What are bedbugs?
Bedbugs are small insects (about the size of an apple seed) with oval-shaped bodies and no wings. They usually come out and bite at night. It is possible for anyone, anywhere to experience a bedbug infestation, but they can be prevented and controlled.
How do I stop bedbugs from entering my home?
Even the cleanest homes can get bed bugs, but regular inspection and cleaning can help you prevent an infestation. To prevent bed bugs from coming into your home you should:
- Vacuum your mattress often
- Clean up clutter
- Seal cracks and crevices with caulking
- Inspect used furniture or clothes before buying
- Never bring discarded bed frames, mattresses, box springs, upholstered furniture or electronics into your home
- Inspect your luggage and its contents when you return from a trip
How can I find bedbugs?
Use a flashlight to look for bedbugs and their droppings. Or use a hot hair dryer, thin knife or playing card to force them out of hiding spaces and cracks. Check in the seams of your mattress, inside your box spring and along your bed frame. Also look in cracks and crevices in and around your bed and check surrounding furniture and baseboards.
What does a bedbug bite feel and look like?
Some people have no reaction at all. But for some people they can turn into itchy welts. Often bed bug bites appear as a group of three, which people sometimes call “breakfast, lunch, and dinner”. They usually go away by themselves and don’t need treatment. Although bedbugs and their bites are a nuisance, they are not known to spread disease in humans.
What can I do if I have bedbugs?
If you find bedbugs, talk to your landlord, building manger, local Public Health Unit or a pest control professional. You should also:
- Vacuum your mattress, bed frame, baseboards and anything else around your bed every day
- Wash your clothing, bed sheets, blankets, mattress pads and pillows in hot water and dry them on high heat for 60 minutes
- Remove unnecessary clutter
- Seal cracks in bed frames, floors, walls and between baseboards
- Repair or remove peeling wallpaper
- Tighten loose light switch covers
- Seal openings where pipes, wires or other utilities come into your home
- Carefully bag, label and dispose of infested items that can’t be cleaned
For more information visit Health Canada - Bedbugs - what are they?
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