Category Archives: Toronto Bed Bugs

A Canadian couple who travelled with their toddler to San Diego for a wedding has returned home to Vancouver with quite the Airbnb horror story.

Everything started great, according to Eugene Kaplan, but it turned into an appalling and horrendous experience.

The initial plan was to stay six nights from August 24 to August 30 in San Diego as Kaplans wifes sister was getting married there.

Two days in, the nightmare began.

On August 26, we woke up to find that my wife had about thirty welts all over her arms. I had a cluster of welts on my ankles. Thankfully, our toddler was spared.

Kaplan says they didnt know what to do, but they almost immediately suspected bed bugs or some other type of pest but found no evidence.

We did not see any blood on the sheets, etc.

Things took a horrible turn the next day.

The next afternoon, as I was trying to put our toddler down for a nap, a bedbug fell out of the pillow as I was moving it about.

Kaplan said it fell directly on the mattress.

Bed bugs move slowly and so I was able to capture it in a Ziplock container and took a photo of it.

Submitted

All of the reviews of the Airbnb unit in question are positive. After 51 reviews, the suite currently has a 4.86 rating, with a 4.9 for cleanliness. No other review besides Kaplans mentions bed bugs in any capacity. Instead, they all suggest the unit is clean and that the host is respectful.

Even in this case, Kaplans story suggests that the Airbnb host was mainly easy to work with. She even changed the sheets the day after they first reported the welts.

Submitted

The host suggested it was just an allergic reaction to detergent in the sheets, but the pictures tell a different story.

Submitted

The review Kaplan left for the Airbnb Superhost reflected everything you read in this story, including the welts, the bug falling out of the pillow, etc.

Another thing Kaplan told Daily Hive, which he also mentioned in his review, is that the host was worried theyd lose their Superhost status because of the negative review.

In response to Kaplans review, the host wrote, a thorough inspection of the property was conducted, and no evidence of any type of insects or infestation was found.

Kaplan wasnt happy with the initial response from Airbnb. When he wrote to Daily Hive, he said, I think it is important for your readers to know just how little Airbnb cares about their guests.

Airbnb offered a response to Daily Hive as well as the guest in question following the ordeal.

While issues are rare, our 24/7 Community Support team is committed to providing our full support to guests when trips dont go as planned, said a spokesperson.

Subsequently, Kaplan told Daily Hive he was offered a full refund for the nights the host didnt initially refund him.

Airbnb also gave us a complete response from the host, who stated that they were positive that the bites were not caused on their property.

I wouldve liked the evidence of a live insect in a ziplock bag shown to me, but you made no mention about that find until this review.

The host added that they had the entire guest house fumigated for peace of mind.

Based on all the evidence, the host seemed genuine in stating that they had no idea this was happening and that this was just an unfortunate and traumatic circumstance for Kaplans family with no ill intent.

See the original post here:
"A bed bug fell out of the pillow": Canadian shares Airbnb horror story | News - Daily Hive

A Canadian couple who travelled with their toddler to San Diego for a wedding has returned home to Vancouver with quite the Airbnb horror story.

Everything started great, according to Eugene Kaplan, but it turned into an appalling and horrendous experience.

The initial plan was to stay six nights from August 24 to August 30 in San Diego as Kaplans wifes sister was getting married there.

Two days in, the nightmare began.

On August 26, we woke up to find that my wife had about thirty welts all over her arms. I had a cluster of welts on my ankles. Thankfully, our toddler was spared.

Kaplan says they didnt know what to do, but they almost immediately suspected bed bugs or some other type of pest but found no evidence.

We did not see any blood on the sheets, etc.

Things took a horrible turn the next day.

The next afternoon, as I was trying to put our toddler down for a nap, a bedbug fell out of the pillow as I was moving it about.

Kaplan said it fell directly on the mattress.

Bed bugs move slowly and so I was able to capture it in a Ziplock container and took a photo of it.

Submitted

All of the reviews of the Airbnb unit in question are positive. After 51 reviews, the suite currently has a 4.86 rating, with a 4.9 for cleanliness. No other review besides Kaplans mentions bed bugs in any capacity. Instead, they all suggest the unit is clean and that the host is respectful.

Even in this case, Kaplans story suggests that the Airbnb host was mainly easy to work with. She even changed the sheets the day after they first reported the welts.

Submitted

The host suggested it was just an allergic reaction to detergent in the sheets, but the pictures tell a different story.

Submitted

The review Kaplan left for the Airbnb Superhost reflected everything you read in this story, including the welts, the bug falling out of the pillow, etc.

Another thing Kaplan told Daily Hive, which he also mentioned in his review, is that the host was worried theyd lose their Superhost status because of the negative review.

In response to Kaplans review, the host wrote, a thorough inspection of the property was conducted, and no evidence of any type of insects or infestation was found.

Kaplan wasnt happy with the initial response from Airbnb. When he wrote to Daily Hive, he said, I think it is important for your readers to know just how little Airbnb cares about their guests.

Airbnb offered a response to Daily Hive as well as the guest in question following the ordeal.

While issues are rare, our 24/7 Community Support team is committed to providing our full support to guests when trips dont go as planned, said a spokesperson.

Subsequently, Kaplan told Daily Hive he was offered a full refund for the nights the host didnt initially refund him.

Airbnb also gave us a complete response from the host, who stated that they were positive that the bites were not caused on their property.

I wouldve liked the evidence of a live insect in a ziplock bag shown to me, but you made no mention about that find until this review.

The host added that they had the entire guest house fumigated for peace of mind.

Based on all the evidence, the host seemed genuine in stating that they had no idea this was happening and that this was just an unfortunate and traumatic circumstance for Kaplans family with no ill intent.

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"A bed bug fell out of the pillow": Canadian traveller shares Airbnb ...

After fleeing bombs, bullets and chemical weapons in their war-torn homeland, Syrian refugees are facing a new enemy as they attempt to rebuild their shattered lives in Canada.

Bed bugs are uncommon in Syria, however many of the apartments into which the refugees have been settled are infested with the insects. Shortly after a dozen families moved to an apartment complex in Hamilton, Ontario, the new residents found they were waking up covered in itchy bites, while their children would cry throughout the night.

After the refugees first raised the alarm, pest controllers were hired on multiple occasions, but despite their best efforts the bed bugs kept returning to plague the confused refugees.

They didnt know what these pests were, said Ali Marathi, a solicitor representing the refugees. Obviously, it was traumatic for them.

The high-rise building was notorious in Ontario for its bed bug problem, noted Naraghi.

Once the culprits were identified, a two-year legal battle ensued. With assistance from local advocacy groups, the refugees took Diamond International and Melvin Apartments Incorporated to tribunal. The families broke their leases and sought compensation from the apartment rental agency for damage to clothes, bedding and furniture. The agency responded by countersuing for unpaid rent.

Last month, the parties reached an undisclosed settlement.

Our clients are happy to have reached a settlement with Melvin Apartments on terms that are satisfactory to both parties, confirmed Naraghi.

Human rights activists say their plight highlights just one of the many challenges encountered by refugees in an adopted country where bureaucratic processes and language difficulties hold them back.

It also casts a light on Canadas intractable bedbug problem. Infestations in the country began to rise alarmingly ten years ago, and despite spending millions to control the blood-sucking parasites, the issue has only grown worse as the insects continue to spread.

Refugees in other regions of Canada such as Burnaby, Toronto and Halifax have also complained of bed bugs in their new residences. According to online database The Bed Bug Registry, Toronto suffers the nations largest infestation with over 2,000 reported cases so far this year.

If you really want to get rid of bed bugs today try SayByeBugs! It was developed as a safe and highly effective alternative among a sea of products that rarely deliver on their promises.

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Syrian Refugee Families in Canada Face New Battle with Bed Bugs

One of Canadaslargest pest control providers has released a new list that no city should be happy to top.

Orkin Canada has released its list of the 25 most afflicted bed bug cities in Canada.

For those not in the know, bed bugs are dedicated blood-feeding insects that can travel up to 100-feet in search of a meal, according to the company. In the case of the most common bed bug, the blood they feed on is human blood, and dinner time is between midnight and 5 am.

To be clear, Orkin Canadas data is derived exclusively from the number of commercial and residential properties that have received bed bug treatment directly from Orkin between January 1 and December 31, 2021.

Courtesy of Orkin Canada

Thebed bug registry allows people to search for houses, hotels, and apartments that may or may not have had a reported case of bed bugs. It has information available for most major Canadian cities, including Toronto and Metro Vancouver.

This year, Orkin reports that travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and a shift to remote working have resulted in fewer bugs hitchhiking their way into homes. As a result, bed bug sightings have not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Dont celebrate yet, though, all it can take is an airplane seat, hotel bed or even an office chair for these pesky bed bugs to invade your space, the company says.

Compared to last years rankings, the City of Toronto claimed the number one spot for the third year in a row. Vancouver went up to third place (from fourth), St. Johns rose to fourth (from sixth), and Winnipeg dropped substantially to ninth place (from fifth).

As Canadians return to travel Orkin suggests these helpful tips for eager vacationers:

Due to their ability to double in population about every 16 days, it will not be difficult for bed bugs to regain their grip on Canadians, shares Orkin.

So sleep tight! And dont let the bed bugs well, you know Yikes.

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Toronto named worst city in Canada for bed bugs for third ...

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"All it can take is an airplane seat, hotel bed or even an office chair for these pesky bed bugs to invade your space."

Publishing date:

Creepy crawlers like Toronto the best.

The city has been named the bed bug capitol of Canada for 2021 the third year in a row its topped the ranking, according to Orkin Canada.

Orkin compiles the list based on the number of commercial and residential bed bug treatments the company carried out.

Taking second place last year was Sudbury, followed by Vancouver, St. Johns, Oshawa, Scarborough, Moncton, Saint John, Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and a general shift to working remotely have resulted in fewer hitch-hiking opportunities for these critters, and yet they have found a way to stick around, Orkin said in a release. Bed bugs latch onto people, clothing, and furniture. All it can take is an airplane seat, hotel bed or even an office chair for these pesky bed bugs to invade your space.

Orkin noted the insects can travel up to 30 metres (100 feet) in search of a meal which for them is blood, mainly from humans and usually consumed between midnight and 5 a.m.

Due to their ability to double in population about every 16 days, it will not be difficult for bed bugs to regain their grip on Canadians, the company added.

kconnor@postmedia.com

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Toronto named top spot for bed bugs in Canada | Toronto Sun