Viral TikTok of bedbug spooks Torontonians, experts don’t be paranoid

A recent viral TikTok that purported to show a bedbug on the TTC has been spooking Toronto residents more than usual, but experts say it’s not unusual for the critters to be spotted in a high-traffic area.

It could also include hotels, convention centres, restaurants, public transportation, movie theatres, doctors offices, you name it,” said Bernie Grafe of Orkin Canada, a pest control company.

Anxiety over bedbugs began to rise following Paris Fashion Week last month when viral videos of the bugs began popping up despite officials’ reassurance there was no resurgence of cases.

Many were worried that the bugs would hitch a ride on those travelling back home. But while Toronto did top the list of Orkin’s worst cities in Canada for bedbugs released last spring, Grafe said the odds of you taking one home are still small. 

“It’s certainly a risk but at the end of the day it’s not something that everyone should be extremely paranoid about,” explained Grafe. “It’s no surprise that Toronto has the biggest issue considering how much of an international hub it is.”

For its part, the TTC said its vehicles are cleaned every night and while not common, it does learn of bedbugs getting onto the transit system.

A spokesperson adds that the issue is something transit systems around the world have to deal with and if you spot one, you should report it so the vehicle can be disinfected.

As for the video that caused an online stir, an entomology technician with the Royal Ontario Museum, Antonia Guidotti, said she couldn’t be 100 per cent sure it was a bedbug.

“If you look at the video you’ll see that the insect is beige, light coloured and bedbugs are darker brown or reddish colour. They’re also more likely to be more oval and this insect was very narrow. It looks much more like a head louse than a bedbug,” she explained.

Guidotti adds that whether there’s a sudden increase in bedbugs, she can’t say, but “they’re a lot more common than they were 25 years ago and there are ways of controlling them as well.”

She said their behaviour also helps to identify them a little bit more. 

“I think most people will find them, you know, hiding under the bed or under the mattress or in places like that. On the TTC, you might find one or two, but it’s really unlikely that you would have an infestation of bedbugs.”

This is because of the cleaning routines on subway cars and streetcars. “Bedbugs prefer to feed at night. So, in the daytime, you’re not going to find big bunches of them here. You might find you know, one or two because it fell off of somebody or it was in their clothing or on their bag or something like that.”

“The ways you can prevent it are just really ensuring where you’re sitting, taking a look around, making sure that you’re not leaving bags on the floor,” said Grafe. “But just being diligent about where you leave your possessions is a key part of it.”