Bed bug basics: How to prevent them, how to find them, and what to do if you have them
Summer is moving season in Montreal. It's also the season when the most unwanted of roommates -- bed bugs -- are at their peak.
Don Prashker is the owner of Thermapro Solutions, a Montreal company that specializes in bed bug extermination.
He shared a few tips to keep in mind this summer, whether you're trying to avoid bed bugs or already have them in your space.
LEAVE CURBED FURNITURE ON THE CURB
According to Prashker, the easiest way to deal with bed bugs is to prevent them from entering your home in the first place.
The insects are particularly common in apartment buildings as they can easily migrate from one unit to the next -- but they can also hitchhike from faraway places.
One common mode of transportation is used furniture, which can be a major gamble when it comes to bugs, especially when that furniture is picked up on the side of the road.
Moving day in Montreal means piles of furniture and other discarded items along the streets. (Touria Izri/CTV News)
"There's a lot of furniture being left out on curbsides and on corners," he said. "People are literally collecting that, bringing that into their own home, and this is a great way to get bedbugs."
THE TRUTH IS IN THE POOP
But what about the furniture you already own -- how can you tell if there's an issue?
"Bed bugs always leave their calling cards, and that's their poop," says Prashker.
"They're black little dots, like someone took a toothbrush, dipped it in ink, and kind of spritzed it on the mattress."
(File image)
These speckles will often appear on the seams of the mattress or even on bedsheets.
When you move into a new place, search for these telltale stains around baseboards and electrical outlets, as their presence could indicate an infestation that's been around for a while.
Bugs sometimes relocate to these areas after the furniture has been sprayed with over-the-counter treatments, Prashker explains.
DITCH THE DIY METHODS
Speaking of which, Prashker says do-it-yourself treatments should be avoided if possible.
He says the trick to getting rid of bed bugs is by baiting them, not repelling them, which is why he recommends professional heat treatments over common chemicals.
"Please be careful when using over-the-counter products," he said. "They tend to be repellents, and you don't want to repel bed bugs. That's just pushing the problem from one unit to the next."
Instead, he recommends hiring professionals who can pump heat into the rooms and "literally cook" its contents, killing the bugs.
"Bed bugs are instinctively attracted to heat, so they come towards the heat treatment," he explains. "We just continue to crank up the heat everywhere until it's universal, and there's nowhere for the bed bugs to go."
When moving to a new place, he says tenants should keep an eye out for signs of treatments past.
"If you see any pesticides or residuals or traps, these are good signs to ask the landlord what was going on."
ACT FAST
Take action soon as you spot the signs, Prashker advises.
"The earlier you get on top of a bed bug problem, the easier it is to solve," he says. "It's a lot easier to kill five of them than it is to kill 5,000 of them."
If you don't address it right away?
"Within three months, you'll have an infestation. Within six months you'll have more eggs than you do bugs."
BUST THE STIGMA
The biggest way to prevent the spread of bed bugs is by addressing the shame that comes with them, according to Prashker.
"There's a huge psychological stigma to this problem," even though bed bugs don't necessarily indicate a lack of hygiene or a dirty home.
He says reluctance to openly discuss the issue hinders the implementation of protocols that could slow the spread.
When a child has lice, for example, school administration sends out a letter to parents informing them -- but these same measures don't exist for bed bugs.
"So kids are coming to school when they have bed bugs at home, and three more kids are now bringing them home as well."
--With files from CTV's Touria Izri
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.