This is Oshawa’s surprising ranking. Four major cities in Canada that underwent bed bug treatments.

According to Orkin Canada, Oshawa ranked in fourth place in their ranking in 2022. This ranking includes the number of residential and commercial treatments done by them from January 1 to December 31, 2022. This doesn’t imply that one out of four Oshawa homes is infested with bed bugs. But it definitely means there were enough treatments done in Oshawa that put the city in fourth place.

So, that raises a question, “Why Oshawa?”

You might be curious about the reasons for the prevalence of bed bugs here.

What Can We Learn From Oshawa’s Ranking of #4?

Let’s start by clarifying the headline.

The ranking is based on treatment statistics from Orkin. This is not a governmental report about all the cases of infestations in Oshawa and the percentage of homes affected by bed bugs.

However, the number of treatments proves that there were bed bugs among the pests in the city. In Orkin’s ranking for 2023, Oshawa ranked third.

Please do not interpret the ranking as evidence that Oshawa “spawns” bed bugs. Use the ranking to pay attention to how these pests can infiltrate, hide, and spread.

Could Oshawa's Climate Have a Part to Play?

Imagine winter evenings and you'll think the bedbugs can’t survive in such a place.

It doesn't work like that.

The fact is bedbugs usually reside indoors near sleeping spots. As noted by Health Canada, they can survive long without eating anything, and adult bedbugs can remain alive for months under favorable indoor conditions.

It’s doubtful that climate could be the reason for the ranking on its own. The heated house will give the bedbugs a comfortable indoor atmosphere and blood source nearby.

According to Dr. Murray Isman, an entomologist at the University of British Columbia, he has named climate change and alteration in insecticide usage as some elements which can result in the increase in bedbug population.

How You Travel May Lead Them to Your Home

One night at a hotel, visiting family, switching between rental units, or traveling for business without realizing you have brought bed bugs home with you is possible.

Bed bugs don’t fly. They don’t hop. Bed bugs hitchhike.

“Expert Hitchhikers,” says Alice Sinia, entomologist with Orkin Canada, bed bugs can cling to your clothes, suitcases, and furniture.

Your suitcases can lie undisturbed in your hotel room. A bed bug can find its way into a seam and hitch a ride back to your house.

Health Canada advises people to check their luggage before bringing it inside, to inspect personal items before coming home from your trip, to wash clothing, and use high heat dryer cycle on appropriate items. People travel. Suitcases travel. Furniture travels.

Our Homes Can Provide Them a Place to Hide

The bed bugs don't require a dirty home.

This misconception may make one feel ashamed.

According to Toronto Public Health, anyone can be infested with bed bugs, irrespective of their social status or kind of home. Being clean doesn't provide protection from such an insect, which may enter the premises concealed in luggage and belongings. Clutter will make it more difficult to control them.

An overcrowded bedroom will provide you with more cracks, crevices, boxes, piles of clothes and furniture joints to examine. Health Canada suggests removing clutter, closing cracks and examining beds, furniture, baseboards and other areas where the insects may hide.

The style of housing will also become important, when there are shared walls and proximity to other homes within a building.

What Should You Be Looking For This Evening?

You don’t have to wait for lots of bugs to appear. Start with where you sleep.

Inspect along mattress seams, underneath the bed, around the headboard, within the box spring, around the bed frame, and in any nearby furniture. Look for live bugs, shed skins, dark spots, eggs, or blood stains.

Don’t use bites as a guide.

A bite can mimic many other skin conditions, and some individuals don’t have a reaction at all. If you have something that looks questionable, collect it carefully for proper identification, if possible.

Insect specialist Antonia Guidotti at the Royal Ontario Museum says that there are many insects mistaken for bed bugs. “Is it a bed bug?” is the frequent query asked of ROM entomologists.

This will save you money, time, and effort.

If You Find Bed Bugs After All...

First, remain calm. Secondly, don’t’ transport all your belongings to another room.

You’ll likely be tempted to move out. However, according to CR Pest Control, it is not advisable to relocate your sleeping area because the surviving bed bugs will go with you.

Take it slow.

Put washable objects in bags. Clean bed sheets and other clothes at very high temperatures. Remove clutter and vacuum meticulously. Don’t transport belongings into uncontaminated areas.

Remember that one spray or clean-up will not do the trick. The bed bugs can hide themselves in small cracks and hard-to-reach locations.

Bed Bugs Removal - When Should You Hire Professionals?

You should hire professionals in bed bug control when you find bugs, symptoms keep showing up or when you can’t figure out where the infestation is hidden.

According to Health Canada, you should hire a licensed pest control company to get rid of bed bugs professionally. Treatment can include inspection, physical controls, laundering, vacuuming, steam, heat or approved pesticides based on different situations. According to our experts at CR Pest Control, “If you wait too long, it takes longer to get rid of.”

Getting an inspection by a professional will give you a better idea of how much area is infested and what you need to do.

If you have a problem of bed bugs in Oshawa, you should choose CR Pest Control's bed bug removal service to inspect infested areas and create a custom treatment plan.

This also applies to other locations like bed bug removal in Ajax, Scarborough, or Markham.

What Can You Do to Avoid Another Infestation?

It’s not possible to protect your home from bed bugs; however, there are things that can be done to keep them out.

Before introducing used furniture into your home, inspect it. After traveling, inspect your luggage. Reduce clutter. Look at your sleeping area frequently. Fill in any cracks where possible.

If signs are found, act. When dealing with bed bugs, it’s easier to get rid of them when they’re caught early.

FAQs

1. Why was Oshawa one of Canada’s top four cities for bed bugs?

Oshawa was the fourth most popular city in the 2022 survey conducted by Orkin Canada based on the number of residential and commercial bed bug treatments that Orkin carried out in the city for the year 2022. he ranking doesn’t represent the percentage of homes in Oshawa with infestations.

2. Does Oshawa’s weather cause bed bugs?

Oshawa’s climate can’t be held responsible for the ranking. Bed bugs can survive inside the home and spread with the aid of human transportation, luggage, furniture, and other living quarters.

3. Can bed bugs come from a hotel?

Yes. Bed bugs can travel back with you in your luggage and clothing. Be sure to check your luggage for bed bugs after a visit and launder your clothes.

4. Should you discard your mattress?

No, but check it out first and take professional advice. One item being discarded doesn’t solve your problem if the bed bugs are present somewhere else.

5. When should you contact a professional?

You need to contact one if you have bed bugs present. If you repeatedly find bed bugs or infestations that you are unable to control, a professional is needed.

The True Meaning of the Oshawa Bed Bugs Ranking #4

You need to be more vigilant, not scared about the ranking #4.

Bed bugs have no regards for how tidy your home is. They require a place to take refuge and a body to suck blood from. The ease of travel, second-hand furniture and clothes, clutter, and interconnection of living areas can help them travel.

Hence, if you happen to wake up with new mysterious bites or see dark spots around the mattress or an odd-looking bug, there’s no point in wondering for weeks.

Investigate and act accordingly. And in case you need any help with bed bugs removal in Oshawa, contact CR Pest Control today.