Bed bug dog Toronto - Bed bug dog inspection

Bed bug detection dog Toronto
Think you might have bed bugs? Waking up with unexplained bites? Have you looked around your bedroom and can't find anything?

You need a bed bug dog inspection!



Bed bugs can be hard to find! Especially when dealing with a new problem. The earlier stages of a bed bug's life present as very tiny bugs and they can be very difficult to see with the untrained eye.


Bed bug eggs are almost impossible to see, even if you know what to look for.


Enter the bed bug detection dog. These dogs are trained to sniff out even one bug or tiny little egg - and they can do it quickly!

The bed bug detection dog is relatively new to the inspection scene and have only been around for a few years. Their training is conducted much in the same way as bomb or drug detection dogs are trained.


The highest certification that a bed bug detection dog and handler can attain is that governed by NESDCA the National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association. The dogs and their handlers are certified as a bed bug detection team utilizing strict guidelines and stringent testing. At this time,  NESDCA certification can only be obtained in the United States at only a few select locations. Operators from other countries (like Canada) invest significant amounts of time and large sums money in their bed bug dog program. Bed bug sniffing dogs can achieve close to 100% accuracy in a very short period of time and can conduct inspections in large areas such as movie theaters and hospitals - quickly with great success.
The bed bug dog can be used to accomplish a number of things. By far, most are used to a great extent to confirm (or not) that a bed bug infestation has made its way into a home, apartment or other living area. But, bed bug detection is also extensively used in hotels and other public areas as an ongoing bed bug prevention plan. Regular visits are made to these facilities to detect a bed bug problem in the early stages - this makes it much easier to rectify should one be detected.



Of late, more people are considering using bed bug dog detection to inspect a new home, condominium or apartment before moving in. In Toronto, there is not yet any legislation that requires a seller to disclose that there are bed bugs affecting the property that is for sale and savvy home buyers are realizing the importance of having a bed bug dog inspection prior to closing the deal.

The fight against bed bugs Toronto continues. Using a specially trained bed bug inspection dog is a wonderful and powerful tool that is being used more and more assist in that fight.


More information can be found at the Toronto bed bug dogs blog 
http://bed-bug-dog-toronto.blogspot.com/

CONSUMER WARNING: Toronto Bed Bug Scam Alert!

                                   
 
CONSUMER WARNING: Toronto Bed Bug Scam Alert!

Are you considering hiring an 'exterminator' that says he'll get rid of your bed bugs using just a steamer? ...Don't waste your money!

There are a number of new 'companies' in Toronto that have popped up in the last month that are misleading Torontonians into thinking that their bed bug problem can be solved by 'steaming' a room or two. Be forewarned - you're probably wasting your money!

Here's why you SHOULD NOT hire someone like this:

1) These 'exterminators' are usually NOT licensed
For the most part, these are simply savvy individuals who went out and bought a steamer and started calling themselves an 'exterminator' to try and make a quick buck off of unsuspecting people who need real help. They are dupping people into thinking that they're getting a great deal and that it's "green" to boot. Problem is - it usually doesn't work!

2) They are simply not trained

Steaming, while an effective method of killing bed bugs is only so if the steam actually contacts the bugs and eggs - every bug and every egg - and for the required length of time to achieve the kill. There is almost no chance that (even a properly trained and skilled) person could achieve complete bed bug eradication in an entire house with a steamer alone. Bed bugs don't always limit themselves to bedrooms! Steaming, while a great tool in the fight is simply only one tool that should be used in conjunction with others (pesticides, dusts etc.)

3) The 'scam' is in the details

These unscrupulous individuals are claiming "100 Satisfaction" and only using a steamer (and sometimes dust) but only 'treating' one room or two. Every experienced, legitimate exterminator knows that the bugs and eggs are easily transported throughout a dwelling - and are found in areas, rooms and furniture that one would not normally think they would be. There are only two ways to properly treat for bed bugs; The traditional residual, steam, vacuum and dust or the full-dwelling heat treatment. Steaming is only one tool that is used in conjunction with other methods by legitimate companies.

4) They prey on those with lower income

Because these illegitimate 'exterminators' charge so little yet make such lofty, rediculous claims they often take advantage of those who simply cannot afford to be exploited.

Becoming a licensed exterminator in Ontario involves Ministry certification and oversight. The certification conducted with direction through the University of Guelph. A number of examinations must be passed with a minimum of 75% on both. These examinations ensure that your legitimate technician knows what he's doing and will do it safely.

Don't be scammed - Hire a professional!

Bed Bug Heat Treatment Toronto - Don't get burned, Do your homework!

Bed bug heat treatments in Toronto are not all equal

Toronto bed bug exterminators are using heat to kill bed bugs throughout the city more and more.

Using thermal treatments of an entire home can be effective in bed bug control but there are a few things that you should know before selection a heat treatment company. Educate yourself before selection a company.

Compare bed bug treatments carefully

To date there are three different ways to conduct a thermal bed bug treatm, each utilizing different equipment.

The three types of heat equipment are as follows:
  1. Propane
  2. Electric
  3. Heat Transfer Glycol or HTF
Let's take a look at all three.

Propane
The propane system was the first to be introduced into the market and showed promise. It was the 'trailblazer' so to speak and introduced the bed bug exterminator companies to the idea of using heat to kill bed bugs.

There are, however, some significant drawbacks to this type of system. Firstly, the system is essentially inefficient as it draws cold outside air to be heated and much of the heat is lost in transferring into the treatment space.

Secondly, there is an inherent danger in using propane in and around a home its contents.

Finally, the combustion gasses resulting from using propane heaters vents into the home.

The propane system gets high marks for being the first but there are much better alternatives that have come along since.

Electric
The second type of bed bug heat system to come along is powered by simple electric heaters. These heaters are physically brought into the home for treatment.

Some companies bring along their own high-powered generator that stays outside and powers the system whereas other companies elect to use the homeowners own household power to run the system.

Electric bed bug heat systems are the most inefficient on the market. They take a long time to heat the treatment space and must be left on for up to twice the time of other systems due to their relative low BTU output.

The primary benefit to an electric system is that it can be brought into very high-rise apartment units to treat the bed bug problem.

The significant negative safety aspects of the electric system outweigh the above mentioned benefit. Having high-voltage electric heater units inside a home poses an obvious fire hazard and risk of electrocution.

Glycol
The latest entry into the bed bug heat treatment market in Toronto is the HTF Glycol based system.

This system uses a closed-loop heat transfer fluid which is safely heated outside of the home and pumped through to a series of 'heat transfer units' that are strategically placed into the treatment area. This system operates much like a radiator system.

The glycol system heat the fluid quickly and to a much hotter temperature than any other system. The temperature is computer controlled from the heat unit located outside. The fact that the HTF can be precisely controlled means that the system can be easily suited to any condition.

In addition, this type of system poses absolutely NO safety risk to the home or homeowner. In fact, the HTF fluid is not harmful to the environment and the system burners can actually operate on B5 Biodiesel.

The Glycol HTF system is by far the best!

If you're facing a bed bug problem you should seriously consider heat as a treatment. When done correctly and with the right equipment it should easily be able to rectify your problem in only a few hours on that same day.

The fight against bed bug in Ontario and Toronto in particular continues. Now we have an even better alternative to pesticides... Heat!

One Toronto based company that utilizes that utilizes the HTF bed bug heat system is GreenTech. You can visit them here: www.greenbedbugheattreatment.ca

Psychological Effects of dealing with Bed Bugs - Get help sooner than later!

In addition to being physically stressfull, dealing with bed bugs can also take its toll on your psychological well being.

If you are dealing with a bed bug infestation you are all too aware that what you are going through is physically demanding (preparing your home for extermination, living out of bags etc.) but you should be aware that your ordeal may be effecting your mental state as well.

Are you getting up in the middle of the night, flashlight in hand, looking for the bugs? This is a common and normal thing that most people do. Just the thought that, at any moment, a bed bug may be making its way over to you to feed on you is enough to keep anyone up at night.

People who are suffering with bed bugs often go weeks without sleep. Breaking the normal sleep pattern one or two nights in a row is easily recoverable but going weeks without a proper rest can wreak havoc on even the most level-headed individual. Throw kids, work and daily stress into the mix and you have a recipe for potential disaster.
The social stigma associated with having bed bugs can also wreak havoc on one's social life.



If you are feeling stressed and anxious to the point where you think that you need help - get that help sooner than later - don't be ashamed - help is simply a phone call away!

Pest Control Toronto - How much does it cost to get rid of bed bugs?

How much to kill my bed bugs in Toronto? Who should I hire?
How much to kill my bed bugs?

Much like buying a car, the answer depends on what you get for your money. A recent survey suggests that if you are trying to hire a bed bug exterminator in Toronto you should do your homework. Bed bug extermination costs in Toronto vary according to a number of factors. If you are calling a large company that employs numerous people (secretaries, office staff etc.) you are undoubtedly paying a premium for the extra overhead that they in-turn pass along to you, the consumer.

A person dealing with bed bugs in Toronto should understand that the Federal Government of Canada has only approved a very limited number of pesticides that can be used by ANY company for bed bugs. It doesn't matter how  large or small the company is - they can only use those limited products!

So, with that in mind - it would makes sense to hire a smaller, less overhead-burdened company to handle your bed bug problem. But, that's not the whole story.

Procedure is everything!...Read on...


Larger companies, or companies that 'specialize' in bed bug removal in Toronto have certain protocols and procedures in place to ensure that a proper bed bug extermination is completed. In addition, these companies usually have 'policy and procedures' that also ensure your safety. In other words, what you can expect get with a larger company or one that specializes in bed bugs is an organized structure that internally governs how they do the job. In other words, they have checks and balances to ensure quality.

That's not to say that smaller companies don't get it right - simply that your chances of having a thorough job done by a larger or specialized company are better - Much better!


With the mass media coverage of the bed bug problem in Toronto hitting record levels in the past six months, there have been numerous companies - one man start ups - that have hit the market. Be careful not to jump at the lowest price.

Here are some tips to help you choose what type of company you should be looking for - Ask them about the following:

Credentials: Make sure that the company is licensed by the Ministry of the Environment of Ontario

Guarantee: Make sure that the company offers a service guarantee

Membership: Make sure that the company you hire is member of the applicable organizations that cover pest control. SPMAO, NPMA, CPMA etc.

Accredited: It is always best to deal with a company that is accredited by the Better Business Bureau

Specialization: Find a company that has a proven track record of exterminating bed bugs.

To get rid of bed bugs in Toronto, the pricing structure should be based around what type of home it is. For example, a 5 bedroom house will surely cost more than a bachelor apartment... but how much more?

Bed bug extermination pricing in Toronto, if graphed over the last year, would look like a roller coaster. One year ago the average price for a 4 bedroom home was almost $2000. Today, the average price should be somewhere around $800. Now, as we discussed, not all bed bug treatments are alike!

Your exterminator should include at least two treatments for whatever price they quote to you. This has to do with 'breaking the life-cycle' of the infestation. It is rare indeed for a bed bug problem to be adequately dealt with in only one service!

Make absolutely sure that the company you go with will never leave you hanging. Meaning, make sure they offer a written service guarantee - no company can guarantee that you're bed bugs will be gone in a certain length of time - no company can do that! Bed bugs are simply too unpredictable an insect for that to be genuine. What you should look for is a company that will guarantee that they will come back if you need them to and utilize different methods of extermination specific to your particular situation. This is referred to as IPM or Integrated Pest Management.

Beware of the guy that tells you that "one treatment should do it" or "...you don't need a written guarantee - I'll come back, trust me..."   If you hear comments similar to this - move on!

At the very least, make sure the company you hire is BBB accredited! The Better Business Bureau hold companies to the highest ethical and moral business practices standards. The vetting process is intense and regular checks are done by the BBB on their accredited companies to ensure that those standards are constantly being met. Any bed bug exterminator you hire should be accredited by the BBB!

Pricing: Our latest research shows a sampling as follows:

4 Bedroom house, full treatment including steam as necessary:

Orkin                                        $1,600  http://www.orkincanada.ca/
Toronto Exterminator.ca    $799 http://www.torontoexterminator.ca/

Bed bug detection dogs Toronto
In addition, often times it may be important to have a proper bed bug inspection performed in your home or business - hotel - apartment etc. There are a number of bed bug dog detection companies that offer bed bug detection / inspection services using specially trained bed bug dogs in Toronto. It's a great idea that is proving very effective in detecting bed bugs. A bed bug dog can find even one bed bug or egg in a room, quickly and effectively. If you're not sure that you have bed bugs, best to call in the dogs. The price should not cost more than around $400 for a multi-bedroom house, seems expensive but it's well worth it! In any event, if you are considering hiring a bed bug dog in Toronto make sure they are NESDCA certified - this is the highest certification that can be obtained by a bed bug dog detection team. 


To summarize, you should go with a company that specializes in bed bugs extermination. They should be willing to spend some time with you on the phone and in person discussing your bed bug problem when they arrive. They should utilize IPM or Integrated Pest Management (different methods) to solve your bed bug problem. Appropriate pesticide application, steaming, dusting and vacuuming should do the trick.

Toronto Bed Bugs in the news

Looks like things are heating up in the political Toronto Bed Bugs spectrum - Could be expensive for tenants in the end.


Bed Bugs Toronto Apartments

Bed bugs in Toronto have been making headlines lately with the latest coming from Cheri DiNovo (NDP Parkdale - High Park) who very recently proposed a Private Member's Bill calling for Toronto landlords to be 'licensed'.


DiNovo proposes that, among other things, landlords should have to qualify for and obtain a license to rent apartment units to their tenants.

One requirment for license renewal - according to DiNovo, should be that a unit be declared "Bed bug free".  A lofty and righteous goal. However, declaring any space 'bed bug free' is harder to do than one would initially think it to be.

There are a number of ways that one can go about bed bug detection. K-9 bed bug scent detection better known as bed bug detection dogs, high tech devices that mimic a sleeping human by emitting special CO2 and synthetic human pheramones along with heat such as can be found at http://www.bedbugstoronto.net/bedbugstoronto.html , to simply sending in a licensed and experienced technician to do a thorough visual inspection of the usual hiding places to look for evidence of activity.

Each method above can be very successful - or not, depending on how the method was used and by whom. Any true professional bed bug exterminator will tell you that no matter what method of bed bug detection is used, none of them are 100% accurate. Even if it could be certified 100% that there were no bed bugs in a particular unit prior to someone renting it, the new renter could bring the problem in the very next day - or, an existing problem in an adjacent unit could very easily spread to the 'new' one just as easily. There is simply no way (at this time) to 'declare' anything 100%.

This brings us to the next perplexing problem: 

Should Toronto bed bug legislation be passed that would require landlords to "Certify a unit bed bug free" - an almost impossible thing to do -  a litany of litigation is sure to follow. Tenants will sue landlords, landlords will sue pest control companies, insurance companies will charge more to insure pest control companies against the onslaught of law suits that are sure to follow and they in turn will rightfully pass along that extra cost to the landlords who will ultimately demand that their extra cost of running the building be built into the next rent increase. In the end, it is the tenant that may ultimately pay for this legislation unless the politicians recognize this potential and come up with a way that will thwart it before it manifests itself against the bottom line of every renter in the Toronto area.

Royal Forest Pest Control Reviews

Royal Forest Pest Control
Looking for a full service bed bug pest control in Toronto?

Royal Forest Pest Control is a reputable full service bed bug exterminator located in Toronto that has an 'A' Rating with the Better Business Bureau.

The integrated approach to get rid of bed bugs consists of an initial two treatments that comprise a full crack and crevice treatment in all rooms of the house and treatment of all furniture in those rooms (with the exception of the kitchen - a perimeter is done there) for each treatment when necessary. The two bed bug treatments are spaced 10 to 14 days apart and are designed to 'break the life cycle' of the bed bug infestation.

In certain circumstances a steam treatment of bedroom furniture may compliment the chemical bed bugs treatment. Steam can be a very effective method of killing bed bug eggs. Royal Forest will not apply pesticides to baby furniture, thence a thorough steaming of those articles is accomplished. Heat, when applied correctly, will kill bed bugs and their eggs and a professional bed bug specific steamer is utilized to do the job.


In addition to proper and professional bed bug extermination, it is very important to properly process bed bug infested laundry. Part of Royal Forest Pest Control is a laundry division.

The bed bug laundry is processed utilizing professional washers and computerized, high efficiency computerized gas dryers. Royal Forest dries the bed bug laundry at 180 degrees for one full hour - more than enough to do the trick.

Finally, a proper preparation of the bed bug infested home is an essential element of getting rid of bed bugs. Decluttering, moving of the furniture away from the walls by about a foot, emptying of dresser drawers and removal of light switch and electrical outlet cover plates and propping up of the mattresses and box springs are necessary to give the bed bug exterminator proper access to areas that must be treated.

Some people are unable to properly prepare their home for bed bug extermination or simply do not have the time to do so.

Royal Forest Pest Control has a 'Prep' division that will send out a team of two who are specifically trained to prepare a home for bed bug treatment.

If professional bed bug treatment / extermination in Toronto is what you're after, you can contact Royal Forest Pest Control at (647) 866-2253 or click on this link      http://www.royalpest.ca/




Don't despair... You're in good company!

Did you just find out you've got bed bugs in Toronto? Don't despair... You're in good company!

The bed bug problem in Toronto is growing at a furious pace. Not restricted to any one particular socio-economic group, bed bugs are affecting people from all walks now more than ever!

The typical route of a bed bug exterminator may see him in a boarding house one moment, a small two bedroom apartment in the downtown core the next and a multi-million dollar mansion after that - all in the same day!

Yes, it is true that there still remains a social stigma attached to having bed bugs, as the problem grows and is exposed to more media attention, more people will realize that there is simply nothing to be ashamed of. This can happen to anyone - and does, hundreds of times every single day of the week.

What to do?

Find a reputable, licensed bed bug exterminator (there is a good selection in Toronto) to do the job and follow their advice. Do what they recommend and it will greatly increase the likelyhood of a positive result.

Bed bugs are tough to get rid of! They are resilient and can live for unbelievable amounts of time between meals if they are forced to do so. They can become resistant to pesticides (even the 'good' ones) and are masters at evading them.

Even a reputable and licensed exterminator that truly has your best interests in mind may have to do a few treatments to solve the problem even if you've done everything that they've suggested to help (laundering, prep etc.).

Bed bugs can be beaten with the right knowledge, persistance and sometimes more than a bit of work.

http://www.pestcontroltoronto.co/