Imagining a large number of bedbugs invading your bedroom or hotel room can be very unsettling. Regrettably, this is the uncomfortable truth in some of the largest metropolitan areas in the country.
Orkin recently analyzed the locations where it conducted the highest number of bedbug treatments, including both residential and commercial areas, from December 2022 to November 2023.
The top six cities in the U.S. on Orkin’s list have the same ranking as they did last year, from No. 1 to No. 6. Here is some advice on how to prevent bedbugs, along with a list of cities where you are more likely to come across these pests.
- IRS Grants Extra Time for 2024 Taxes to Kentucky’s April Storm Survivors
- Fed’s June Meeting: Rate Cuts Not in the Cards: What’s Next?
- Deadline Alert: Michigan Schools Must Act Fast with Federal Stimulus Funds
- How to Access VA Dependent Education Benefits with a 100% Disability Rating
- Big News for SSDI: Social Security Might Add $600 to Payments
U.S. cities with the most bedbug problems
Chicago
City ranked for bedbug treatments
- 2024: No. 1
- 2023: Same
Chicago has been ranked as the top spot for the fourth consecutive year. The leaders of Chicago are aware of the bedbug problem in the city. In 2013, the city made a law about bedbugs. Landlords and tenants must work together to prevent and control bedbug infestations. Landlords are required to give tenants brochures that explain the dangers of bedbugs and how to handle them.
New York City
City ranked for bedbug treatments
- 2024: No. 2
- 2023: Same
According to the New York Post, there was a 17% increase in complaints about bedbugs in New York City in 2023. People living in Brooklyn reported having the most unpleasant experiences with the critters. However, there was also a significant increase in complaints in three other boroughs: Manhattan, Staten Island, and Queens.
Mark D. Loffredo, the president of Post Exterminating in Staten Island, said that he has witnessed three significant increases in bedbug infestations over the past 50 years. These infestations were caused by an increase in both domestic and international travel.
Also read: These 3 north carolina cities crawling with most infested bed bugs
Philadelphia
City ranked for bedbug treatments
- 2024: No. 3
- 2023: Same
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, major cities like Philadelphia are now at a higher risk of having bedbugs because certain pesticides, like DDT, that were used to kill pests like cockroaches have been banned.
The rest of the top 10 metro areas
These are the other cities in the top 10 for bedbug problems, according to Orkin’s data. It also shows how their ranking changed in 2024:
- 4. Cleveland/Akron, Ohio (ranked the same as in 2023)
- 5. Los Angeles (ranked the same)
- 6. Detroit (ranked the same)
- 7. Washington, D.C. (moved up two spots since 2023)
- 8. Indianapolis (moved down one spot)
- 9. Charlotte, North Carolina (moved up five spots)
- 10. Champaign, Illinois (moved up one spot)
How to avoid bedbugs at home?
Bedbugs are difficult to see because they are very good at hiding. Once they settle in your bedroom, they can quickly multiply. According to Orkin, female insects can lay up to five eggs per day and up to 500 eggs in their lifetime. To avoid having pests in your home, the pest control company suggests the following:
- Make sure to regularly inspect for bedbugs. Inspect the mattress tags and seams. Make sure to look behind the baseboards, headboards, outlets, and picture frames.
- Make sure to keep your home free from clutter. Spotting bedbugs becomes easier with this.
- Be careful when buying used furniture. Always make sure to thoroughly inspect any furniture before bringing it into your home.
Leave a Reply