Bedbugs are small, brownish insects about the size of an apple seed. They typically come out at night to bite. Anyone anywhere can get bedbugs.
Bedbugs can be brought into a home on used furniture and used clothing, or even in your suitcase after travelling.
Bedbugs are very hard to get rid of. If you do have bedbugs, it is strongly recommended that you hire a licensed professional pest control operator. Whichever treatment is used, it will only be effective if physical control methods and preventative measures are used together.
Here are some tips from Health Canada that can help you prevent an infestation:
Be careful about what you bring into your house
- Check every item you bring into your home for the first time, including used books, new furniture, and garage sale or antique store furniture.
- New mattresses are often delivered in the same truck that carries away old mattresses, so be careful to check your new mattress before it enters your home. Insist that your new mattress be sealed before it is delivered.
- Never take a mattress or sofa from a curb.
- Check your vehicle after helping a friend move.
Reduce places where bedbugs can hide
- Get rid of clutter.
- Vacuum often, including under and behind beds.
- Repair or remove peeling wallpaper and tighten loose electrical faceplates.
- Check any entry points on walls that you share with neighbours, and openings that allow access to the inside of the wall (like areas where pipes, wires and other utility services enter).
For more information on how to inspect your home and get rid of bed bugs, visit Health Canada’s website.
