Some schools on the island of Montreal have to resort to exterminators regularly to deal with insect and vermin problems, according to a report by the Journal de Montreal.
The newspaper says for example, two out of three schools belonging to the Commission Scolaire de Montreal had work done by exterminators last year.
Dr. David Kaiser of the Montreal Public Health Department said the numbers sound scary but that inner city schools would be more likely to deal with such issues like any other homes and buildings, adding there are no current infestations or public health problems. The visits concern not only bedbugs, mice and cockroaches but also ants and wasps' nests.
"You seen an ant, you see a cockroach, you see a bedbug, you see a spider in a school, that is frequent in Montreal, that is regular, but is not a concern for us from the point of view from the health of children," said Kaiser in an interview with CJAD 800 News.
The report also says exterminator bills last year show other cases such as Maple Grove Elementary in Lachine having to deal with bed bugs in two classrooms in April, while Verdun Elementary had mice issues. Pierrefonds Comprehesive High School also had to deal with mice this past spring.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board said it would not comment at this time.
Other school boards such as the EMSB, Riverside and Sir Wilfred Laurier say they use exterminators on an as-it-happens basis or for maintenance and prevention and don't report any major problems.
Riverside, for example said visits last year by exterminators were mostly for ants and wasps' nests, and "were limited in scope and within the confines of the maintenance" of their buildings.
Kaiser said it's a situation that is mostly under control.
"People who are living in certain neighbourhoods, in poverty, in rental apartments, are much more likely to have bedbugs and it's not because they're dirty. If there's a bedbug in a school, it's not because it's dirty," said Kaiser, adding it's also part of a greater social problem linked to issues such as poverty.