Case Study: Solving a Complex Condo Bed Bug Infestation in Toronto

At Pest Solution Services, we often remind our clients that every bed bug infestation has a story. Some cases are straightforward, while others require deeper investigation, persistence, and science-based thinking. This case study from a Toronto condo building highlights why our entomologist and science-based approach makes all the difference when it comes to eliminating bed bugs in the GTA.

The First Call: A Unit Owner with Bed Bugs in the Bedroom

A condo resident in Toronto contacted us after noticing bites each morning and spotting small stains on her bedsheets. Concerned that she might have bed bugs, she reached out to Pest Solution Services, knowing that we are entomologist-led pest control specialists in Toronto.

Our licensed entomologist came the very same day to inspect her unit. During the inspection, we found classic signs of bed bug activity around the master bed:

• Live bed bugs hiding in the bed frame and mattress seams
• Fecal stains on the sheets and nearby baseboards
• Cast skins (exoskeletons) shed by growing bed bugs

With evidence pointing to the bed as the main source of infestation, we scheduled treatment for the very next morning.

First Treatment: Targeting the Bedroom

The very next day, our entomologist returned to perform a comprehensive bed bug treatment using our proven, science-based techniques.

Unlike companies that rely on blanket chemical sprays, our approach is precise, science-based, adheres to IPM guidelines, and eco-conscious. We carefully treated the master bedroom, focusing on cracks, crevices, bed frame joints, and surrounding areas. We also installed interceptor monitors under the bed legs, and throughout the master bedroom. These passive traps help us confirm whether bed bugs remain active and give us insight into where they are coming from.

At this stage, the infestation seemed straightforward. However, what happened next would completely change the case.

The Shocking Twist: Bites Continue After Treatment

Just one day after treatment, the resident called us again. She was still waking up with bites. This was unusual, since our treatments are designed to eliminate bed bugs at their source. When we returned to re-inspect, our entomologist was shocked to find more bed bugs in areas outside of the bedroom. This was a red flag. This meant the master bedroom wasn’t the source, something else was feeding this strange infestation. We performed a second treatment and expanded our interceptor monitor setup throughout the condo, placing traps in the living room, hallway, and near entry points of the unit. Still, activity continued.

Thinking Outside the Unit: Could the Source Be External?

Because this was a condo bed bug infestation, we considered the possibility of external spread. Bed bugs in high-rise buildings often travel:

• Through baseboards and electrical outlets
• Between units via wall voids and plumbing
• Into common areas like laundry rooms or garbage chutes
• From infested clothing, bags, or furniture moved through hallways

With management’s permission, we extended our investigation into the hallway and the garbage chute room on the client’s floor. We placed interceptor monitors strategically in these areas, and when we returned for follow-up, the results were shocking:

• A trail of bed bugs was detected leading into the garbage chute room.
• Another line of activity led toward a neighbouring condo unit.

The Real Source: A Hoarder Unit Infestation

After speaking with condo management, we discovered that one of the units on the floor belonged to a hoarder. This unit was in severe disrepair and heavily infested with bed bugs.

Here’s what was happening:

• The hoarder frequently used the garbage chute room to dispose of belongings.
• During these trips, bed bugs hitchhiked on his clothing and garbage bags.
• The garbage chute room itself became a hot spot for bed bug activity.
• From there, the bed bugs spread through hallway baseboards and into neighbouring units, including our client’s condo.

This explained why the infestation persisted despite numerous bedroom treatments. The bugs were constantly being reintroduced from the common areas.

Treatment Plan: Condo-Wide Cooperation

Once the true source was identified, we worked closely with condo management to create a treatment plan.

Our entomologist-led team:

• Treated the garbage chute room, eliminating the bed bug hotspot.
• Treated the hallway baseboards, stopping the spread between units.
• Continued treatment and monitoring in the owner’s condo until no activity remained.

Meanwhile, another pest control company was brought in to treat the hoarder’s unit. The resident was eventually evicted, and his unit was later sold.

A Troubled Unit: The Aftermath of the Hoarder’s Condo

Even after the hoarder resident was evicted, the condo unit carried a lasting stigma. The space was sold multiple times, but each new owner or tenant eventually reported bed bug bites and left the unit behind.

One buyer even moved into the unit, only to discover the emotional toll of its reputation. On his very first evening, while riding the elevator, he overheard other residents openly discussing the history of bed bug infestations in his new home. Shocked and overwhelmed, he became so psychologically distressed that he abandoned the unit entirely, and left all of his belongings behind.

By this point, the unit’s history had become well known throughout the condo community. Word spread quickly, and residents were frustrated that the problem had lingered for so long. Our original client, who had already experienced our successful treatment first-hand, believed it was time for a real solution. She personally recommended Pest Solution Services to condo management.By this point, the bed bug issue had become a community-wide concern.

Word had spread across the condo, and residents were frustrated and fearful. People whispered about the “hoarder’s unit” in hallways and elevators, and many worried that bed bugs could spread into their own homes through the baseboards, hallways, and garbage chute.

Our original client, who had already experienced and overcome her own bed bug infestation with our help, felt a sense of responsibility to speak up. She had lived through the stress, sleepless nights, and frustration of bed bugs, and she knew firsthand how effective our entomologist-led treatments were. Seeing her neighbors anxious and management struggling, she decided it was time to step in.

She personally recommended Pest Solution Services to the condominium management, urging them to bring us in to finally solve the problem once and for all. Because she had seen how carefully we handled her case, she trusted that our science-based and community-focused approach could restore peace to the entire building.

Condo management agreed, and they invited our entomologist back for a full inspection of the troubled unit and surrounding areas. Our detailed investigation uncovered bed bug activity hidden deep within the baseboards, wall voids, wooden flooring, and structural gaps, areas that had been overlooked by previous treatments. These hidden hot spots were the reason the unit’s reputation, and the infestation, refused to die.

Using our innovative bed bug treatment techniques, we treated and sealed all the problem areas, ensuring that bed bugs could no longer spread or re-establish themselves. We followed up with ongoing monitoring to confirm that the issue had been completely eliminated.

Finally, the infestation was resolved. Today, the once-troubled unit is bed bug free and happily lived in. More importantly, the condo community has peace of mind, knowing the source was properly addressed and that the spread of bed bugs was stopped at its root.

Key Takeaways from This Case

This Toronto condo case study highlights several important lessons about bed bug control in the GTA:

Conclusion: Why Choose Pest Solution Services?

This case demonstrates why working with an entomologist-led pest control company in Toronto is the most effective way to eliminate bed bugs. Our approach is science-based, human-focused, discreet, and results-driven. Rather than spraying and hoping for the best.

If you live in a condo, apartment, penthouse, boat, and are worried about bed bugs, don’t wait until the infestation spreads. Contact Pest Solution Services for a professional inspection and treatment that targets the source, not just the symptoms.