Vancouver named among worst cities in Canada for bed bugs

A bed bug is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, Wednesday, March 30, 2011. (AP / Carolyn Kaster)

Waking up to itchy, red bites on your body is an experience many people are familiar with, but some cities are worse than others when it comes to the scourge of bed bugs.

Toronto tops the rest of the country when it comes to bed bug problems, according to a ranking released Tuesday by pest control company Orkin Canada, followed by Winnipeg and Vancouver.

The list was calculated based on commercial and residential bed bug treatments ordered between July 2016 and June 2017 at Orkin, which warns this could be a “bumper year” for the parasitic insects.

Surrey and Burnaby fared significantly better, coming in at the 20th and 21st spots on the list of the 25 worst bed bug cities.

Apart from being notoriously hard to kill, bed bugs can live for up to a year without food in the proper conditions. They are also capable of laying 10 eggs in a day.

The pests impact locals and tourists alike, and are known to hop into travellers' luggage and come home with them after a relaxing summer vacation. That's why experts recommend always performing a quick check of hotel rooms before settling in.

"Bed bugs are extremely efficient hitch hikers. They can move easily across a room and climb onto luggage or anything left on a bed in just one night," Orkin warned in a news release.

Hotel guests are advised to keep luggage elevated and check sheets for any sign of the creepy crawlies, including blood stains, dead bugs, eggs and bug exoskeletons.

After coming home, Orkin recommends putting luggage in the garage and throwing clothes in the dryer on high for 10 minutes.

The 10 worst cities in Canada for bed bugs, according to Orkin Canada, are: