Toronto named worst city in Canada for bed bugs for third year in a row

One of Canada’s largest pest control providers has released a new list that no city should be happy to top.

Orkin Canada has released its list of the 25 most afflicted bed bug cities in Canada.

For those not in the know, bed bugs are “dedicated blood-feeding insects that can travel up to 100-feet in search of a meal,” according to the company. In the case of the most common bed bug, the blood they feed on is human blood, and dinner time is between midnight and 5 am.

To be clear, Orkin Canada’s data is derived exclusively from the number of commercial and residential properties that have received bed bug treatment directly from Orkin between January 1 and December 31, 2021.

Top 10 bed bug cities in Canada

1. Toronto
2. Sudbury
3. Vancouver
4. St. John’s
5. Oshawa
6. Scarborough
7. Moncton
8. Saint John
9. Winnipeg
10. Edmonton

Courtesy of Orkin Canada

The bed bug registry allows people to search for houses, hotels, and apartments that may or may not have had a reported case of bed bugs. It has information available for most major Canadian cities, including Toronto and Metro Vancouver.

This year, Orkin reports that travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and a shift to remote working have resulted in fewer bugs hitchhiking their way into homes. As a result, bed bug sightings have not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Don’t celebrate yet, though, “all it can take is an airplane seat, hotel bed or even an office chair for these pesky bed bugs to invade your space,” the company says.

Compared to last year’s rankings, the City of Toronto claimed the number one spot for the third year in a row. Vancouver went up to third place (from fourth), St. John’s rose to fourth (from sixth), and Winnipeg dropped substantially to ninth place (from fifth).

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As Canadians return to travel Orkin suggests these helpful tips for eager vacationers:

• Do not put your clothing or luggage directly on the bed. If bed bugs are present in the bed, they can climb into bags, suitcases or any laundry left on the bed.
• Use metal luggage racks at all times. Bed bugs cannot easily climb metal surfaces, so they make an ideal overnight spot for your suitcase. Keep the rack away from the walls and any wooden furniture.
• Use small plastic bags to pack clothing, shoes and other personal items. This will help prevent any bed bugs that climb into your suitcase from getting into your house with your clothing. Bed bugs can also hide in books, cloth toiletry kits and other non-metal personal items.

“Due to their ability to double in population about every 16 days, it will not be difficult for bed bugs to regain their grip on Canadians,” shares Orkin.

So sleep tight! And don’t let the bed bugs… well, you know… Yikes.