Windsor, Ontario
Bed bug control
Bites you can't explain, or dark spots on the sheets? Tell us what you've found and we'll help you work out whether it's bed bugs, and what to do next.
Estimates are free.
Signs worth checking
Bed bugs hide by day and feed at night, so the first signs are usually what they leave behind. Check the sheets, mattress seams and bed frame for dark spots, rust-coloured stains, shed skins, eggs and live bed bugs.
Dark spots
Black or brown spots of dried blood or droppings. If they smear reddish-brown when rubbed, they could be droppings.
Rust-coloured stains
Reddish or rusty marks on sheets, pillowcases, sleepwear or nearby furniture.
Shed skins
Empty skins left behind as young bed bugs grow.
Eggs
White and about 1 mm long, tucked into seams and cracks. They're very hard to see.
Live bed bugs
Flat, oval, wingless and brown, up to about 10 mm long and redder after feeding. Young ones are smaller and paler.
A sweet, musty odour
Some homes with bed bugs have a sweet, musty smell.
Where bed bugs may hide
On and around the bed
- Mattress seams, tufts and piping
- Inside the box spring
- Bed frames, legs and headboards
- Night tables
Nearby furniture and walls
- Couches and upholstered chairs
- Baseboards, window and door frames
- Behind outlet covers and picture frames
- Under loose wallpaper
Why bites alone don't confirm bed bugs
Bites are often what people notice first, but on their own they can't tell you whether you have bed bugs. Health Canada notes that some people don't react to bed bug bites at all, others get small skin reactions, and a bite can take as long as 14 days to appear. Bites from other insects, such as mosquitoes and fleas, can look much the same.
What confirms bed bugs is finding the bugs or the signs they leave: stains, shed skins, eggs or live bed bugs. If you have bites but haven't found anything else, tell us what you're seeing and send photos if you can. We don't diagnose bites, but we can help you work out what to check next.
Bed bugs aren't known to spread disease. For a skin reaction, or if the worry is costing you sleep, talk to a health care professional.
Inspection first, then treatment
We use an Integrated Pest Management approach. What a bed bug treatment involves depends on what the inspection finds, so we confirm what's there before deciding what to do.
Inspection
Our licensed, certified exterminators check the bed, the furniture near it and the room for the signs above, and widen the search where they find them.
Confirming the extent
We note which rooms and furniture are affected, and, in a building with shared walls, whether neighbouring units should be checked too.
Treatment based on findings
We choose the treatment for what we find, with people, pets and property in mind. It works alongside the preparation and cleaning steps we'll give you.
Follow-up visits
Follow-up visits are included as part of the service.
What happens next
Tell us what you're seeing
Call, use the estimate form or message us on WhatsApp. Say what you've found and where: spots, skins, eggs or the bugs themselves. A close-up photo helps.
We look at what you've shared
A description, photos or a short video can be enough for us to quote from.
An on-site inspection, if needed
If your details or photos aren't enough, we'll tell you whether an on-site inspection is needed.
Your quote
Estimates are free. We aim to send yours within 60 minutes, by email or WhatsApp.
While you wait for treatment
- Some of the preparation, and any time you need to stay out of treated rooms or the home, depends on the treatment. We'll give you the steps and precautions that apply.
- If you suspect bed bugs where you sleep, don't start sleeping in another room or on the couch: bed bugs can follow you there.
- Don't throw out a mattress or furniture until you've talked to us. Getting rid of things early can spread bed bugs.
- If you find a bug, keep it in a small sealed container so it can be identified. A clear close-up photo helps too.
- Don't use ozone generators or homemade pesticides.
Homes and businesses
At home
Anyone can get bed bugs, in a house, an apartment or a condo. In a building with shared walls, tell us if neighbours have mentioned them too.
For businesses
Bed bugs in a residential building you manage, a restaurant or another public place? We work there too, and offer ongoing commercial accounts.
Ask about an ongoing accountWhere we work
We're based in Windsor and work across these communities. Outside them, contact us and we'll confirm availability.
Bed bugs: common questions
Should I sleep in another room?
It's better not to, even though it's tempting. If you suspect bed bugs where you sleep, moving to another room or the couch can spread them there. Moving furniture or belongings to other rooms can spread bed bugs too, so ask us how to handle anything that needs to leave the room.
Do I need to throw out my mattress?
Not necessarily. Health Canada's advice is to replace a bed if bed bugs are inside the box spring, or in holes or worn spots in the mattress fabric. Ask us before you throw anything out. If something does go, wrap it in plastic, tape the edges and label it as having bed bugs, so no one else takes it home.
I rent. What should I do?
Tell your landlord right away. Health Canada advises tenants to do so, and the Landlord and Tenant Board's general advice for maintenance problems is to ask the landlord in writing. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit doesn't investigate bed bug complaints, but it does provide information. If you manage a building, we work in residential buildings too. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's bed bug page (opens in a new tab).
How many treatments will it take?
That depends on what the inspection finds and how the preparation goes, so we can't give a number before we've seen it. Bed bugs can take more than one treatment. Follow-up visits are part of the service, and we'll explain what to expect for yours.
How much does bed bug treatment cost?
We quote each job individually, and estimates are free. Photos can be enough to start, though an inspection may be needed for an accurate quote.
Not bed bugs?
Dark specks in a kitchen cupboard are more likely to be cockroach droppings, and spiders rarely bite people. If what you've found doesn't fit, start here.