{"id":899,"date":"2019-11-22T21:37:35","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T21:37:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/yow\/?p=899"},"modified":"2019-12-03T14:44:27","modified_gmt":"2019-12-03T14:44:27","slug":"ottawas-bed-bug-invasion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/yow\/2019\/11\/22\/ottawas-bed-bug-invasion\/","title":{"rendered":"Ottawa’s bed bug invasion"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.0.5″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” locked=”off”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.6″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.6″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/yow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/YOW-logo.png” url=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/yow\/” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ height=”270px” custom_padding=”||0px|||”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_social_media_follow use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”13px” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ text_orientation=”right” min_height=”18px” custom_margin=”-85px||-34px|||” custom_padding=”0px||1px|||”][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”instagram” url=”https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/yowpublication\/” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ background_color=”#e8377c” background_enable_color=”on” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]instagram[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”twitter” url=”https:\/\/twitter.com\/Yowpublication” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ background_color=”#5ce1e6″ background_enable_color=”on” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]twitter[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”youtube” url=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCj4rs1qjq7orfknOqBrnaKw” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ background_color=”#ffb859″ background_enable_color=”on” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]youtube[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.22″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ custom_padding=”||1px|||” locked=”off”][et_pb_fullwidth_menu fullwidth_menu=”off” dropdown_menu_bg_color=”#f2f2f2″ dropdown_menu_line_color=”#5ce1e6″ dropdown_menu_text_color=”#000000″ logo=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/yow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Copy-of-About-YOW-3.png” show_search_icon=”on” search_icon_color=”#5ce1e6″ cart_icon_font_size=”20px” search_icon_font_size=”20px” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ menu_font=”News Cycle|600|||||||” menu_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.81)” menu_font_size=”18px” menu_letter_spacing=”1px” background_color=”#f2f2f2″ min_height=”48px” custom_margin=”-1px|||||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” border_width_top=”1px” border_width_right=”0px” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_width_left=”0px” menu_line_height__hover_enabled=”off|desktop”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_menu][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ locked=”off”][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title categories=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.0.6″ title_font=”News Cycle|700|||||||” title_text_color=”#ffffff” title_font_size=”41px” meta_text_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/yow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Bed-bug-feature.jpg” height=”736px” custom_margin=”-1px||||false|false” custom_padding=”600px||||false|false”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_post_title][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ custom_padding=”4px||0px|||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”-6px|auto||auto||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.6″ min_height=”731px” custom_margin=”15px||-22px|||” custom_padding=”0px||1px|3px||”]<\/p>\n

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Residents struggle with an invasion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This year, one Ottawa exterminator says, his company has received as many as 12 bed bug calls every day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey like to live in mattresses, the frames of mattresses and the box springs, and the bed frames,\u201d said Raj Bhatia, manager of Essen Pest Control.<\/p>\n

Residential buildings in Ottawa are experiencing a high number of bed bug infestations, and many affected residents are struggling to cope.<\/p>\n

Bhatia says over recent years, the number of calls he gets has increased.<\/p>\n

For residents, dealing with bed bugs is a difficult, long and grueling battle that can cause both mental and physical hardships.<\/p>\n

Addressing the stigma with bed bugs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Contrary to the popular misconception that bed bugs are more likely to infest \u201cdirty\u201d spaces, bed bugs can just as easily inhabit environments that are widely considered clean.<\/p>\n

Bhatia said bugs are more likely to spread and infect buildings with many units, like apartment buildings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of negative stigma that goes along with people having bed bugs in their units or homes. The thing is, if you get bed bugs, it\u2019s just really bad luck,\u201d said Ann Stanton-Loucks of Ottawa Public Health.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter where you live or how clean your house is. It\u2019s not your fault. You can pick up bed bugs anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ottawa Public Health does not directly address or resolve bed bug infestations. Instead, Stanton-Loucks recommends that people contact property management when bed bugs are found.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe City of Ottawa bylaw requires that all landlords and property managers maintain units free from any infestation whether it be bed bugs, cockroaches, mice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Orkin is a national pest control company. In 2018 it ranked cities by the number of bed bug calls it had received. Ottawa came in sixth; Toronto was ranked No. 1 and Montreal ranked 18th.<\/p>\n

There have been reports<\/a> of bed bugs at at least seven federal government buildings in Ottawa.<\/p>\n

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The information in this infographic is sourced from the entomology department at the University of Kentucky as well as Canada\u2019s nationwide pest control service, Orkin. Infographic by Heewon Suh and Eden Suh.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Fighting bed bugs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Michelle Yoo, a full-time accountant in Ottawa, has first-hand experience with the frustrations of fighting bed bugs.<\/p>\n

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While a student at the University of Ottawa, she experienced two outbreaks in two seperate locations.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is so hard to get rid of bed bugs. Even though articles say you can get rid of them, wrap your belongings in a plastic bag for months and they will go away, in reality, it\u2019s impossible to get rid of them that way,\u201d said Yoo.<\/p>\n

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Her first bed bug outbreak was in her apartment near St. Laurent Shopping Centre in Ottawa\u2019s east end, where she experienced more than one outbreak in the same living space.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI really had a hard time, we had to throw out our mattresses and sofa,\u201d explained Yoo. \u201cI washed everything, dried everything, I even put my belongings in trash bags. It was really expensive, and they still came back.\u201d<\/p>\n

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When she initially went through the extermination process, she believed her bed bug problem would be solved after one treatment.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe first time I got my place sprayed [with exterminating chemicals] I had faith in them,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever, later we found bed bugs again. So that\u2019s why I broke the contract to move to another place.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Yoo later encountered bed bugs when she lived in Gatineau. Having already experienced a battle with bed bugs, she knew the wisest decision would be to throw away her mattress. Even though the mattress cost $800, she did not want to take any chances.<\/p>\n

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Michelle Yoo was a victim of bed bugs at two separate locations in Ottawa. On Nov. 19, she said the experience was \u201ca nightmare.\u201d Photo by Eden Suh.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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Methods of extermination<\/strong><\/o:p><\/h2>\n

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There are many options when it comes to bed bug extermination. Since bed bugs are temperature sensitive, either extreme heat or freezing treatments can be used to kill the insects.\u00a0<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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Chemical treatments often use chemicals like pyrethrins and pyrethroids, which demand tenants leave their unit for four to five hours due to high level of toxins.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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Despite the range of treatment options, Bhatia said bed bugs are very resilient and sometimes make another appearance even after the treatment.\u00a0<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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According to an insect study<\/a> by the University of Kentucky, \u201cbed bugs can live in almost any crevice or protected location. As infestations grow larger, the bugs tend to move beyond beds into other locations, making control more difficult.\u201d<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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Sleeping at night with creepy crawlers<\/strong><\/o:p><\/h2>\n

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Many people who have experienced bed bugs also experienced a sense of dread when it was time to go to bed.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt was a nightmare,\u201d Yoo said.\u00a0<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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She said she would lay awake most nights, restless with paranoia during her bed bug episode. The thought of being bitten by bed bugs in her sleep was disgusting.\u00a0<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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Anne Laurore, who has two children, lives in a community housing residence on Russell Road where bed bugs are a big issue. She said it\u2019s a continual struggle for her and her children, especially with her two-year-old son.\u00a0\u00a0<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s to the point where my child would scream throughout the whole night because they\u2019re biting him,\u201d Laurore said.\u00a0<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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