New Report Ranks Top U.S. Cities for Bed Bug Infestations

Terminix List Highlights 15 Most Popular Locations for Bloodsucking Pests
 
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Bed bugs are shutting down office buildings and clothing stores and invading homes, and while no one is safe from these pests, a new report compiled from Terminix data shows 15 cities stand above the rest as the most bed bug-infested cities in the United States.
 
The list is topped by New York and includes other major cities such as Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Chicago. Surprisingly, Ohio receives the dubious distinction as the most bed bug-infested state, with three cities in the top 10 and four in the top 15. 
 
The 2010 most bedbug-infested cities include: 
 
1. New York
2. Philadelphia
3. Detroit
4. Cincinnati
5. Chicago
6. Denver
7. Columbus, Ohio
8. Dayton, Ohio
9. Washington, D.C.
10. Los Angeles
11. Boston
12. Indianapolis
13. Louisville, Ky.
14. Cleveland
15. Minneapolis, Minn.

Bed bugs were almost eradicated from the United States following World War II, but increasing international travel and other factors have allowed these pests to regain a foothold in the United States.
 
“It’s no surprise that highly trafficked cities such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles are on the list,” said Paul Curtis, entomologist for Terminix. “It’s the bedbug problems in cities like Dayton and Louisville that prove bedbugs are back and can pop up anywhere. The bedbug problems in these cities outpace markets of far greater size despite their having a fraction of the population and typically fewer travelers and hotels.”
 
The top 15 list was developed by Terminix and was created by compiling and analyzing market-specific call volume about bedbugs to the 350 Terminix service centers throughout the country.