By Erin Cardone - Saanich News
Published: November 09, 2010 10:00 AM Updated: November 09, 2010 10:34 AM
A bloodsucking critter is taking over Victoria homes and apartments.
While eastern Canada and much of the United States are fighting off bedbug infestations in hotels, motels and hostels, the insects are populating local living rooms and bedrooms.
“It’s already here,” said Victoria Pest Control manager Daniel Pratap of what has been called a bedbug “pandemic” by national media.
“People are moving and bringing (the bugs) with them. Bedbugs hit 90 per cent of rental apartments.”
Old Island Pest Control owner Blair Dooley said single-family homes, especially ones with rental suites, are big business for his company.
“I’d say when we first started (seeing bedbugs) they were in hotels, hostels, that type of thing,” he said.
“Now it’s definitely more in residential apartment units and the big difference this year is in residential homes. People trying to move away from bedbug problems in rental apartments are moving to rental homes.”
Different sources have pointed to various causes for an increase in bedbug infestations across North America – for example, DDT was banned from Canada in 1985 – but both Pratap and Dooley said clutter and used furniture are propagating their spread.
Victoria’s recycling practice of leaving free furniture for the taking on roadsides isn’t doing people any favours when it comes to keeping the bugs at bay, Dooley said.
“It doesn’t have to be a bed, either. Couches are super common for bedbugs. They’re probably (outside) for a reason.”
Some property managers have begun screening tenants. If a tenant comes from a suite known to have a history with bedbugs, the company could back away, said Rob Hunter, president of Devon Properties.
“We’re just looking to see if (they’ve come from) a building that has had bad bedbug outbreaks,” he said. And as for how those buildings are identified, “it’s a small town. You hear about it through the grapevine of professional property managers.”
Pratap said bedbug infestations have exacerbated over the past four years. He estimated that in 2006, bedbugs accounted for two per cent of his business. Now, that figure is 50 per cent.
Dooley said the problem has grown since 2001 and now accounts for about 15 per cent of his business.
“There’s been a big explosion in the last two months,” Dooley said. “My big belief is it’s the Olympics. It’s a bit of a delayed reaction – it takes a while for that population to build up.”
Though residences seem to be worst-hit in Victoria, Dooley said four- and five-star hotels have been bedbug clients for his business recently.
The University of Victoria’s latest infestation was in April, said communications officer Maria Lironi. Bedbugs were found in one dorm, which was treated.
There have been no bedbug reports at Victoria General or Royal Jubilee hospitals, said Vancouver Island Health Authority spokesperson Shannon Marshall. The only infestations at VIHA-run centres in Victoria were the Archie Courtnall Psychiatric Emergency Centre in May and at the Pembroke Street Detox Centre in January 2007.
The Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations is hosting a conference in Victoria on Thursday (Nov. 4) to discuss bedbugs.
A site called the Bedbug Registry logs unconfirmed reports of bedbugs in North America. Go to bedbugregistry.com and search for Victoria.
ecardone@vicnews.com
