The good news is, bed-bug sightings across the country are down 20 per cent in 2020.
The bad news is Sudbury is ranked No. 2 by Orkin Canada among the top 10 bed-bug cities in the country. The findings are based on the number of commercial and residential bed-bug treatments carried out by the company last year.
Toronto takes the top spot on the list of bed-bug cities, while Oshawa, Vancouver, St. John’s, Scarborough, Whitby, Edmonton and Ottawa complete the list, respectively.
“Some hitchhikers just couldn’t catch a ride in 2020,” said Orkin in a news release. “Bed-bug sightings, generally a growing problem for Canadian cities, are down from the year prior by close to 20 per cent nationally.”
As a result of their ability to latch on to people, clothing, and furniture, all it takes is an airline or bus seat, an unsuspecting office, or a house or hotel with changing visitors, for bed bugs to travel great distances.
Travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and a general shift to working remotely have resulted in less opportunities for these hitchhikers to move around, for the first time since Orkin Canada released its annual survey five years ago, said the company.
As hematophagous (blood is their only food source) creatures, a bed bug’s sole function is finding humans to eat, a task conducted mostly between midnight and 5 a.m.
“These dedicated workers travel up to 100 feet in search of a meal, which is a long way for a creature less than a quarter-inch long,” said Orkin.
It is expected, however, that as the economy opens, bed bugs will be back in business, said the company. Due to their ability to double in population about every 16 days, it should not be difficult for bed bugs to regain their grip on the Canadian market.
Concerned Canadians can use proactive prevention tips such as careful examination of bags and clothing, drying potentially infested bed linens or clothing on the highest heat setting, and inspecting all second-hand or returning office furniture. A pest management professional can also be called if the task is too great or there is a sense of being overly creeped out.
In 2020, the Nickel City was No. 9 on the bed bug list, while in 2019, the city was ranked eighth.
