Concordia student Ami Kingdon slept in her tub for three weeks to avoid the bed bugs. (CBC)

The student union at Montreal's Concordia University says it wants to help students make sure the bedbugs don't bite.

The group has launched an awareness campaign after receiving a growing number of complaints about a bedbug problem from students living in off-campus housing.

"They're crying, they haven't had any sleep, they have bites all over their body," said Jonathan Elston, co-ordinator of the Concordia Student Union (CSU) housing and job bank. "And, you know, when they have a landlord that may not be responding to the issue, they're even more frustrated."

The CSU has posted a series of recommendations on its website.

Elston recommends students be careful when buying second-hand items.

"If they do buy things second hand on Craigslist or at a thrift store, we say, clean it thoroughly and be very careful," Elston said.

Elston said picking up mattresses from the curb is a bad idea.

Concordia student Ami Kingdon was forced to sleep on a yoga mat in her bathtub after two attempts to exterminate the bugs in her apartment failed.

She said she had bites the size of quarters on her arms, legs and neck.

Finally, a third extermination resolved the problem, Kingdon said.

"The thought of saying that I had bugs was just repulsive," Kingdon said. "Then, when I found it was a widespread problem I felt better because I realized it wasn't just me. I didn't do anything wrong."

Montreal public health authorities said the city has seen a marked increase in the number of bedbug cases since 2005.

Officials say the problem is due in large part to the fact the problem often goes unrecognized and unreported.