Pandemic stops bed bugs
Rob Gibson – – January 26, 2021 / 4:41 p.m. | History: 323083
Photo: Flickr: David James
Good news for the Thompson Okanagan.
Orkin Canada has published its list of the Most Bed Bug Sightings in Canada and the Thompson Okanagan is not in the top 25.
In addition, the number of bed bug sightings across the country has dropped by a large number.
An Orkin Canada press release said: “Some hitchhikers just couldn’t ride in 2020.” The latest figures from the pest control company show that sightings, which typically trended upwards, declined 20 percent nationwide in 2020.
It turns out that reducing bed bug sightings is one of the benefits of a global pandemic. Travel bans, home ordering, and moving from home mean fewer opportunities for these unwanted passengers to get around. This is the first time in five years that these numbers have fallen.
Orkin Canada began its annual survey five years ago. Since bed bugs can easily attach themselves to people, clothing, and furniture, it’s a small miracle that the numbers have dropped so dramatically.
Bed bugs survive by feeding on blood. The only function of a bed bug is to find people to eat. Most of the time, this task is performed between midnight and 5 a.m. Bed bugs can travel up to 100 feet in search of a meal.
Orkin Canada also believes that bed bugs will make a comeback when the economy opens up again. “Because of their ability to double the population roughly every 16 days, bedbugs shouldn’t have a hard time getting a grip on the Canadian market again.”
Orkin Canada’s study results are based on the number of commercial and residential bed bug treatments the company performed from January 1 to December 31, 2020 in the year.
This year’s top 10 bed bug towns are:
- Toronto
- Sudbury
- Oshawa
- Vancouver
- Winnipeg
- Saint John
- Scarborough
- Whitby
- Edmonton
- Ottawa
Toronto and Vancouver stayed at one and four, respectively, compared to 2019, while Ottawa fell from five to ten, while Whitby Ontario jumped from 20 to eight.
Photo: Contributed
