First off, DON'T PANIC!

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Bed bugs can be eradicated, but the sooner you act the better it is as females can lay between 200-500 eggs at a time and they hatch within two weeks.

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If you are a RENTER you must inform your landlord that you suspect you have bed bugs. In turn, they must cover the cost of an inspection and treatment. You are required to cooperate with your landlord and their exterminator by allowing access and preparing your suite.  

It may not seem like it, but you are doing your landlord a favour by informing them as soon as possible of an outbreak as it may require fewer treatments to eradicate them.

If there is inaction on the part of your landlord you can contact the province’s Bed Bug Hotline or the Tenant / Landlord Cooperation worker. Their contact information can be found in the Resources section. In the case of a severe infestation the city can send an inspector to inspect the premises if it is reported to 311.

If you are a PROPERTY OWNER you can self treat or contact an exterminator.

When hiring an exterminator don’t base your decision on cost alone. Be sure you are comparing “apples to apples” by finding out in detail what each company’s treatment entails.  What you need to ask:
 

• How many follow up visits does their price include? Most sources say a minimum of two full treatments scheduled days apart are needed.
   

• Do they offer a guarantee? What happens if a month later you find that you still have bed bugs?

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• Will they provide you with detailed advice about properly preparing your home in advance of their treatment? Treating a space without proper preparation makes the treatment much less effective. For tips on how to prepare your home for a treatment, see the Resources section.

• Did the exterminator ask you how many rooms and the square footage of the space they are expected to spray? Proper chemicals and labour are expensive, so it would be odd if they could provide you with a quote without knowing this key information.

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