Here’s how to leave bedbugs behind when you travel home: expert

By Natasha O’Neill, CTVNews.ca Writer

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    Toronto, Ontario (CTV Network) — Amid a large bedbug infestation in France, experts say there are ways avoid bringing the pests home with you.

Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that feast on human and animal blood, Health Canada says. They are about 10 millimetres long, oval-shaped and have a flat body.

The bugs swept through Paris during Fashion Week. Videos circulating online show the insects in public spaces like buses, trains and movie theatres.

Experts say bedbugs don’t pass from person to person but instead climb into bags, shoes and other items of clothing, which can spread the infestation.

Although the outbreak is impacting France, cities in Canada could see something similar if the bugs are left to feast, Dale Kurt, Greater Toronto Area manager at Orkin Canada, said.

“Get on top of it quick because if you don’t, it’s allowed to linger,” Kurt told CTVNews.ca in an interview. “It reproduces so fast, it can get out of control quickly.”

WHERE ARE THEY FOUND? Bedbugs can usually be found in sleeping areas, Kurt said, on mattresses, under wallpaper, in electrical outlets and in night stands, so they can feast easily while people sleep.

“Bedbugs are typically lazy,” he said. “They want to be close to where their food supply is…So they’re going to be close to the bed.”

Kurt said when checking into a hotel room, he always does a visual check first.

“If there’s moderate to heavy infestation, you’re going to see some signs of the bedbugs, which usually are the blood smears on pillowcases or sheets,” he said.

He says the people should check underneath mattresses, the box spring and in dark places around the bed.

“They don’t like to be in that open area. But if there’s some area that they can tuck themselves in behind, that’s where they’re going to live,” he said. “And then just come out for their blood meal and go right back again.”

Unfortunately for humans, the pests can live up to 10 months and don’t need constant blood to live. The small insects are also hard to spot during the day because they only come out at night.

For these reasons, getting rid of them can be incredibly difficult, Kurt said.

HOW TO LEAVE BEDBUGS BEHIND Usually, bedbugs are in areas where there’s been high traffic, Kurt said.

“Sometimes people think it’s because it’s a dirty hotel or dirty bed,” he said. “That’s not necessarily true. Bedbugs can be in a one-star hotel or they can be in a five-star hotel. It just depends on where that traveller or visitor stayed in last.”

The insects can be carried in furniture, strollers, laptop bags or suitcases, Kurt said. For this reason, Kurt advises people to be careful taking second-hand furniture.

Across Canada, Orkin has treated bedbugs from private residences to office towers and schools, but they are most commonly found in hotels, motels and other short-period stays.

“Always use the luggage racks and put it far away from the bed,” he said. “Some people will actually put their luggage and things right in a bathtub. That can actually help to prevent them because the bedbugs won’t crawl into the bathtub.”

Another option is putting items in a large garbage bag to keep the belongings away.

The presence of bedbugs may not be known right away because the rash that comes from their bites could appear up to 14 days later, Health Canada says.

Usually, they bite a person’s face, neck, arms, legs and chest.

HOW TO GET RID OF BEDBUGS When purchasing used furniture like couches or chairs, Kurt says it’s a good idea to get it professionally cleaned or checked before bringing it inside the home.

“Heat will kill all stages of the bedbugs,” Kurt said. “The adult, the nymph and the egg are all killed by high heat over 50 C.”

Visual checks or canines trained to find bedbugs can also be used to make sure there are none in a residence.

THE TOP CITIES IN CANADA WITH BEDBUGS There are cities in Canada that struggle with bedbugs, according to Orkin.

Based on calls for the insects, the company ranked the top 25 cities in Canada that have the most bedbugs.

Topping the list are densely populated Toronto and Vancouver in the first and second spots.

Third on the list is Sudbury, Ont., which Kurt believes could have to do with a lot of people moving in and out of the city on contract jobs.

Fourth is Oshawa, fifth is Ottawa and Scarborough is ranked sixth.

Northern Ontario’s Sault Ste. Marie is seventh on the list, followed by London, Ont., St. John’s, N.L. and rounding out the top 10 is Hamilton, Ont.

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