BED BUG FACT SHEET

If you suspect you have bed bugs notify the MJHA office at 306-694-4055.

What are bed bugs?

Adult bed bugs are brown, wingless and are about the same size and shape as an apple seed; about 6 to 10 mm (1/4 inch) long.   After feeding, they swell slightly in size and darken to a blood-red colour. Bed bugs are visible to the naked eye and are quite fast moving.

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What do bed bugs feed on?

  • Bed bugs prefer to feed on human blood, but will also bite mammals and birds.
  • Bed bugs can survive many months without feeding.
  • Both male and female bed bugs bite.

How do I know if I’ve been bitten?

  • You may notice small blood spots on your bedding.
  • Reactions to bites vary between people. Some people don’t react to bedbug bites at all while others can have allergic reactions like itchy welts.
  • People with sensitivities may develop reddish, itchy bites.
  • Both male and female bed bugs bite.
  • Bedbug bites may go unnoticed, or be mistaken for flea or mosquito bites or other skin conditions.

Can I get sick from a bed bug bite?

  • Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease from one person to another person.
  • There are no known cases of infectious disease transmitted by bed bug bites.

What can I do if I have or if I think I have bed bugs in my home?

  • There is only one course of action to take: Contact the Moose Jaw Housing Authority at 306-694-4055

 How do bedbugs get into my home?

  • Bedbugs can be carried into a home on clothing, suit cases, bedding, mattresses and furniture.
  • They can travel between rooms.

What precautions can I take to ensure there are no bedbugs in my home?

  • Clean your house regularly, reducing clutter even vacuuming the mattresses. This may not completely prevent bedbugs, but it will reduce their hiding places.
  • Check any furniture or clothing you buy secondhand, INCLUDING also, inspect all luggage and clothing that comes into your home.
  • Inspect all places in your house that are warm, close to human contact and have plenty of hiding spaces. This includes mattresses, carpeting, pillows and sofa beds, as well as behind chairs and dressers.
  • Cover you mattress in plastic. This will prevent any bugs from getting in or out.
  • Consider getting rid of any old furniture, if you can. If there is the chances any bugs remain, this will help prevent them from multiplying in your home again.

How can I prevent bringing bedbugs home with me?

If you are visiting a house suspected of having bedbugs,

  • Take only what you need into the home. Leave unnecessary bags and articles of clothing (e.g. scarves, mitts, bags, etc.) behind.
  • Protect items from resting on the floor on upholstered furniture.
  • Keep personal and work items on tops of tables, your lap, or high upon the back of a non-upholstered chair (e.g. kitchen chair).
  • Inspect times that you brought into the home with you for insects before taking these items into your workspace or home.

If you are staying overnight in rented accommodations, such as a hotel or motel,

  • Inspect the room and furniture. If the situation allows, request a different room if you find evidence of bed bugs.
  • Protect your luggage. Keep luggage on a shelf and away from the floor.
  • Protect the bed. Move the bed away from the wall, tuck in all bed sheets and keep blankets from touching the floor.
  • Wash you clothes in the hot water cycle, and/or tumble them for at least 20 minutes on hot in the dryer.

Misconceptions about bedbugs

  • Bedbugs are not the result of poor hygiene or poor housekeeping – bedbugs can affect anyone, anywhere, anytime.
  • Bed bugs do not eat bait – bedbugs feed only on blood.
  • Bedbugs are not transferred by sexual contact and do not transfer AIS, herpes or scabies. Bedbugs have not been associated with any disease transmission.
  • Bed bugs do not live on their host. They feed on blood from their host, but do not live on the host.
  • Bedbugs do not live in human hair and are not similar to body and pubic lice. Bedbugs are not lice.

Control of Bedbugs

Bed bugs are very difficult to eliminate but with the combined efforts of the Moose Jaw Housing Authority and the tenant, as well as qualified pest control technicians, these pests can be successfully eradicated.  This is how it is done:  the tenant must report, the landlord must coordinate efforts and the pest control technicians must treat the problem.