Number of cases of bedbugs up in the capital region

Local pest-control companies say they're responding to an increasing number of bedbug infestations in the capital region.

The bugs, which are small, parasitic insects that live mainly in beds or other sleeping areas, have been showing up more frequently in apartment complexes, private residences and businesses, and have even caused the Fredericton Homeless Shelters to close its facility several times this summer for spraying.

Bob Durelle, owner of Durelle Pest Management, said that means more people are encountering the tenacious critters.

"Calls are way up. At one time, I would get about a call a year. I've had several calls in the month of September," he said.

He said that in the past, bedbugs would occur mainly in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment buildings, hotels and hostels, but he's currently treating two single-dwelling residential homes, an apartment building and a local business.

It takes a minimum of three treatments to properly address a bedbug infestation, since it's difficult to get them all at once.

"It's a slow, tedious process to get control," said Durelle.

"It takes a lot of co-operation from the tenants. If you don't get co-operation from the tenants, then you never get control. I've had both - some people who were extreme fanatics who threw away nearly everything they had and who were willing to do anything you needed, and I've had others that you just couldn't get through to. They don't get the 'help me help you' sort of thing."

With the large influx of students who move to Fredericton to continue their education and with increased travel among established residents, the pest-control specialist said more opportunities exist for people to pick up a bedbug and bring it back to their dwellings.

Durelle said people typically notice bedbugs through swollen, red bite-marks they find on their bodies or by discovering bugs or eggs when changing their bedding.

"By the time they start noticing bugs, the problem is quite established," he said. "They could have been there for weeks or months. Most will start through a single bug or a few bugs they picked up in travel or from another unit."

He said most people are ashamed to admit they've had a bedbug infestation, even though he said infestations aren't limited to messy homes, as people frequently pick up bedbugs while travelling or by coming in contact with the bugs in an affected area at a friend's home.

Jamie LeRoy, manager at Excel Pest Control Ltd., said he's also experienced a spike in these kinds of jobs.

"We've been getting a lot of calls for bedbugs lately," he said. "In fact, last week the owner took four or five calls in a single day. (We're seeing them in a) lot of apartment buildings and residences."

He said he believes the best way to get rid of the problem is to call a professional, because pest-control specialists have the experience and equipment to ensure the bugs are killed and prevented from returning.

"I would say it's impossible to get rid of them on your own, unless you're willing to throw out most of what you own," he said.

Last week, officials from the St. Joseph's Hospital in Saint John reported that they were taking steps to address an infestation.

Tracey Shipley, a spokeswoman for the Horizon Health Network, said that hasn't been a problem in the Fredericton area.

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* Bedbugs are insects that, as adults, have oval-shaped bodies with no wings.
* Prior to feeding, they are about 0.25-inches (six-millimetres) long and as flat as paper. After feeding, they turn dark red and become bloated.
* Eggs are whitish, pear-shaped and about the size of a pinhead. Clusters of 10-50 eggs can be found in cracks and crevices.
* Bedbugs have a one-year lifespan during which a female can lay 200-400 eggs, depending on food supply and temperature. Eggs hatch in about 10 days.
* Bedbugs prefer to feed on human blood. They'll bite different areas of the body, especially around the face, neck, upper torso, arms and hands. Bedbugs can survive up to six months without feeding. Both male and female bedbugs bite.
If you think you may have a bedbug problem, check the following areas for signs of the insects or eggs:
* Seams, creases, tufts and folds of mattresses and box springs
* Cracks in the bed frame and head board
* Under chairs, couches, beds, dust covers
* Between the cushions of couches and chairs
* Under area rugs and the edges of carpets
* Between the folds of curtains or in cracks in the walls
* In drawers, behind baseboards, and around window and door casings
* Behind electrical plates and under loose wallpaper, paintings and posters
* In telephones, radios and clocks
How do you treat a bedbug infestation?
* You can call a professional pest control company and assist them with their efforts.
* You can remove clutter from near your bed, strip the bedding, wash all bedding in scalding hot water, vacuum the creases, headboard, corners and general area of your bed repeatedly for several consecutive days, seal cracks and crevices on bed frames, walls and panels near the bed, and monitor items you bring in and out of your home.
Source: Toronto Public Health