Vancouver’s Bed Bug Problem

Don’t let the bed bugs bite. NO - seriously, don’t.

Bed bugs are a real thing, not just some silly statement you say when going to bed.

I have known about this problem in Vancouver for many years when I had a bed bug scare in the building I lived in located at 955 Thurlow many years ago (2005). They blasted the apartment the bugs lived in with bug control (costly to the landlady) and several apartments next to it. Supposedly ridding the bugs. I never saw them or noticed a problem in my suite - thankfully!

Last night I saw that CTV was doing a news story on this and thought I’d note it down for you all here in blogland.

50+ years ago we used to kill them with DTT but since we now know how horrible DTT is the the life cycle of all living things, we don’t use such pesticides. Bed bugs are making a come back and how!

Several web sites have been monitoring the bed bug infestation of North America, with NY hit hardest it seems. Yet Vancouver, specifically downtown Vancouver, HAS bed bugs. A great site you should look at include: BedBugger. This site include links to resources and graphic photos, including a Flickr group set up for photos, and links to news stories that relate to the ongoing Bed Bug issue.

Number one place you should check to see what is happening in your city is the following web site called Bed Bug Registry which allows people to enter info on their buildings. If you live here in Vancouver, you might be a bit surprised to see the map of Bed Bugs in Vancouver on that site, which shows the spread of Bed Bugs here in the city.

From Wiki “Bedbugs are generally active only at dawn, with a peak attack period about an hour before dawn, though given the opportunity, they may attempt to feed at other times. Attracted by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide, the bug pierces the skin of its host with two hollow tubes. With one tube it injects its saliva, which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics, while with the other it withdraws the blood of its host. After feeding for about five minutes, the bug returns to its hiding place. The bites cannot usually be felt until some minutes or hours later, as a dermatological reaction to the injected agents.Although bedbugs can live for a year or as much as 18 months without feeding, they typically seek blood every five to ten days. While bedbugs that go dormant for lack of food often live longer than a year, well-fed specimens typically live four to six months. Low infestations may be difficult to detect, and it is not unusual for the victim not to even realize they have bedbugs early on. Patterns of bites in a row or a cluster are typical as they may be disturbed while feeding. Bites may be found in a variety of places on the body.Bedbugs may be erroneously associated with filth in the mistaken notion that this attracts them. However, severe infestations are often associated with poor housekeeping and clutter. Bedbugs are attracted by exhaled carbon dioxide and body heat, not by dirt, and they feed on blood, not waste. In short, the cleanliness of their environments has effect on the control of bedbugs but, unlike cockroaches, does not have a direct effect on bedbugs as they feed on their hosts and not on waste. Good housekeeping in association with proper preparation and mechanical removal by vacuuming will certainly assist in control.”

Vancouver’s Bed Bug Experts
Vancouver Coastal Health Pamphlet
BC Health Guide information

[This post was originally posted on The Love Blog by Vancouver Blogger Barbara Doduk.]