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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.