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Bed Bug Pictured on Coin, Actual Size About An Apple SeedBed bugs in Toronto are a growing problem, with 40 complaints registered in Toronto on the public Bed Bug Registry, with reported annual totals between 147 - 197 complaints per year.
Bed Bugs, Feces and Eggs on MattressIf you own a home,the best approach when treating bed bugs is to hire a local licensed exterminator. For smaller infestations it is possible to treat the problem yourself, although a professional is still highly recommended given the difficulty of killing these insects. Professionals often require 3 treatments to completely remove an infestation from a home. If an apartment has bed bugs, all apartments that are next door, above and below the infested unit need to be inspected and possibly treated.
Bed Bugs Toronto Reports
Bed bugs Toronto has been reported in the local press with reports of bed bugs in over 40 locations. The problem was confirmed by the Toronto Public Health Department. In response, the department launched the Bed Bug Project as the first step in fighting this problem. The Bed Bug Registry lists 2,270 reports.
Toronto Bed Bugs MapSource: BedBugRegistry
List of bed bugs in Toronto city buildings.
Overview
Bed bugs can only be spread by people who carry them in luggage or used furniture from location to location. Bed bugs Toronto problems are not the result of poverty or poor living conditions. It is an equal opportunity insect.
The bed bugs move from the belongings or clothes of a person to a new home, wherever a person visits, such as a friend's apartment or a hotel room. Bed bugs have nothing to do with clutter or upkeep of a home.
The problem is getting so bad that Toronto Sun columnist Joe Fiorito is collecting bed bugs Toronto consumer stories in the hope that he can convince the city government to put in place mandatory treatment protocols.
Bed bugs Toronto awareness is improving with constant coverage in The Star and bedbugs education and public health involvement being part of the political agenda. If you have a Toronto bed bug story, please email it to Joe at jfiorito@thestar.ca.
Bed Bug Bite on ArmPhoto Credit: B. Meijer
Tips for getting rid of bed bugs
Getting rid of bed bugs Toronto is not easy. The first choice is to whether to do it yourself or hire a professional. A professional will charge a fee to do a home inspection . This can cost from $75 - $500, with the high end involving the use of a bed bug sniffing dog. A professional treatment (s) will cost approximately $750 - $1000.
As an alternative, a do it yourself kit can cost $175. It contains all of the products needed to fight bed bugs including a mattress safe spray, fossil dust, hand steamer and mattress covers. A popular kit can be purchased from Bug Patrol which is an organic approach to bed bug removal. A good choice for an insecticide based kit is available from Bed Bug Supply.
Many homeowners go to a local
hardware store and buy just a spray or bed bug bomb, however, most
sprays and bed bug bombs will just disperse bed bugs to other
locations. Bedbugs will temporarily disappear, but then
quickly reappear as eggs hatch and dispersed bed bugs reappear.
If you are going to do it yourself, our suggestion is that home owners purchase 2 spray products, a mattress safe knock down spray that kills bed bugs and bed bug eggs on contact, and then additional spray that provides a lasting or residual effect. The most popular knock down spray is Sterifab (alcohol plus synthetic pyrethroid) for use on the mattress and other areas that come in contact with people and pets.
Treating the Mattress Seams with a Mattress Safe Knock Down SprayThe most popular residual sprays, Phantom and Bedlam, are used to kill bedbugs in cracks and crevices, such as along baseboards.
A spray like Bedlam provides weeks of protection and will kill late hatching or bed bugs hiding in baseboard cracksbedbugs toronto government resources
Toronto Health Connection - Maintained by the department of health for bed bug information or to report a problem. Call 416-338-7600 or email publichealth@toronto.ca
The Toronto Department of Health will examine a parasite you catch to determine if it is in fact a bed bug. There are 6 walk in centers where a bedbug can be dropped off for identification. Pack the bug in a clear container filled with rubbing alcohol to preserve the bug. Be sure to fill out this bed bug identification form.
Health Canada Bedbug Resources
Pest Management Regulatory Agency
Community Legal Clinics (for legal help)
Landlord Self-help Centre (416-504-5190)
Landlord and Tenant Board (416-645-8080)
Structural Pest Management Association of Ontario (1-800-461-6722)
Toronto bed bugs in the news
Fiorito:
Help us win the war on bedbugs
thestar.com
A
website that drives landlords buggy
- The Star.com
The
Daily Plank: War on bedbugs
- thestar.com
Toronto:
Bed Bugs go on rise
- The Canadian
City
Council Votes to Spend $250,000 on fighting bed bugs
- 680 News Radio
toronto bed bug pest control companies
When contacting a pest control expert, be sure to ask about
their
specific experience fighting bedbugs. Ask for an estimate in
writing, about any guarantees (bedbugs may require 2 to 3 treatments),
and any special equipment they have including chemical and non-chemical
approaches.
Toronto Bed Bug Infestation Identified and Treated by Heat and Go TechniciansWe suggest getting quotes from several firms given that high cost of treatment. To quickly compare companies we recommend:
- Check with local bed bug pest control companies. The Home Advisor network (1.877.233.1145) is made up of local contractors that have been reviewed and that meet the standards of the network. Contractors in the network will provide 4 free quotes.
- Search our database of bed bug exterminators.
Consumer reviews of bed bugs Toronto based pest control
experts can be
found on Angies List.
landlord and tenant rights
To learn your rights as a renter in Toronto, visit Toronto public health. Rights and responsibilities include:
- Renters/tenants must immediately inform a property manager, superintendent or landlord when a problem is identified.
- Landlords can enter an apartment after providing 24 hours notice. They can only inspect an apartment between 8AM and 8PM (or other times with the permission of the tenant.
- Landlords must give a tenant notice so that they can prepare the apartment before treatment.
- Tenants cannot be evicted for filing a report with the landlord. Evictions are managed by the Residential Tenancies Act.
- Tenants must prepare their apartment for treatment when requested to do so. This could include emptying shelves, laundering bedding and moving furniture away from areas to be treated (such as away from the wall).
- Landlords must pay for treatment. If a tenant does not provide access to the apartment when requested, they could be charged as per the direction of the landlord and tenant board in that building.
- A public health inspector will be provided by Toronto Public health upon request (416-338-7600). If legal assistance is needed, contact a community legal clinic.
- If a landlord refuses to treat a problem, contact Toronto Public Health. They can issue a Health Protection Order (section 13) under the Health Protection and Promotion act.
brochures
Each of these free brochures provide additional information on how to identify bed bugs in your home or apartment.
