In recent years, several North American cities have seen a major spike in the number of
bed bug reports. From increased travel and stricter laws surrounding the use of pesticides, bed bug infestations have become a common occurrence.
Bed bugs are oval-shaped insects and are visible in all stages of life. Adult bugs are around the size and shape of an apple seed, flattened and brown. Although these bugs are not known to transmit infectious diseases to humans, some people may have allergic reactions to their bite.
The insects typically attach themselves to surfaces including clothing, furniture and luggage and can affect anyone, anywhere and at any time. Bed bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide that we exhale and our blood as a food source. They are not necessarily related to a lack of proper hygiene in those affected.
In 2014, Hamilton’s bed bug problem was nearing an epidemic after seeing a 600 per
cent increase in the issue since 2006. In 2015, city councillors approved a $1 million, three-year strategy to eradicate the problem.
Entering its second year, Hamilton’s Community Bed Bug Strategy sees six points of action in the elimination of bed bugs. Of the six points, which include public education, workplaces, assistance and advocacy, the focus on the Integrated Pest Management protocol ensures prevention and to treat the affected space with heat, vacuuming and pesticides.
Hamilton's bed bug strategy hopes to break the stigma associated with the issue through public education in the form of advertisements.
To ensure its effectiveness, the integrated approach depends on the cooperation of building residents, the building owner and the pest control company. If followed correctly, this approach is said to minimize disturbance to residents and business operations, in addition to lowering long term pest control costs.
The assistance aspect of the strategy provides help to some residents of Hamilton who are of low income or on disability who are unable to do their part in pest control treatment. It typically takes a landlord, a pest control company and a tenant to eliminate bed bugs, and the tenant is typically responsible for preparing their unit. If they are unable to, however, the city is able to provide them with some assistance.
Within the strategy’s first year, the city assisted 48 people to eliminate bed bugs from their home, provided consultation to 66 residents and trained approximately 300 property staff representing around 12,000 apartment units.
A key element in the fight against bed bugs surrounds education and ending the stigma
attached to the issue. The stigma is attached to the notion that these pests are due to a lack of proper hygiene and is typically associated with those who live in low-income neighbourhoods.
Terry Quinn, the manager of Hamilton’s bed bug strategy, notes that breaking the stigma
surrounding bed bugs is challenging. Hamilton’s bed bug strategy hopes to break the stigma associated with the issue through public education in the form of advertisements.
“You may have seen some bus shelter ads that talk about a ‘no shame, no blame policy,” said Quinn. “We’ve been working with a number of landlords on that and landlords have been on board in recognizing that they can’t be blaming people for pests; [tenants] are allowed to report it. Bed bugs can find anyone anywhere any time, so there is really no reason to be ashamed for having bed bugs.”
The stigma is often a reason as to why more people are reluctant to talk about the issue, or to reach out for assistance in eliminating the insects from their home. Quinn notes that the city often hears from landlords when tenants are afraid to report the issue.
A major player of the prevention of bed bugs is the understanding that anyone can be affected by the issue, and the issue is not exclusively subject to poor hygiene.
Bed bugs are not a threat to one’s physical health, but have been known to take a psychological toll on those who are affected. Margaret Howard*, who asked for her name to be changed due to the stigma associated with the issue, is a student at McMaster who experienced bed bugs in her student house and the psychological trauma that came with it.
“I was extremely anxious about the issue, and had trouble sleeping at night because I imagined them crawling all over me,” said Howard. “Multiple coworkers noticed that I was sleep deprived, looked terrible and that my performance at work was deteriorating. I reacted very badly to their bites, and they swelled up to the size of a nickel to a quarter and did not disappear completely until two months after the initial bite.”
Matt Thomson hosts community events in the downtown core. Within the past year, Thomson has hosted community socials surrounding the issue of bed bugs and has created a network of peer support for individuals who are affected by the problem.
These events are typically casual, consisting of outdoor campfires or craft beer nights
and serve as a way for those affected to discuss the issue freely and without fear of stigma.
“One way to blow apart awkwardnesses is to just name it and the social awkwardness
around bed bugs is a big concern,” said Thomson. “Unless you have a personal connection [to bed bugs], the stigma it doesn’t really go away. While the city’s messaging is important, it’s that face-to- face connection that that’s super important.”
As the issue of bed bugs continues to grow, it is important to be able to recognize the insects and to act quickly. A major player of the prevention of bed bugs is the understanding that anyone can be affected by the issue, and the issue is not exclusively subject to poor hygiene.
“I think one of the main barriers to the public educating themselves on this topic is that
they believe if they are clean, hygienic and earning a sufficient income, they will not have to deal with the issue of bed bugs,” said Howard. “They think they are protected, when in reality, they are not.”
Hamilton’s Community Bed Bug Strategy will be focusing on the elimination of stigma through ad campaigns and public education while equipping landlords with the tools that are necessary to eradicate the problem. The city is also distributing posters and videos regarding how to do laundry if you are affected, or why you should not pick up discarded
furniture.
There is no real way of knowing if the strategy is working until resident reports of bed bugs have diminished, but taking necessary precautions to preventing an infestation and educating oneself on the severity of the issue is the first step.
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When he was in his third year at McMaster, Brad Tyler was living in the basement of a house in the McMaster community. In 2016, cockroaches began to infest the place.
“The landlord was told several times that the bug problem was escalating and he didn’t consider the severity of the situation nor seem to act urgently,” said Tyler.
It was not until the spring of 2017 when Tyler decided to cancel on his rent cheque until the landlord addressed the cockroach problem.
“I brought to his attention that the raid was a huge health hazard to the home and tenants and the landlord was still reluctant to properly resolve the issue,” said Tyler, who ended up moving out early.
In 2015, fourth-year McMaster student Mara* rented a place from a landlord who, unbeknownst to her and her roommates, was being chased by the fire department and the city for failing to bring his building up to code since October 2014.
“The landlord has been keeping secret all sorts of information pertaining to our living in the house,” said Mara*. “He has been showing up at the house without any notice as well as allowing his hired contractors and electricians come into our home with no notice,” she said.
On Feb. 7, the Ontario government introduced a new standard lease, which uses simple language to help tenants understand their rights. The update will be implemented for private residential leases signed on or after April 30.
In spite of these issues, Mara* will live in this place until the end of April.
In recent years, more and more stories have popped up of landlords taking advantage of McMaster students. However, this may change with the Ontario government’s new standard lease and other efforts being made to increase landlord accountability.
On Feb. 7, the Ontario government introduced a new standard lease, which uses simple language to help tenants understand their rights. The update will be implemented for private residential leases signed on or after April 30.
At McMaster, steps are also being taken to make students like Tyler and Mara* less vulnerable to being taken advantage of by landlords in the community.
In their year-plans, Chukky Ibe, president of the McMaster Students Union, and Ryan Deshpande, vice president (Education), sought to build a landlord wiki aimed at increasing transparency about landlords in Hamilton.
The project will provide students with an online platform to evaluate their landlord and living situation.
Although the details are still in the works, according to Stephanie Bertolo, MSU associate vice president (Municipal Affairs), the landlord wiki system will likely allow students to post reviews anonymously.
“There is a possibility that students may not want to publish a review since the landlord could figure out it was them,” said Bertolo. “However, since the reviews are anonymous, this should prevent this issue.”
“We will likely build a low-cost, temporary version of the system to get [landlord wiki] running and gain traction around it, and then have it fully launched for next year.”
Ryan Deshpande
MSU vice president (Education)
The landlord wiki was originally slated to become available in February, but has since been pushed back.
“We are currently sitting with the questions and want to run them by a lawyer because there are legal implications to starting a program like this,” said Deshpande. “We will likely build a low-cost, temporary version of the system to get it running and gain traction around it, and then have it fully launched for next year,” he said.
Nevertheless, other groups on campus have been working to help students like Tyler and Mara*.
On Feb. 28, the Pro Bono Law Ontario McMaster team will be holding a “Stop, Drop and Law” speaker series event in room 108 of Burke Science Building.
“We have a couple of local lawyers coming in, and they’ll talk about student’s right as tenants and other in’s and out’s of property law regarding student housing,” said Janna Getty, a PBLO McMaster executive.
With these efforts, students should be able to advocate for their tenant rights.
*named changed to protect identity
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As temperatures drop and students brace for the return of triple-layered sweaters and snow boots, one aspect of summer lingers on campus. Despite the change in season, ladybird beetles are still abundant at McMaster. A quick Twitter search of “ladybug” reveals the annoyance and frustration of many as the beetles have suddenly reappeared in windowsills and corners across southern Ontario.
Marvin Gunderman is annoyed for another reason. McMaster’s in-house entomologist has been captivated by beetles, bugs and other invertebrates since he was a child and corrects the layman’s name “ladybug,” preferring the more correct “ladybird beetle.” “They are true beetles. They have wing-covers that meet in a straight line down the back,” he explained.
Ladybirds are summer insects, seeing out their entire lives from nymph to adult. “They're a bit unusual, because in the insect world, the nymphs and the larvae are the eating stage. The adults basically just mate and disperse,” Gunderman said. Ladybirds rely on their fat stores to help them survive the cold Canadian winter, and to ensure those fat stores are full, both the larvae and adult ladybirds are powerful hunters, an oddity in the insect world. They both feed on aphids and soft-bodied insects.
Interestingly, the species of ladybird invading lecture halls right now is not domestic. The Asian ladybird beetle has been established in Canada for around 20 years according to Gunderman. The species was originally brought to the western hemisphere to protect tobacco and soybean plants from aphids that feed on crops. However their population grew too difficult to control. “They're prolific breeders. They're very aggressive and they've pushed our native species to the sidelines. They're still around, but in lower numbers,” Gunderman said. Asian ladybirds are typically bigger, with larger mandibles that can actually bite a person, unlike their more local relatives.
Gunderman also had an explanation for their appearance. “The swarms that you're seeing late right now is just a pre-hibernation thing,” he said. That said, due to the cooler temperatures prior to last week, the ladybirds were likely already in hibernation. Gunderman explained that when conditions are favourable, the beetles will come out of hibernation to enjoy the warm weather.
However, this premature revival is detrimental to the ladybirds. Gunderman said, “They need to stay chilled over winter because they only have so many fat reserves. If they're active too often, that means they use the body fat and they have less to ride out the winter. If they don't have it, they'll just die.” This explains the inevitable doom of ladybirds who manage to stay inside a house in the winter. Unless the house's plants have aphids, the ladybird will use its fat stores and die of starvation. Gunderman advised the kindest way to treat ladybirds found in the house is to bring them outside.
While it is unusual for ladybirds to be so prevalent so late in the year, their presence is not a sign of the apocalypse. “It's a very common occurrence, this swarming behaviour. Even prior to the Asian ladybird, we'd still have our native species do the same thing. But with more of the Asian ladybirds, we're just seeing it in more noticeable numbers.”
Gunderman predicts that if Ontario experiences a warmer winter, fewer ladybirds will hibernate properly, leading to a reduction in next year's numbers. “Right now we just have a beautiful warm spell in the weather, so insects are going to be active.”
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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