LifeSpin calls for enhanced bedbug, cockroach protections from city

Concerned that too many low-income Londoners are living with persistent bedbug and cockroach infestations, LifeSpin is calling on the City of London to set up its own pest control division.

It's one of four recommendations the anti-poverty group is asking the city to take to deal with a problem they say is getting worse. They're particularly concerned about the hardship it's causing seniors and people with chronic physical and mental health challenges. 

"People are feeling that they're not being heard and are just having to live with this issue over and over again," said Meagen Ciufo, LifeSpin's program co-ordinator. 

Ciufo said infestations are often persistent because they aren't able to do the preparation needed to ensure the spraying is effective. In most cases, belongings have to be properly bagged, put away in bins and laundered. Furniture has to be moved away from walls and all surfaces have to be cleaned. 

Ciufo said it's more than many LifeSpin clients can do on their own, especially if they're elderly, have health issues, or struggle to pay for the bins, bag disposal fees and other expenses. 

"It's like moving, you have to clear out everything from your kitchen," she said. "Unless someone has the needed supports to be able to prepare their units, people can come and spray and it's unfortunately not going to solve the issue." 

Ciufo said the problem has become worse since city council voted to end funding for the Hoarding and Extreme Clean program in the last budget cycle. The program was funded by the province until 2022 when the city temporarily took it over then earlier this year decided not to extend funding.

The program offered help to low-income tenants who had difficulty preparing their living units for spraying. It also offered supports for people prone to hoarding or leaving their living spaces dangerously cluttered and dirty. Ciufo said in many cases, the program helped vulnerable tenants avoid eviction. 

Ciufo said a city-funded pest-removal division could make spraying more effective and better track and manage the treatment regime in problem buildings.  

She said often it's different pest-control companies that do the sprayings, making it difficult to track which units have been treated and when.

"I think it will make the process a lot smoother and no one will get missed," said Ciufo.

Private contractor not opposed

Lebeed Butter is an account manager with Pestend, a private pest control contractor that serves most of southern Ontario, including London. 

Butter isn't opposed to the city developing its own pest control division, saying some tenants need supports that go beyond a visit from a pest control contractor.

"Where you're dealing with people who may have issues or disabilities and may not be able to prepare their units, there needs to be a service where they can get help and do constant checks," he said. 

Butter said the condition of the apartment is crucial. 

"A lot of these pests are affected by the sanitation level and they can multiply very fast, so quite often you have a repetitive problem," he said. "In its lifetime, a female bedbug can lay between 200 to 500 eggs. And the sanitation of the unit makes makes a substantial difference."

Butter said because pests can often easily move between units, particularly in older buildings, spraying individual apartments isn't as effective as treating an entire building. Also, he said not all pest control companies provide the same level of service. He said building managers who go for the cheapest price may not be helping their tenants. 

"Like a lot of things, you get what you pay for," said Butter. 

Other steps LifeSpin is calling for to support low-income tenants include:

• Making last March's tenants' support fair an annual event.
• Restoring the Extreme Clean program. 
• Strengthening the property standard bylaw's language around insect infestations. 

LifeSpin will be making its pitch to councillors at Monday's meeting of the community and protective services committee.