Frequently Asked Questions
Common Bed Bug Information Questions

Q: What Are Bedbugs?
A: Bed bugs are insects that feed on human blood. Bed bugs have a one-year life span during which time a female can lay 200-400 eggs depending on food supply and temperature. Eggs hatch in about 10 days.

Q: What Do Bedbug Feed On?
A: Bed bugs prefer to feed on human blood, but will also bite mammals and birds. Bed bugs bite at night, and will bite all over a human body, especially around the face, neck, upper torso, arms and hands. Bed bugs can survive up to one year without feeding. Both male and female bed bugs bite.

Q: Can I Get Sick From Bedbugs?
A: There are no known cases of infectious disease transmitted by bed bug bites. Most people are not aware that they have been bitten but some people are more sensitive to the bite and may have a localized reaction. Scratching the bitten areas can lead to infection.

Q: How Do I Know These Are Bedbug Bites?
A: When bed bugs bite people, they inject their saliva into the biting area, causing the skin to become irritated and inflamed. Individual responses to bed bug bites will vary. The skin lesion from bed bug bites may go unnoticed, or be mistaken for flea or mosquito bites or other skin conditions.

Q: What Do Bedbugs Look Like?
A: As adults, bedbugs have oval-shaped bodies with no wings. Prior to feeding, they are about 1/4 inch long and 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.

Q: How Did Bedbugs Get In My Home?
A: Bed bugs are often carried into a home on objects such as used furniture and clothing. Bedbugs can be brought in by an overnight guest or brought home from travelling abroad. Bed bugs can also travel from apartment to apartment along pipes, electrical wiring and other openings. If the infestation is heavy, a sweet smell may be noticed in the room.

Q: What Can I Do If I Have Bed bugs?
A: The best method to deal with bed bugs is Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which combines a variety of techniques and products that pose the least risk to human health and the environment.

Please see our Top 10 Things To Help Eliminate Bedbugs. These suggestions come directly from our seasoned and experienced technicians and the recommendations of Toronto Health.

If you choose to treat the infestation with an insecticide, call a Professional Pest Control Service for more information. Use the least toxic product available and follow all manufacturers’ instructions.

Whether you choose Integrated Pest Management or insecticides, you may continue to see some living bed bugs for up to ten days. This is normal. If you continue to see a large number of bed bugs after two weeks, contact a professional pest control service

Contact 416-840-4040 or email: info@torontobedbugs.ca

Do I Have To Throw The Bed

Eliminating bed bugs from beds can be challenging. If there are holes or tears in the fabric, the bugs and eggs may be inside, as well as outside. There also are restrictions on how beds can be treated with pesticides. For these reasons, companies sometimes recommend that beds be discarded, especially when heavily infested or in poor condition.

Another option is to encase both the mattress and box spring in a protective cover like those used for allergy relief. Encasements specifically designed to help protect against bed bugs are available through Mattress Covers Canada or Pest Services. Once the cover is installed and zipped shut, any bugs which happen to be inside are entombed and eventually will die. Encasements also help protect newly purchased beds, and make it easier to spot and destroy any bugs residing on the outer surface during subsequent examination. Keeping the cover on for more than 12 months will ensure that they do not survive and you can get a peaceful sleep Encasements will not, however, keep bed bugs from crawling onto a bed and biting a sleeping person. Remember to hire a trained professional to combat the problem and encase your mattress.