Pests on a Road Trip to Canada via Bedbug-Infested Used Cars

Online, September 28, 2010 (Newswire.com) - James Toyota's President, James Bazuik, said, "Bedbugs have been in the news in Canada and the USA for the past few months. I wanted to address this area of concern with a timely article on how bedbugs have become a concern with used cars, and how do deal with them if your used cars have become infested. "

Automotive experts from James Toyota, leading Ontario car dealership, share their expertise in response to the looming Canadian bedbug problem. Previously, the United States reportedly suffered from an unprecedented number of infestations, and more recent news reports show that these bedbugs are going northward - via imported used cars.

Ironically, bedbugs are capable of infesting large areas with the help of human beings. The most common source is the continuous arrival of bedbug-infested used cars that travelled from the US. The bedbug problem is getting worse by the day - The Canadian Press reported that Ontario Legislator Michael Colle (MPP) organized a bedbug summit just this September.

What are bedbugs?
Bedbugs are insects that feed on human blood. They usually thrive in places where humans are nearby. However, this is an understatement. When we say nearby, we mean under the mattress, inside the pillows, or even in your favorite upholstered furniture in the living room.

These bugs strike when most humans are asleep and thus vulnerable, i.e. at night. They leave bites that usually come in three pairs that form a line, one each for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Moreover, blood or fecal stains are usually seen on beddings and other furniture.

How did they get here?
Bedbugs were virtually extinct for the past three decades because of the widespread use of the insecticide DDT, which was eventually banned in the 70's for its deleterious side effects on humans. DDT has a strong residual quality, which is why it took so long for the effects to wear off. However, as soon as it did, what was left of the bedbug population rapidly flourished to a point where national governments had to consider them in a more serious light.

Bedbugs are not very mobile so it is difficult for them to transfer from one place to another just by themselves. However, people love to travel - and this is what these bugs capitalize on. Bedbugs can travel long distances because they love to cling onto people's clothes and luggage - and many bedbugs will happily call home your car, burying themselves into the crooks and crevices of the upholstery.

Moreover, there have been reports that some used cars that were imported from the United States are actually infested with bedbugs. Bedbugs can proliferate even if the initial population is extremely small. These bugs take over an unsuspecting car owner's neighborhood as soon as the newly-bought second-hand car is parked in the garage.

How do we know if a car has bedbugs?
A lot of car owners and potential car buyers often mistake the tell-tale signs of bedbug infestations for something more commonplace. This leads them to inadvertently allow the introduction of these nasty pests to their homes - something that nobody wants.

Look at the seat covers and check for reddish-brown stains which look like dots or small streaks. These can easily be mistaken for chocolate stains, even if they're not. As soon as you see such signs, then it's time to proceed to the next step - a more thorough inspection.

Remove the seat covers and inspect seams close-up. Check the car's upholstery for more stains or bug carcasses. One of the best ways to go about this step is by using a vacuum cleaner - point the nozzle to nooks and crannies in the car for a few seconds, and then check the dust bag for unwelcome surprises.

Lastly, check the car's history so that you will know where it came from. With the worsening bedbug situation in the US, a used car that was imported may have a chance of having bedbugs in them.

How do we get rid of them?
The knee-jerk reaction of a lot of people with this problem is to run to the nearest store to purchase commercial synthetic pesticides and apply an overdose to the car. Bedbug or no bedbug, there are basically two types synthetic chemical insecticides - broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum. Narrow-spectrum kills a particular species while broad-spectrum kills a wide class of insects.

Unfortunately, the only available chemicals for bedbugs are of the broad-spectrum type (e.g. permethrin and cyfluthrin) which, if handled incorrectly, can also kill beneficial insects like the ladybugs that devour pests in the home garden. Thus, the use of such substance should be with the guidance of professional pest control technicians.

Diatomaceous Earth (commercially available) is also an option for bedbug control. It is a white powdery substance that resembles talc. Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized remains of small prehistoric creatures called diatoms, which showed great potential in the field of bedbug pest control.

Sprinkling it onto cracks and crevices inside a car will kill bedbugs because the substance dehydrates the insects via the scientific process called osmosis. However, it may take about a week before the bedbugs die, as this class of insects can be inconveniently resilient.