Oh no, you found bedbugs

It’s every renter’s worst nightmare — finding bedbugs. They are creepy little buggers and they latch on like nobody’s business. Don’t worry, they have nothing to do with your cleanliness and it’s really just an unfortunate situation to be in. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Call your landlord and work with local pest control

First things first — call your landlord. They will likely have a go-to company to call and an overall plan of action.

Generally speaking, you’ll find that most residential tenancies acts will establish that it’s the landlord’s responsibility to take care of a bedbug problem — for instance, it falls under emergency repairs in British Columbia and under the landlord’s need to comply with municipal healthy and safety standards in Alberta. Technically, landlords could file a dispute against you as the tenant if they felt you caused the problem (but they would need to prove the bedbugs were actually your fault).

The rates for bedbug removal services vary, but broadly, here’s what your landlord might expect.

British Columbia — Quote for a chemical treatment for a one-bed unit from OnSite Pest Control*: 366$

Alberta — Quote for a chemical treatment for a one-bed unit from Responders Pest Control*: $350-$450 (depending on the level of infestation)

Manitoba — Quote for a chemical treatment for one-bed unit from A1 Pest Solutions*: $375 (under 1,100 sq.ft.)

Ontario — Quote for a chemical treatment for a one-bed unit from Bed Bug Exterminator Pro*: 360$

*Quotes are general (quoted over the phone or online)

2. Assess the situation and act accordingly

How bad is the infestation? You don’t immediately need to throw everything out in your unit while you wait for the exterminator to arrive.

Sometimes putting infested items outside or in the freezer can kill the bedbugs, but it would need to be at least -19 degrees Celsius and you’d need to leave the items in the cold for at least four days. Even then, there is no guarantee the cold will kill them all.

Wash everything you can in hot water and dry it all on the hottest dryer setting — mattress pads, bedding, clothing and curtains — everything you can. Place your clean items somewhere safe and sealed (use sealed plastic bags or bins with lids).

Throw out anything you cannot wash. Steam clean your mattress if you think it’s salvageable. Otherwise, cut your losses and throw it out.

3. Vacuum everything and everywhere

Vacuum feverishly. Do not use a vacuum with a cloth bag because the bag can become infested. Bedbugs attach themselves to wood and fabric (and their eggs will stick to those surfaces too). Use a vacuum attachment to scrape all surfaces in your unit — including your bed if you’re keeping it. Vacuum any crack or crevice in your mattress, box spring, bed frame, furniture, in and around your baseboards, cushions, rugs, carpets, heating or air conditioning units, drawers — anything and everything must be vacuumed.

Wash all vacuum attachments in hot water and detergent and store your vacuum in a sealed plastic bag. If your vacuum has a bag, remove it and throw it out in a plastic bag, outside of your home. If your vacuum doesn’t have a bag, wash the dust container as well as the attachments.

All you have to do next is wait for pest control to arrive and officially rid you of the pesky little bloodsuckers!