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Bugs crawling back into Canadian beds

Last Updated: Monday, November 24, 2003 | 10:28 PM ET

Canadian bed bug infestations have increased as much as 600 per cent in the past decade.

The small, flat insects, which feed on human blood, have been re-appearing in hotels, hostels, shelters, public housing and private homes across the country.

Bed bugs were all but wiped out after the Second World War thanks to strong pesticides.




But they have been crawling back into beds across the country due, in part, to international travel.

People have been carrying the pests into Canada in clothing and luggage.

Another contributing factor is the decreasing use of strong pesticides and broad-based spraying methods for pest control.

Bites can lead to serious infection in some cases. However, health officials consider the bugs a nuisance, not a health hazard, because they're not known to transmit disease.

Entomologists say once the bugs make themselves at home, it can be difficult to send them packing.

Experts advise people to take precautions by vacuuming thoroughly, sealing cracks in walls and dry-cleaning or replacing pillows and washing all linens.

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Beatrice Politi reports for CBC-TV
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BEDBUG QUICK FACTS
The common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) is:
  · About 4 to 5 millimetres long.
  · Reddish brown or brown.
  · Flat, oval shaped without wings.

Bedbug eggs are white and pinhead-sized. They lay their eggs in cracks in the floor or bed.

Bedbugs feed by sucking blood from birds and mammals. Most species are active mostly at night.

They may leave a row of three itchy bites on the skin, but the degree of allergic reaction varies.

Sources: Alberta Ministry of Health,
B.C. Pest Management


External Links
Tips to rid your home of insects and rodents: Health Canada (in pdf format)

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