Mississauga and Brampton make worst bed bug list in Canada

It’s not a list any city wants to make but Mississauga and Brampton are on the annual list of worst cities for bed bugs in Canada.

Orkin Canada, the country’s largest pest control provider, just released its annual list of the 25 “bed-buggiest” cities in Canada for 2022. Mississauga is regularly on the list — in 2020 Mississauga ranked 17 and was 15 in 2021.

Brampton has managed to avoid the list in recent years but didn’t escape this year.

Orkin bases the list on the number of commercial and residential bed bug treatments the company does across Canada.

Toronto, unsurprisingly, given its size and number of travellers, is once again on the top of the list.

Canada’s biggest city is followed by Vancouver (up from third in 2021), and Sudbury (down from second), rounding out the top three. One significant newcomer to the list was London, Ontario, which went unranked in 2021, and rose to eighth in 2022.

Thankfully, Mississauga, Canada’s seventh biggest city, doesn’t crack the top 10. Mississauga has placed 20 — down five spots from 2021. And Brampton comes in at 24, just above Halifax.

Bed bugs are extremely efficient hitch hikers so it’s not surprising they appear in big cities with plenty of travellers. They can move easily across a room and climb onto luggage or anything left on a bed in just one night, according to Orkin.

If you are unsure what a bed bug infestation looks like, Peel Public Health has more information here.

Here are some tips from Orkin to reduce the risk of picking up bed bugs as you travel include:

• Do not put your clothing or luggage directly on the bed. If bed bugs are present in the bed, they can climb into bags, suitcases or any laundry left on the bed.
• Use metal luggage racks at all times. Bed bugs cannot easily climb metal surfaces, so they make an ideal overnight spot for your suitcase. Keep the rack away from the walls and any wooden furniture.
• Use small plastic bags to pack clothing, shoes and other personal items. This will help prevent any bed bugs that climb into your suitcase from getting into your house with your clothing. Bed bugs can also hide in books, cloth toiletry kits and other non-metal personal items.
• Hotels aren’t the only bed bug travel threats. Bed bugs thrive in dark, cool places with long-term access to humans. They can also be found on airplane and train seats, buses or in rental cars. It’s rare but it is possible to pick up bed bugs in places like these.

For the complete list of top 25 bed bug cities, see the Orkin website here.