Bedbugs a growing problem in Vancouver

Raechel Tupman couldn't believe she had bedbugs in her Vancouver home.

But six months ago, Tupman old found herself scratching after every night -- and she hasn't had anyone over since.

"It's not just a poor person's problem," said Tupman, who lives in Marpole. "I'm a middle-class working woman and it's really hit me hard."

Bedbugs are small, parasitic insects hide in crevices during the day, and then at night, feed on human blood.

Bedbugs are a growing problem in Vancouver -- The Bedbug Registry tracks bedbug reports with a red marker, and Vancouver is a sea of red.

Last year, an inspection of some 3,100 rooms in Vancouver flophouses and single-room occupancy hotels found 80 per cent of the buildings had bedbugs.

At the time, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users organized a campaign to show how some tenants could fight the infestation.

Some of the measures -- standing mattresses on end, emptying dresses and closets, washing all the clothing, removing electrical receptacle covers -- are beyond the ability of some tenants, many of whom suffer from drug addiction or mental illness, said the VANDU project co-ordinator at the time.

But on the Bedbug Registry, reports continue to stream in from Vancouver's West End. 950 Jervis came up four times each months.

A couple blocks away is Stanley Park Manor, whose building manager Lyn Guy knows all about managing bed bugs.

"A young student bought a futon, and boom -- she was riddled with the problem and we had to deal with it right away," said Guy.

Pest control agents used heat and steam to rid the rooms of bedbugs.

But they're good at hiding in seams and boxsprings. And they hitch rides on furniture, clothing and luggage.

"They just come out before dawn, drink your blood and go back out into the cracks," said Guy.

"Be wary of items placed on laneways, yard sales, and you don't know what you're bringing home," he said. "It can really upset your life."

Bedbugs don't transmit any infectious diseases, but their bite can inflict an emotional toll.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Carrie Stefanson