Source: SCIEPRO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty
If there’s one thing the nation’s capital didn’t want to be known for, it’s this – bedbugs.
Pest control company Orkin has released its annual list of cities that happen to have the worst infestation of bed bugs. Thankfully, the Bayou City is nowhere near the top 10 on this list but some of the cities that are? Whew.
Okay, let’s break it down. D.C. overtook Baltimore for the No. 1 spot. How long had Baltimore been the city with the highest infestation of bed bugs? Three years running! Chicago, Los Angeles and Columbus, Ohio round out the top 5 and New York slides right behind them at No. 6.
In fact, the highest Texas city on the list is Dallas at No. 17. In regards to neighboring cities and states and other popular destinations, Atlanta was No. 10, Charlotte was No. 20 and Las Vegas was No. 47. You can see the full list below.
- Washington, D.C.
- Baltimore
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Columbus, OH
- New York
- Detroit
- Cincinnati
- Indianapolis
- Atlanta
- Cleveland, OH
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco
- Raleigh, NC
- Norfolk
- Champaign, IL
- Dallas
- Grand Rapids
- Pittsburgh
- Charlotte
- Richmond, VA
- Greenville, SC
- Knoxville, TN
- Buffalo, NY
- Greensboro, NC
- Charleston, WV
- Denver
- St. Louis
- Nashville
- Lansing
- Flint
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Tampa
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Davenport, IA
- Houston
- Syracuse
- Boston
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Myrtle Beach
- Seattle
- San Diego
- Phoenix
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Las Vegas
- Hartford, CT
- Dayton, OH
- Toledo, OH
The data derives from a study conducted between December 2018 through November 2019, ranking metropolitan areas where Orkin performed the most bedbug treatments, residential and commercial.
“While bed bugs have not been found to transmit any diseases to humans, they can be an elusive threat to households,” Chelle Hartzer, an Orkin entomologist said in a statement. “They are excellent hitchhikers, and they reproduce quickly which make it nearly impossible to prevent bed bugs. Sanitation has nothing to do with where you’ll find them.”
“The key to preventing a bed bug infestation is early detection,” Hartzer said. “When one or more bed bugs enter a space, we call it an introduction. During an introduction, bed bugs probably haven’t started reproducing yet, but they could soon. Vigilance is key to stopping bed bugs before infestation levels.”
Here are some tips to prevent bed bugs:
- Inspect your home for signs of bed bugs regularly. Check the places where bed bugs hide during the day, including mattress tags and seams, and behind baseboards, headboards, electrical outlets, and picture frames.
- Decrease clutter around your home to make it easier to spot bed bugs on your own or during professional inspections.
- Inspect your residence regularly—when you move-in, after a trip, when a service worker visits or after guests stay overnight.
- Examine all secondhand furniture before bringing it inside your home. This is a common way for bed bugs to be introduced into homes.
- Wash and dry your bed linens often, using the hottest temperature allowed for the fabric.
See Where Houston Ranks On List Of Cities With The Worst Bed Bugs was originally published on myhoustonmajic.com
