@Orkin
ATLANTA – The Windy City is taking up residence as one of the worst cities for bed bugs taking the #1 spot on Orkin’s Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List for the fourth year in a row. Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia hold onto the top three spots, ranking first, second and third, respectively for cities with most bed bugs. Greensboro, N.C. saw the largest jump this year, moving up twenty-fife spots into the Top Twenty, with Milwaukee (#25) moving up the list by fifteen and Tampa (#31) moving up by ten.
Amid the Paris Bed Bug craze, travelers are more concerned than ever with avoiding these stealthy pests. As Americans look towards travel in 2024 it is critical to know how to identify and thoroughly check for bed bugs in hotel rooms (both internationally and domestically) while being careful not to bring the pests home with them.
The bed bug cities list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2022 – Nov. 30, 2023. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.
What cities have the most bed bugs?
1. Chicago
2. New York
3. Philadelphia
4. Cleveland-Akron, OH
5. Los Angeles
6. Detroit
7. Washington, D.C. (+2)
8. Indianapolis (-1)
9. Charlotte (+5)
10. Champaign, IL (+1)
11. Columbus, OH (-1)
12. Cincinnati (+1)
13. Atlanta (+3)
14. Grand Rapids, MI (-2)
15. Denver
16. Baltimore (-8)
17. Richmond, VA (+9)
18. Greensboro, N.C. (+25)
19. St. Louis (+6)
20. Youngstown (+7)
21. Pittsburgh (-3)
22. Dallas-Ft. Worth (-5)
23. Flint, MI (-2)
24. Raleigh-Durham (-4)
25. Milwaukee (+15)
26. Charleston, WV (-7)
27. Greenville, SC (-3)
28. Norfolk, VA (-5)
29. Davenport (+8)
30. Nashville (+3)
31. Tampa (+10)
32. Toledo (+6)
33. Dayton, OH (+1)
34. Knoxville (-4)
35. Las Vegas (new to list)
36. Omaha, NE (-4)
37. South Bend, IN (-9)
38. Houston (+6)
39. Cedar Rapids, MI (-8)
40. Ft. Wayne, IN (-5)
41. San Francisco (-19)
42. Buffalo, NY (-13)
43. Harrisburg (-7)
44. Seattle (-5)
45. Miami
46. Orlando (+1)
47. Minneapolis (new to list)
48. Oklahoma City (new to list)
49. Louisville, KY
50. Lexington, KY (-4)
“Bed bugs are extremely resilient, making them difficult to control. As travel plans ramp up, it’s important that Americans know how to protect themselves through pest identification and proper control,” said Ben Hottel, Orkin entomologist. “While bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, they are excellent at hiding. Involving a trained professional at the sight of a bed bug introduction is recommended.”
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