exposed to the air, the pellets react with moisture and release phosphine gas, said James Kehrer, a toxicologist at the University of Alberta. As a gas, its often used to fumigate large batches of grain.

It will kill the bed bugs, but its nasty stuff, said Kehrer. Children are more susceptible to these things ... It should only be used by a professional.

The pellets were mainly spread around one bedroom, but fire crews detected the substance throughout the unit, said Brad Grainger, deputy chief of operations for the Fort McMurray fire department.

Its airborne, but its low to the ground, he said. You can imagine children crawling on the ground.

Crews found readings of 4.0 parts per million in the bedroom. Its immediately lethal at 50 parts per million, but can be harmful at 1.0 parts per million after just 15 minutes, he said: There was significant exposure.

The family brought the bottle of phosphine pellets to the hospital when the children fell ill. Authorities were able to contact the womans family in Pakistan to check what the substance was, and then test further to confirm the contents.

The mother used a pesticide to fumigate her apartment last Tuesday that she brought back from Pakistan during a recent trip, said her sister, Shazia Yarkhan.

The womans five children started showing signs of illness Saturday night. They all vomited and one of them had diarrhea, Yarkhan said.

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Mother trying to kill bed bugs poisoned her children, officials say

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School expects to find out today if bed bugs are back

Friday, February 13, 2015 4:05 AM EST

Titusville Herald

Ehrlich Pest Control returned to Main Street Elementary School on Thursday, at 3:30 p.m., to inspect the school's bathrooms after the discovery of a bed bug infestation in late January.

The infested bathrooms were treated Feb. 2.

Titusville Area School District Superintendent Karen Jez said Thursday night that she will receive a report from Ehrlich this morning, regarding the results of Thursday's inspection.

In a previous statement, Jez said that, in the event bed bugs are rediscovered, the district will repeat the pest control process, including having Ehrlich return for follow-up treatment and bagging personal belongings.

The process, Jez described, is the same as when lice are found at a school.

After the discovery of the bed bug infestation, most likely caused by the pests riding to school on a student, Jez posted a letter to the district's website, gorockets.org, advising parents to inspect their homes.

Just what are bed bugs?

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School expects to find out today if bed bugs are back

Pest control to check for bed bugs next week

Saturday, February 7, 2015 4:05 AM EST

Titusville Herald

Titusville Area School District reports that the pest management company that was hired to rid Main Street Elementary School of bed bugs is scheduled to return on Thursday, at 3:30 p.m., to conduct further inspection and reapply appropriate pesticide.

The pests were discovered last week and treated Monday evening in some of the school's bathrooms.

According to school district Superintendent Karen Jez, in the event that bed bugs are rediscovered by the pest inspection company, the district will repeat the same process, including having the exterminators return for follow-up treatment and bagging personal belongings.

"At the direction of our buildings and grounds and student services directors, the principal, teachers and staff have had the children place their personal belongings in plastic bags each day this week to prevent the spread of any potential bed bugs from one individual's belongings to another," Jez said. "This is the same process undertaken when lice are found at school."

She added that the treated areas are thoroughly cleaned and the actual pesticide is placed behind the baseboard, inside the wall sockets and walls.

Jez said that in speaking with the pest management company, Ehrlich Pest Control, "our buildings and grounds director is assured that it is safe for our students and employees to be in the school building following the application process."

Since the bugs are most likely riding to school on someone, Jez reminded families in a letter posted on the district's website, gorockets.org, to inspect their homes.

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Pest control to check for bed bugs next week

Bed bug facts Courtesy of the CDC

Tuesday, February 3, 2015 4:05 AM EST

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are small, flat, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep.

Bed bugs are reddish-brown in color and wingless. They range from 1mm to 7mm (roughly the size of Lincoln's head on a penny), and can live several months without a blood meal.

Where are bed bugs found?

Bed bugs are found across the globe from North and South America, to Africa, Asia and Europe. Although the presence of bed bugs has traditionally been seen as a problem in developing countries, it has recently been spreading rapidly in parts of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe. Bed bugs have been found in five-star hotels and resorts and their presence is not determined by the cleanliness of the living conditions where they are found.

Bed bug infestations usually occur around or near the areas where people sleep. These areas include apartments, shelters, rooming houses, hotels, cruise ships, buses, trains, and dorm rooms.

They hide during the day in places such as seams of mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, dresser tables, inside cracks or crevices, behind wallpaper, or any other clutter or objects around a bed.

Bed bugs have been shown to be able to travel over 100 feet in a night but tend to live within 8 feet of where people sleep.

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Bed bug facts Courtesy of the CDC