It isn’t any new news that bed bugs are on the rise. Twenty years ago we had long since forgotten what “sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” actually meant. Today we find them in all types of places. Orkin at the start of the year put out their rankings of the worst cities for bed bugs. This was based on their national market data, which is a good marker. However it is not independent research with all the various controls. Still, it’s fun to look at and take notice.
Worst Cities for Bed Bugs in 2013
This is the numbered list with a (+ or -) the number of spots the city moved up or down. Notice that Nashville and Charlotte have moved up a significant spot. Many pest control companies in Nashville are treating multiple bed bug cases on a weekly basis. Big surprise is the drop for New York City which was a hotbed for years. Proof that good treatments can help to turn the tide on these bugs.
- Chicago
- Los Angeles (+1)
- Columbus, Ohio (+3)
- Detroit (-2)
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland/Akron/Canton (+2)
- Dayton (+4)
- Washington D.C. (-1)
- Denver (-5)
- Indianapolis (+6)
- Richmond/Petersburg, Va. (+1)
- Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, N.C. (+3)
- Dallas/Ft. Worth (-4)
- Syracuse, N.Y. (+7)
- Atlanta (+14)
- Houston (+2)
- New York (-7)
- Seattle/Tacoma (-5)
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (-5)
- Boston (+2)
- Milwaukee (-2)
- Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (+3)
- Nashville (+17)
- Pittsburgh (+12)
- Charlotte (+18)
- San Diego (+6)
- Baltimore (-7)
- Phoenix (+7)
- Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa (+4)
- Charleston/Huntington, W. Va. (+1)
So what if you are going to be traveling to any of these places? First off, do not freak out. This data doesn’t guarantee that you are going to find bed bugs at every turn of your family trip or vacation. However, precautions on any trip are helpful in keeping bed bugs at bay. Read up on our tips to preventing bed bugs in your home, which has some great travel tips. Check out BedBugRegistry to see if where you are traveling to has any prior issues which could warrant a few good questions.