ATLANTA – For the third year in a row, Baltimore tops Orkin’s Top 50 Bed Bug Cities list, released today. New York moved up two spots, while Atlanta and Philadelphia joined the top 10, replacing San Francisco and Dallas, respectively.
Five cities moved into the top 50 this year, including Lansing, Mich., Orlando, Fla., Davenport, Iowa, Ft. Wayne, Ind. and Youngstown, Ohio. Houston dropped nine positions, while Greenville, S.C., rose seven positions, entering the top 20.
| 1. Baltimore |
| 2. Washington, D.C. |
| 3. Chicago |
| 4. Los Angeles |
| 5. Columbus, Ohio |
| 6. New York (+2) |
| 7. Cincinnati (-1) |
| 8. Detroit (-1) |
| 9. Atlanta (+4) |
| 10. Philadelphia (+2) |
| 11. Cleveland-Akron (+3) |
| 12. San Francisco (-3) |
| 13. Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (+2) |
| 14. Indianapolis (-3) |
| 15. Dallas (-5) |
| 16. Norfolk, Va. (+2) |
| 17. Richmond, Va. (-1) |
| 18. Greenville, S.C. (+7) |
| 19. Charlotte, N.C. |
| 20. Grand Rapids, Mich. (+3) |
| 21. Buffalo, N.Y. (-1) |
| 22. Knoxville, Tenn. (-1) |
| 23. Nashville, Tenn. (-1) |
| 24. Champaign, Ill. (+2) |
| 25. Pittsburg (-1) |
| 26. Houston (-9) |
| 27. Denver (+1) |
| 28. Milwaukee (+1) |
| 29. Miami (+8) |
| 30. St. Louis (+5) |
| 31. Charleston, W.Va. |
| 32. Lansing, Mich. (new to list) |
| 33. Syracuse, N.Y. |
| 34. Phoenix (-7) |
| 35. Tampa, Fla. (+14) |
| 36. Greensboro, N.C. (+10) |
| 37. Omaha, Neb. (+2) |
| 38. Boston (-6) |
| 39. Seattle (-3) |
| 40. Las Vegas (+5) |
| 41. Orlando, Fla. (new to list) |
| 42. Davenport, Iowa (new to list) |
| 43. Hartford, Conn. (-13) |
| 44. Cedar Rapids, Iowa (-4) |
| 45. Dayton, Ohio (-11) |
| 46. Honolulu (-3) |
| 47. Flint, Mich. (-9) |
| 48. Ft. Wayne, Ind. (new to list) |
| 49. San Diego (-8) |
| 50. Youngstown, Ohio (new to list) |
The list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from December 1, 2017 – November 30, 2018. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.
“Bed bugs are the number one urban pest in many cities today,” said Chelle Hartzer, an Orkin entomologist. “They are master hitchhikers, so no one is immune. Sanitation has nothing to do with prevention: from public transit to five-star resorts, bed bugs have been and can be found everywhere humans are.”
Bed bugs are normally nocturnal insects that come out of hiding to take blood meals from sleeping or quietly resting humans. They are always in motion and do not have a regular hiding place. Bed bugs will attach to luggage, purses, backpacks, jackets and other belongings, dropping off almost anywhere to find a new carrier.
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