Prince George ranked near the bottom of the most bed bug ridden cities in Canada list.
According to Orkin, the northern capital placed 23rd out of 25. The only other BC city to be listed was Vancouver, which came in sixth.
The pest control company ranked cities by the number of bed bug treatments the company performed for both residential and commercial customers during 2023.
“Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, but are excellent at hiding. Involving a trained professional to identify bed bugs that have been introduced or are in the early stages of an infestation is recommended,” Dr. Alice Sinia, a Ph.D. Entomologist at Orkin Canada, explained.
“Bed bugs are extremely resilient, making them difficult to control. As people begin to ramp up their travel plans this year, it’s important they know how to protect themselves through pest identification and proper control.”
The top five Canadian cities with the worst bed bugs are all located in Ontario with Toronto ranking first for the seventh consecutive year.
Sudbury came in second, followed by Oshawa, Hamilton and Ottawa.
“While it’s important to be aware of bed bug infestations within hotels, practicing precautions in other aspects of travel are also important,” explained Sinia.
“Taxis, buses, trains, and airplanes are also common bed bug hiding places, allowing these pests an opportunity to hitch a ride with unsuspecting travelers. Examining clothing and luggage regularly while traveling can help prevent introducing bed bugs into your home or business, helping you stop a future infestation from occurring.”
Bed bugs are known for their rapid reproduction and long-term survival capabilities.
They can produce one to five eggs a day, females laying from 200-500 eggs throughout their life, which can be from 4 months to almost a year.
A link to the full report can be found here.
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