Moving on July 1 without taking bed bugs with you

A bed bug does not cross the street on its own: it travels in a mattress, a box or a sofa. That is why the July 1 moving period, when thousands of Québec households change address on the same day, is when bed bugs move the most. Three moments matter: before you load, during the move, and the first weeks in the new place.

Before you load: inspect, do not hope

1. Check your own bedding. Mattress seams, box spring, headboard fixed to the wall, baseboards behind the bed. You are looking for live insects, shed skins and small black stains.
2. Treat before moving, never after. Moving an infested apartment carries the problem with you and makes you pay for two treatments.
3. Wash and dry on high heat whatever can take it, then store it in sealed bags that stay closed until you arrive.
4. Photograph the condition of both the old and the new unit. In a dispute, dated photos are worth a lot.

Second-hand furniture: the most common source

A sofa left on the curb on June 30 can get expensive. Upholstered furniture, box springs, a nightstand with cracks: those are the classic hiding places. If you pick up a piece of furniture:

• inspect it outside, in daylight, before carrying it in;
• vacuum the seams and cracks, then empty the vacuum outdoors;
• avoid mattresses and box springs of unknown origin entirely.

Moving day itself

• Do not set your bags and boxes on furniture or beds in a place you do not know.
• Keep bags sealed until you arrive.
• Unload into one room rather than spreading boxes everywhere: if a problem shows up, that is where the inspection starts.

The new place: the first two weeks

Inspect before setting up the beds: baseboards, floor cracks, door frames, screw holes in the walls. If the unit was treated recently, ask the landlord for that in writing, with the date and the company’s name.

If bites appear after you move in, note the dates and tell the landlord in writing right away. In Québec, the landlord must keep the dwelling in good habitable condition, and the tenant must report a problem promptly. In a dispute, the matter can go to the Tribunal administratif du logement.

Why treating one unit is not enough

In a multiplex or apartment building, bed bugs travel between units through shared walls, chases and hallways. Treating a single unit often fails. The landlord has to have neighbouring units inspected, above and below. The details are on the bed bugs page, and the case of Vieux-Longueuil multiplexes is covered on the bed bugs in Longueuil page.

What it costs, and to whom

A bed bug treatment is priced by method and number of visits; published ranges for the region are on the pricing page. A failed move costs more: treatment in two apartments, furniture thrown out and, sometimes, a dispute.

Unsure before signing a lease or taking a piece of furniture? Describe what you see in the form at the bottom of this page: the request is routed by your town.