Bedbugs In Toronto Homes – What to do?

The Toronto Star recently announced that the bedbug infestation numbers in the city are rising. Bedbugs aren’t limited to low-income apartments or housing, but Toronto real estate that includes upscale houses and condominiums. However, in situations like these as well as in hotels, the problem is underreported because of the stigma attached.

Traveling is one way bedbugs can infiltrate your Toronto home or condo.

In 2003, Toronto Public Health received 46 reports of bedbug issues, while this year to date Toronto Public Health’s bedbug hotline has received over 1,300 calls.

Soon, the city of Toronto will be releasing information to property managers on how to deal with bedbugs properly in apartments and condominiums. Currently, they are not required to disclose anything to future tenants or residents and unless the infestation is extreme, the condo owner will have to pay for extermination himself.

However, homeowners have to deal with the issue themselves in every case. In most cases, someone can get bedbugs by bringing them into a home after visiting an infested hotel or a friend’s house, or if you are a tradesperson who regularly visits other people’s home and then brings them back to your own. Similarly, used clothing and furniture can contain bedbugs.

They can and do bite, leaving the victim with itchy red welts or even more serious allergic reactions. Aside from the bites, signs of bedbugs include rust-coloured specks on bed sheets, an offensive smell, shed skins as well as spotting the bugs in the crevices of your mattress or other parts of your home. They are visible to the naked eye and are about the size of an apple seed.

Bedbugs typically require professional attention, and a pest control company can go over your next steps with you. Clothes, furniture and any other soft surfaces that may be infested will also have to be quarantined, specially cleaned at a very high temperature or thrown away.

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