Toronto may still top the list of 25 bed bug cities in Canada, but on the bright side, that doesn’t mean the number of critters is going up.

In fact, according to an annual survey by pest control company Orkin Canada, some “hitchhikers” couldn’t catch a ride in 2020, with bed bug sightings across the country down by nearly 20% over the previous year.

And what’s to thank for that? COVID-19 restrictions.

“As a result of their ability to latch on to people, clothing and furniture, all it takes is an airline or bus seat, an unsuspecting office, or a house or hotel with changing visitors, for bed bugs to travel great distances,” Orkin said in a news release Tuesday.

“Travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and a general shift to working remotely have resulted in less opportunities for these hitchhikers to move around, for the first time since Orkin Canada released its annual survey five years ago.”

However, Orkin Canada said it’s expected that once the economy reopens, bed bugs cases will rise again.

“Due to their ability to double in population about every 16 days, it should not be difficult for bed bugs to regain their grip on the Canadian market,” the company said.

Behind Toronto in the top 10, in order, are Sudbury, Oshawa, Vancouver, Winnipeg, St. John’s, Scarborough, Whitby, Edmonton and Ottawa.

Compared to the previous year, Toronto and Vancouver kept their No. 1 and 4 spots respectively, while Ottawa fell from 5 to 10 and Whitby rose from 20 to 8.

The survey results are based on the number of commercial and residential bed bug treatments carried out by the company from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2020.