City officials are weighing in on the ongoing battle with bed bugs, especially since it’s already been considered an epidemic in Montreal by FRAPRU.
Russell Copeman, Côte-des-Neiges-NDG Mayor and Executive Committee member responsible for housing, told Global News the city has been working on the issue for quite some time, but primary responsibility for a bed bug issue ultimately lies with a tenant’s landlord.
READ MORE: Montreal family in limbo after fighting with city officials over bed bug infestation
He explained bed bugs are a problem that can affect anyone and the municipal housing office has been trying to address infestations in low-income homes.
According to Arnold Bennett, Director of the Housing Hotline, there are several steps that individuals in low-income housing units can take to deal with bed bugs:
- File a written complaint with the housing office.
- If that doesn’t work, contact the Régie du Logement provincial housing bureau. You can ask for a rent reduction or even a court order to require that the problem be fixed.
- In exceptional cases, the provincial housing bureau can cancel a lease.
- If you want to accelerate the process, have a city inspector visit your home. The province will look at your file faster.
Bennett told Global News the best way to make sure bed bugs go away is not only to spray – but also to pay, and it can be expensive.
READ MORE: Montreal family’s social housing apartment to be sprayed again for bed bugs
Oussama Lamairi, owner of SOS Extermination, says he’s seen every variety of bed bugs.
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He’s worked in the U.S., France, and Spain and insists Montreal’s bed bug problem is relatively minor compared to other cities.
READ MORE: Bed bugs an ‘epidemic’ in Montreal, says housing group
However, Lamairi said the bugs are getting tougher to deal with and are 264 times more resistant compared to last year.
One variety of the bug has a shell that makes it harder to kill.
There are primarily two ways to get rid of bed bugs:
The first method involves heating, where exterminators remove most furniture from the house and raise the room temperature to a level that kills the bugs.
This method is effective, but also quite expensive.
READ MORE: Finding bed bugs in Montreal has gone to the dogs
The other option is to use a chemical spray to kill the bugs, but it can be a risky option with hypersensitive tenants or families with young children.
Lamairi offered a third, preventative measure, which is a public awareness campaign to help people learn more about how to deal with and prevent bug infestations.
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