Bed Bug Insecticide: What Chemicals Do Exterminators Use in Canada?

What Chemicals Do Exterminators Use for Bed Bugs?

Exterminators use a few groups of bed bug insecticide, chosen so that each one covers what the others miss. The US Environmental Protection Agency counts more than 300 registered bed bug products, in chemical classes that include pyrethrins, pyrethroids, desiccants, biochemicals, pyrroles, neonicotinoids and insect growth regulators. Health Canada lists the tools a licensed pest control operator can use here: liquid and aerosol insecticide sprays, insecticidal dusts, diatomaceous earth, pressurized carbon dioxide snow, and steam and heat treatments.

Which product your exterminator chooses depends on what is registered in Canada, where the bugs are hiding and how the local bed bugs respond to treatment. Here are the main groups.

Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids

Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most common bed bug insecticides. Pyrethrins are botanical insecticides made from chrysanthemum flowers, and pyrethroids are synthetic versions that work the same way. Both kill bed bugs on contact and can flush them out of hiding. UC IPM lists cyhalothrin, bifenthrin, deltamethrin and permethrin among the pyrethroids professionals use. The catch is resistance: many bed bug populations now survive pyrethroids, which is why they are rarely used alone (more on that below).

Neonicotinoid Combinations

Neonicotinoid combinations pair a pyrethroid with a neonicotinoid, a synthetic form of nicotine that overstimulates the bed bug's nerves until they fail. Mixing two modes of action helps against bugs that shrug off pyrethroids. In Canada, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) fully registered Temprid SC and Temprid ReadySpray in 2017. Both combine imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid) with beta-cyfluthrin (a pyrethroid), and the registration reportedly included use on sites such as mattresses.

Desiccant Dusts

Desiccant dusts kill bed bugs by damaging their waxy outer coating so they slowly dry out. The action is physical rather than chemical, so bed bugs cannot become resistant to it. Professionals puff small amounts of dust into dry, out-of-the-way spots such as under baseboards and inside wall voids, where it can keep working for a long time (UC IPM and US EPA). Not all dusts are equal: the University of Kentucky reports that silica gel dust can work in tiny amounts, while diatomaceous earth alone seldom eliminates an infestation, a point Purdue University Extension makes about most non-chemical products.

Chlorfenapyr

Chlorfenapyr is a pyrrole insecticide that works differently from everything above. It is a "pro-insecticide": the bed bug's own body converts it into its active, toxic form (US EPA), which can then stop its cells from producing energy. University of Kentucky research found it worked on pyrethroid-resistant bed bugs, and that bugs did not avoid surfaces treated with it, unlike surfaces treated with deltamethrin. The trade-off is speed: it can take many days to kill. We could not confirm a Canadian bed bug registration for chlorfenapyr products, so if a company mentions it, ask to see the Canadian label and its PCP number.

Insect Growth Regulators

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) mimic the bed bug's juvenile hormones and can stop nymphs from developing into breeding adults (US EPA). Hydroprene is one example sometimes used against bed bugs. IGRs tend to work slowly, so they are usually a support tool alongside a product that kills adults, not a fast fix.

Fungal Biopesticide

The fungal biopesticide Aprehend is a newer option made of spores of the fungus Beauveria bassiana in an oil formulation. Bed bugs pick up the spores as they walk across treated bands, and the fungus infects and kills them. It was registered in Canada in 2020, reportedly for use by pest management professionals only, and a 2017 study found it worked as well on insecticide-resistant bed bugs as on susceptible ones. The manufacturer reports up to three months of residual activity, which is why some Canadian companies use it as a preventive or follow-up treatment.

Commercial Class Products

Commercial class products are a big part of why an exterminator's toolkit differs from what you find in a store. Health Canada allows only professional pest control specialists to use pesticides labelled as commercial class. Provinces, territories and municipalities can add their own rules on top. That means some of the most effective bed bug insecticides are simply not sold to homeowners.

How Do Exterminators Apply Bed Bug Insecticide?

Bed bug insecticide is applied where bed bugs hide, not sprayed over the whole room. A good treatment is targeted, combined with non-chemical steps, and repeated. For a full picture of a visit from start to finish, read what exterminators do for bed bugs.

Preparation Before Spraying

Preparation before spraying starts with an inspection to find every hiding spot, from bed frames and baseboards to furniture joints. Many companies then use steam, which can kill eggs and bugs on contact, and a HEPA vacuum to help remove live bugs, shed skins, eggs and debris before applying contact or residual products. Your part matters too: the company will usually give you instructions, and our checklist on how to prepare for bed bug treatment walks you through them.

Cracks and Crevices

Cracks and crevices get most of the insecticide. According to UC IPM and Penn State Extension, liquids go on cracks, crevices, bed frames and baseboards, and dusts usually go into voids. Technicians also treat furniture joints and the inside and outside of furniture where bugs are found.

Mattresses

Mattresses are treated carefully, and only with products whose label allows it. The University of Kentucky notes that companies usually treat the seams, folds and crevices of beds and sofas but generally do not spray the sleeping or seating surface, and Penn State Extension notes that some companies use steam on beds and couches. Bedding and clothing are not sprayed: Penn State Extension advises washing them in hot water or drying them on the hottest setting instead. Health Canada is clear that a product registered for bed frames is not meant for mattresses or box springs.

Follow-Up Treatments

Follow-up treatments are normal, not a sign that the first visit failed. Many insecticides do not kill bed bug eggs, and the US EPA notes that eggs can hatch after a first treatment, so a second treatment about 2 weeks later targets the new nymphs. Manitoba's bed bug guidance says chemical residual treatment is done once or twice around a suite, and Montreal's social housing office (OMHM) says its pest control company returns every few weeks until the bugs are gone. Our guide on how long a bed bug treatment takes explains the timeline.

What Else Do Exterminators Use for Bed Bugs?

Besides insecticides, exterminators use heat, steam, pressurized carbon dioxide snow and mattress encasements. Professional heat treatments often bring a room gradually to about 120 to 130°F (about 49 to 54°C), and Health Canada notes that bed bugs die at 50°C. Some companies follow a heat treatment with a residual product such as a biopesticide. To weigh the two approaches, read heat vs chemical treatment for bed bugs.

Why Do Bed Bugs Survive Some Insecticides?

Bed bugs survive some insecticides because many populations are resistant to pyrethroids and because eggs are not affected by most sprays. Knowing this helps you understand why one spray rarely ends an infestation.

Pyrethroid Resistance

Pyrethroid resistance is widespread. The US EPA notes that some bed bug populations are resistant to pyrethrins and pyrethroids, and that in those populations the spray may only push the bugs into new hiding places. UC IPM goes further than the US EPA: some populations can no longer be controlled with pyrethroids at all. That is why most professionals rely on combination products, dusts or a different class rather than a pyrethroid alone.

Eggs

Eggs are the second reason bugs come back. Eggs are not affected by most insecticides, sprays or dusts, so a treatment that kills every adult can still leave the next generation waiting to hatch. Residual products and the follow-up visit are there to catch those young nymphs.

Rotating Classes

Rotating classes is how professionals stay ahead. Using insecticides with different modes of action, or switching to another class when one stops working, reduces the chance of resistance (US EPA). Desiccant dusts help here because bed bugs cannot become resistant to them. If you still see bugs weeks after a treatment, read why bed bugs come back after treatment.

Does Store-Bought Bed Bug Spray Work?

Store-bought bed bug spray kills the bugs it hits but rarely ends an infestation on its own. It can be a stopgap while you wait for a professional, as long as the product is registered for bed bugs and used exactly as labelled.

What Is in Consumer Bed Bug Sprays

Consumer bed bug sprays sold at Canadian retailers such as Canadian Tire include pyrethrin sprays, pyrethroid sprays such as permethrin, and diatomaceous earth aerosols. In other words, they lean on the class that resistant bed bugs handle best. Our roundup of the best bed bug sprays compares the options available in Canada.

Why Sprays Fall Short

Bed bug sprays fall short because they must touch the bugs to work. The University of Kentucky notes that most household bed bug sprays have limited effect once dry, and Purdue University Extension adds that aerosols and foggers seldom reach bed bug hiding spaces. UC IPM does not generally recommend over-the-counter products because their real-world performance is unknown, and stresses that insecticides alone will not control an infestation.

Foggers

Foggers, or bug bombs, do not work on bed bugs. UC IPM and the University of Kentucky both call them ineffective, because the mist does not reach the bugs hiding in cracks. The US EPA adds that improper use of foggers, such as using too many, can cause a fire or explosion. Skip them.

How to Check the PCP Number

Checking the PCP number is the quickest way to know a product is legal in Canada. Health Canada says to look for a Pest Control Products (PCP) registration number on the label, and not to buy or use any product without one. You can look the product up in Health Canada's online pesticide label search, and HealthLinkBC adds that the label should say the product is registered specifically for bed bugs.

Is Bed Bug Insecticide Safe for Your Family?

Bed bug insecticide is generally considered safe when it is registered and labelled for bed bugs (Penn State Extension), used exactly as the label says, and when you respect the re-entry time. Manitoba's bed bug guidance states that the chemicals used are not a health concern as long as the label's safety instructions are followed, while the US EPA warns that improper use can harm your health.

Re-Entry Time

The re-entry time is set by the product label, and your pest control company should tell you what it is. As an example, Manitoba's guidance says to stay out for at least 4 hours after treatment begins, and says people with breathing difficulties, pregnant women and infants under 18 months should stay out for 12 hours after the treatment is completed, while the Government of Quebec says all persons and pets must leave during extermination.

Children

Children need extra care. Health Canada says never to use pesticides on baby cribs, playpens or toys, and to put toys away before a treatment. Ask the company which rooms are treated and when your children can return.

Pets

Pets should never be treated with a bed bug insecticide unless the label specifically says so, according to Health Canada. Plan where they will stay during the visit with our guide on what to do with your pets during bed bug treatment.

Products Never to Use

Some products should never be used against bed bugs. Health Canada has warned Canadians not to use unregistered bed bug products, reportedly after deaths linked to a phosphine pesticide imported from abroad and used at home. Phosphine is not approved for bed bugs. Health Canada also warns against ozone generators, which are not safe, and homemade pesticides. The University of Kentucky adds that bleach, alcohol and lighters should never be used on bed bugs, and the US EPA warns that rubbing alcohol can easily ignite.

The safest route is a licensed pest control professional who uses registered products and explains them to you. Before you hire, go through our questions to ask a bed bug exterminator and get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form. For more guides, visit the bed bug hub.