I don't know about you, but when someone mentions bed bugs I immediately get an itch and start feeling like they're crawling all over me. So you can only imagine how I felt when I read, while sitting on my bed, that Montreal currently has an "out of control" bed bug problem. That's right, these reddish-brown flat little ovals have taken over the homes of our city. They've even taken over a Pointe-Claire seniors' residence for crying out loud. Chances are you've either had them, or know someone who's had them, so here's everything you need to know about bed bugs in Montreal:

• During the 1940's they had been mostly eradicated in the developed world, but have made a come back since 1995, most likely from pesticide resistance
• Montreal exterminators have seen a change of treating a few cases a year to upwards of 50 a day
• Bed bugs feed exclusively on blood and prefer exposed skin, like the face, neck, and arms of sleeping people.
• They like to live in warm houses
• While they do like to live nearby and inside beds and bedding, they can also live in couches, luggage, vehicle upholstery, bedside clutter, inside electrical sockets and nearby laptops
• They're mainly active at night but not always nocturnal
• Usually they feed on you without being noticed, but their bites can cause swelling, red spots, skin rashes, allergic symptoms and even psychological effects
• They have a characteristic odour of rotting raspberries
• Under certain cool conditions they can live for over a year without feeding
• You can get rid of them by vacuuming, heat trapping, or wrapping your mattress
• A clothes dryer or steamer will also kill bed bugs
• But, you are always encourages to call a professional pest control service, for public health reasons
• And remember, your landlord can face fines for refusing to pay to get rid of bed bugs

Now sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!