Holiday Travel Bed Bug Guide for Canadians: How to Inspect Airbnb & Rentals

Traveling during holidays is also a large perk of Canadian winters. Relatives are reconnected, children go back to school, and of course, people take vacations too. Renting out an Airbnb, a VRBO, or any other kind of short-term accommodation is, without a doubt, often the most convenient option, especially during the peak holiday months of December and January when hotels are packed and the costs are high.

Although, along with increased journeys, there is another thing. Bed bugs.

"Bed bugs are often associated with unclean spaces and questionable apartment rentals. This is not the case. Bed bugs are not indicators of poor hygiene. They are, actually, ‘hitchhikers’ who can show up anywhere, including high-rise condominiums in Toronto, basements in Mississauga, cramped cabin retreats on the outskirts of Scarborough, and tidy town homes near Brampton. All it takes is a ‘guest' who has picked up the unwanted bugs in a suitcase."

Which is why inspecting the Airbnb, or short-term rental, is not only intelligent, it is basic hygiene.

And it is knowing how to keep bed bugs away from your bags, your car, and most importantly, your home, which is the best and wisest thing you can do to protect your loved ones. In fact, it is very important information to have, especially when people are returning from holiday vacations.

Why Bed Bugs Are on the Rise During Holiday Travel

In and around Toronto, such as Brampton, Scarborough, Midtown Toronto, and Mississauga, the number of reported instances of bed bugs is significantly on the rise during winter. The reasons are twofold. Firstly, during winters, the number of people traveling during peak holidays increases, which means each piece of luggage has a high possibility of carrying such bugs.

Bed bugs are very resistant and can go without feeding for a long time. They hide in the corners of luggage, the folds of a jacket, along the edges of a mattress, and under a headboard. After finding a warm location, the bugs reproduce and colonize, often entering apartments found in condo towers.

This is why pest control professionals serving the GTA see a lot of phone inquiries during the month of January regarding keywords such as methods to eliminate bed bugs in Brampton, ways to remove bedbugs in Toronto, and cheap pest control services to eliminate bugs effectively from Scarborough.

All such situations are preventable if the travelers learn how to inspect the vehicle.

Why Airbnb and Short Term Rentals Are Higher Risk than Hotels

Hotels are often equipped with personnel knowledgeable enough to identify any pests and inspect thoroughly. Short-term booking ranges greatly regarding cleanliness, upkeep, and experience of the person hosting. Others may not identify earlier signs, while others only cleanse between bookings.

Turnover is another. December is a very busy time of the year for Airbnb. High turnover translates to:

• More suitcases
• More travelers from various locations
• Reduced time to completely clean
• Increased opportunities for the spread of bed bugs

While Airbnb is not unsafe, it is essential to look at the house by yourself before moving inside.

How to Check an Airbnb Rental or Apartment for Bed Bugs

A simple inspection of a bed bug takes less than five minutes and can save weeks of stress and hassle. The objective is not to clean the room but to identify any telltale signs before the bed bugs infest your stuff.

1. Keep Luggage Off the Floor Immediately

When you enter, please stow your suitcase in:

• A metal cargo rack
• The bathroom (tiles and tubs are less likely hiding spots)

This will prevent the bugs from crawling into your bags when you are inspecting.

2. Begin with the Bed—the #1 Hotspot

The most important thing to inspect is the mattress, which is where the bugs actually feed.
Look at,

• Mattress Seams
• Edges and Piping
• Under the fitted sheet
• Around the headboard (using phone light)

Appearance: Look for very small rust-colored spots, dark "pepper" droppings, and shed skins

If the headboard is secured to the wall (as it often is in condominiums and Airbnb apartments), it is important to check the areas along the edges where it is secured to the wall. These areas are most likely to contain hiding spots.

3. Check soft furniture and curtains

Couches, pull-out beds, recliners, and heavy curtains are also areas and objects where bugs can hide. Check along the seams, and look for the same things. Don't sit down until you are finished.

4. Check Nightstands, Dressers, and Electrical Outlets

Bed bugs are found hiding in dark, secure areas. Look inside opened drawers and corners for spots or shells of dark-colored bugs. Turn on the light along the edges of the wall and outlets.
5. Examine Baseboards and Wall Corners
"Even ‘clean’ buildings can have openings which enable bed bugs to migrate between neighboring units, and between buildings, notably high-rise condominiums,"

If You Notice:

• Cracks
• Gaps
• Loose baseboard
• Peeling wall joints

…. These could be migration routes between units.

If you discover live bugs, you should immediately leave without unloading any bags. Report to the owner and Airbnb. You should not stay overnight.

How to Prevent Bed Bugs From Coming Home With You

Although a clean stay is required, prevention is necessary because bed bugs are great hitchhikers. People often go to Toronto and return to their homes to discover bites and spots weeks after returning, after having settled into their new surroundings.

Here are tips to secure your house, vehicle, and possessions.

1. Use Protective Packaging Before You Leave Home

You should pack clothes into zipped pouches or bags inside your suitcase to prevent transfer.

2. Never Place Clothing Directly into Airbnb Drawer

If the rental itself appears to be pristine, it is impossible to spot micro-egg and larval creatures. Clothing should be stored inside bags.

3. Keep Dirty Laundry Sealed

They are attracted by the warmth and scent of used clothing. Keep soiled clothes packed away in bags when traveling.

4. When You Return Home—Don't Bring Luggage Inside Right Away

• Leave the suitcase in the garage, balcony, or bathroom
• All clothes should go into the washing machine
• Wash with hot water, and dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes
• Heat will kill bed bugs at all stages of life.

5. Vacuum Your Suitcase Thoroughly

Use a crevice tool on seams, mesh pockets, zippers, and wheels. Dispose of the vacuumed contents outdoors.

6. As Additional Safety Measures, Apply Heating

Position the empty suitcase inside a heated room or near a safe heat vent. While professionals utilize industrial machines, it is also helpful to have some mild heat.

What to Do if You Think You Brought Bed Bugs Home

Early detection saves time, money, and headaches. Bed bugs can multiply rapidly, and warm winter temperatures inside can hasten the process. The earlier you start, the easier and less expensive the solution.

Watch for:

• Small itchy bites, often grouped
• Dots on sheets, rust-colored
• Shed Skins near Mattress Seams
• Sweet and musty smell
• Insects crawling on the bed at night

If you spot any of the following, don’t ignore them. DIY treatments tend to force the bugs further into walls and furniture. They are immune to most over-the-counter sprays, and winter is when they go into hiding, clustering in warm areas such as the seam between a mattress and box spring, or near outlets.

Professional treatments such as Aprehend®, thermal heat, steam, and targeted bed bug control protocols are much more effective. Organizations such as ZeroBugZone also inspect every inch of your home, and the infestation is mapped and treated effectively at every stage, including eggs to adults.

Why Winter Bed Bug Cases Are Harder to Eradicate

Most homeowners think bed bugs are slow during winter. Nevertheless, with indoor heating, conditions are optimal for breeding. Although it may be cold outside, temperatures are 20-24°C inside, which is optimal for breeding.

This Means:

• Insect infestations proliferate
• Eggs hatch quickly
• Insects are hiding further behind appliances and furniture
• DIY treatments fail more often

Short-term vacations increase another layer of hazard. If you go to two to three separate locations within a month, which often happens during vacations, it expands the risks.
This is why so many Canadians look to professional inspection services each January, searching for cheap pest control to get rid of pests effectively and efficiently inside homes in Brampton, the best pest control within Toronto, and also information on getting rid of bed bugs in Midtown Toronto.
Reactive treatment is always more hazardous than proactive inspection.

Why Prevention During Holiday Travel is More Important than Ever

Airbnb has expanded significantly across Toronto and the GTA. High-rise condominiums in Midtown, older homes in Scarborough, Mississauga developments, and basements in Brampton have thousands of guests. With increased travel, gift-giving, and winter festivities, the risk of exposure to bed bugs also increases.

Bed bugs are not discriminative. They travel along with people, bags, and soft materials, not along with filth and uncleanliness. Nobody is immune to bugs.

A five-minute inspection can prevent:

• Bringing Bed Bugs Home
• Damaging furniture
• High-cost treatments
• No sleeps
• Family stress during holidays

When bed bugs establish themselves within a structure, it is unlikely that they will abandon the site, particularly during winter.

When to Hire a Professional Pest Control Service

If you:

• Lived in several rental properties
• Noticed bites after traveling
• Noticed suspicious bedding marks
• Brought home used goods
• Heard about bugs from a prior Airbnb renter
• Living in a Multi-Unit Building

Thus, if a person is planning to buy a used car, doing

At ZeroBugZone, we provide discreet, safe, and targeted treatments to homes within Toronto, Scarborough, Mississauga, Brampton, and Midtown Toronto. With treatments ranging from Aprehend biopesticide treatments to chemical treatments, to heat and steam treatments, we utilize advanced techniques to effectively eliminate the bugs before the infestation spreads. Yours sincerely,
Traveling during holidays should be enjoyable and not stressful. If residing in an Airbnb, visiting relatives, or returning home after winter vacations, inspecting the place can save it from unwelcome stowaways. If a concern arises, ZeroBugZone is prepared to provide safe and effective remedies.

📞 Call: +1 437-870-0091‍

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Toronto’s trusted experts in holiday-season pest protection.

Feel free to reach out anytime—your peace of mind is one inspection away.