The problem of bedbugs in Windsor

 

Bedbugs are a growing concern for Windsorites, according to Orkin Canada.

 Orkin Canada’s annual list for bedbugs 2020 says Windsor is one of the “worst cities” for bed bugs in Canada. The pest professionals’ report found the top three places for bedbugs are single-family homes (91 per cent), apartments (89 per cent) and hotels (68 per cent). 

Chris Ortner, is the branch manager at Orkin Canada in Windsor. He said the life expectancy of a bedbug can range from one to two years. Most issues with bedbugs are harmless, people see them, and get bitten by them.

“One of the major issues is bedbugs not only in Windsor but also in other cities,” said Ortner. “People are moving around much more than what they used to. The bedbugs are hitchhikers and move from place to place with people or items that they bring from their homes, hotel rooms or friends’ places.” 

He said the number of bedbugs gradually started increasing from about five or seven years ago and is becoming more prevalent, making it prominent in the news nowadays. He also said bedbugs are about the size of an apple seed. Most people think they are microscopic and they cannot see them but they are very large. Bedbugs are very flat and can easily fit into small cracks and crevices. 

“The bedbug is not just a winter problem,” said Ortner. “It is a year-round problem because the temperatures in the homes are the same whether the winter or summer. They are present all year and bedbugs do not transmit diseases.”  

“Everybody is at risk for getting bedbugs,” said Ortner. “They do not care about the social status of skin color, gender and age. Bedbugs can move between different units in a building. The key thing with them is to constantly monitor the bed, especially if people are traveling to different places.” 

Saurav Kaundal is a student in the travel and tourism program at St. Clair College. He said he had a lot of problems after getting the bedbug’s bites. 

“When they sucked the blood from my body, I did not feel it but after some time, spots got red and itchy. These spots increased and gave me pain,” said Kaundal. Firstly, I did not care about it but when it went worse, I searched on the Internet about these spots and shared them with my friends. They indicated about bedbugs’ bite and suggested that I go to the pharmacy to cure it. It took two months to cure.” 

Kaundal said he called his landlord and told him about the problem because he was not alone. His friends had also been bitten. His landlord used a special spray and called the pest control team. He said bedbugs come from  mattresses. People should make sure you do not use a second-hand mattress and try to use a nylon sheet cover it to prevent this issue. He also said this is not only a problem in Ontario, it is a problem almost everywhere in Canada because of the weather.