Toronto ranks as the worst city in Canada for bed bugs in 2020

For the third year in a row, despite a 20 per cent reduction in sightings since 2019 and lockdown orders put in place to keep people at home, Toronto has once again ranked as the worst city for bed bugs in the entire country.

According to a report from Orkin Canada, the nations' largest pest control company, Toronto took the top spot on the list, while other Ontario jurisdictions including Sudbury, Oshawa, Scarborough, Whitby, and Ottawa also made the top 10.

The ranking was compiled based on the number of bed bug treatments the company performed from Jan. 1, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2020, including both residential and commercial treatments.

Fortunately, despite Toronto taking the top spot once again, Orkin said in a news release that overall sightings are down across the country year-over-year thanks to pandemic-related restrictions.

"Travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and a general shift to working remotely have resulted in less opportunities for these hitchhikers to move around, for the first time since Orkin Canada released its annual survey five years ago," reads the news release.

But the company doesn't expect this trend to continue once orders are lifted. 

"Due to their ability to double in population about every 16 days," said Orkin, "it should not be difficult for bed bugs to regain their grip on the Canadian market."