A viral video online of alleged bed bugs on the TTC is actually not what it claims to be, according to an expert.
A video posted online recently shows multiple tiny insects sprawling across the seats on what appears to be a 501 streetcar. The video is titled, “PSA: Check your seats if you’re riding the TTC there were bed bugs on the 501 today.” Since then, it’s garnered nearly 14,000 likes and has been shared by other media publishers.
According to a TTC spokesperson and Douglas Currie, entomology curator at the Royal Ontario Museum and associate professor at the University of Toronto, what people are describing as a bed bug is actually a ladybird beetle.
“…It’s highly unlikely the critter in question is a bedbug. The fact that it was moving rapidly on elevated legs suggests that it’s a ladybird beetle, which is consistent with its overall body shape and colour. It’s not unusual for ladybirds to enter buildings etc. this time of year for shelter,” Currie said in a statement to Now Toronto on Tuesday.
Luckily, the expert says for those worried about possible bed bugs on the TTC, there is no cause for concern.
“I don’t think riders should expect to see bed bugs on the TTC as it’s (a) unlikely (though not impossible) for them to get into the trains in the first place and (b) it’s not a particularly hospitable environment for them,” he explained.
As a matter of fact, Currie also debunked the insect in the last viral video of a purported “bed bug” on a TTC subway seat, clarifying that the insect was more likely to be a head louse (lice), rather than a bed bug.
READ MORE: Video of possible bed bug on TTC subway has Torontonians calling for plastic seats
Currie emphasizes that lice transmission occurs typically through head-to-head contact, though it’s not uncommon for head lice to be spread by sharing clothing or belongings with an infected person.
“The upshot is that one is susceptible to getting lice whenever they come into contact with an infected person — whether on the TTC or any other place where people congregate,” he said.
IS THERE A BED BUG INFESTATION IN THE GTA?
Nevertheless, though the “is it a bed bug?” case has been resolved within the TTC, it remains an alarming matter within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Earlier in March, pest control company Orkin Canada even crowned Toronto as the “bed-buggiest” city in the country. As bed bugs continue to be a topic of discussion following the bed bug infestation in Paris last month and videos circulating of insects on the TTC, Now Toronto decided to reach out to Orkin Canada to delve deeper into the fear-mongering issue.
READ MORE: Toronto ranked the top bedbug basin in Canada
In a statement to Now Toronto, Orkin Canada says there is not necessarily a rise in bed bugs but more conversation about them.
“…This is not in relation to an increase in bed bug activity, but more related to an increase in public awareness and education. More people are noticing what an infestation looks like and are acting on it,” the company said.
In an effort to alleviate some concerns, the company has shared its advice when it comes to identifying and dealing with infestations.
- When people do identify infestations, always seek the assistance of a pest control professional to eradicate the issue.
- In public places, always be aware of where you are sitting and where you leave your personal belongings. Bed bugs are hitchhikers and will travel from person to person in these spaces.
- Inspect your clothing for live bed bugs, or eggs which look white and about ½ the size of a grain of rice. Additionally, high heat kills bed bugs. Place clothes in a dryer cycle to kill them.
For additional reference, Orkin Canada describes bed bugs as having small, flat, wingless oval-shaped bodies. Adult bed bugs are brown in colour and redden only after feeding.
Though many people believe bed bugs are too small to see with the naked eye, adult ones are actually detectable and identifiable. Full-grown bed bugs tend to move slowly, are between four to five mm and lastly, are found in cracks and crevices typically within a home.
