Sleep tight: Vancouver is one of bed buggiest cities in Canada

Vancouver just made a new ranking that will send shivers down your spine.

According to Orkin Canada, a pest control provider, Vancouver is the bed-buggiest city in Western Canada.

On a national ranking, the west coast city came in at number three, behind Toronto and Sudbury, on its list of the 25 most bed buggiest cities in Canada.

Orkin got their data from the total number of commercial and residential properties that they treated for bed bugs 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

Compared to last year’s rankings, Vancouver is climbing the list, going from fourth to third. But the crown belongs to Toronto, which claimed the number one spot for the third year in a row. Montreal is also on the list at number 17, and another Metro Vancouver municipality – Burnaby – is number 25.

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If you’re nervous about bed bugs, which Orkin says are “dedicated blood-feeding insects that can travel up to 100-feet in search of a meal,” then you can check the bed bug registry.

You can 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 reported that travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and a shift to remote working 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 said.

“As Canadians start to travel, whether to the office or on vacation, so too will bed bugs,” said Orkin. Here are their bed bug tips for your the next time you travel:

• 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.

With files from Daily Hive Staff.