Is Your City Crawling with Bed Bugs?

If you’ve ever encountered bed bugs, you’ll know how much of a nightmare it is. You discover something small and brown on your bedsheets or clothing and before long, you’re having to evacuate your home for the pest control company.

Given that bed bugs feed on human blood, it makes sense that they’re more common in heavily populated areas like cities and tourist hotspots but can and do travel as we do.

So, which city is most affected by the plague that is bed bugs? We’ve looked at the data on bed bug treatments performed in homes and businesses across the country’s primary metro areas.

Most bed bug-infested cities in the country

The densely populated New York City may have a reputation for being unhygienic, but it didn't even make the top 10 of our list. Los Angeles also improved since last year, jumping from the 4th worst city to the 9th. The worst trajectory was seen by Toledo, Ohio, moving from 50th place to 27th place in just a year.

Here are the top 30 U.S cities when it comes to bed bug infestation:

1. Chicago, IL 
2. Baltimore, MD
3. Washington, DC
4. Detroit, MI 
5. Columbus, OH
6. Cleveland, OH
7. Indianapolis, IN 
8. Cincinnati, OH
9. Los Angeles, CA
10. Grand Rapids, MI
11. Charlotte, SC
12. New York, NY
13. Atlanta, GA
14. Philadelphia, PA 
15. Champaign, IL
16. Dallas, TX
17. Raleigh, NC
18. Charleston, SC
19. Pittsburgh, PA
20. Denver, CO
21. Flint, MI
22. San Francisco, CA
23. Greenville, SC
24. Norfolk, VA
25. St. Louis, MO
26. Richmond, VA
27. Toledo, OH
28. Dayton, OH
29. Buffalo, NY
30. Omaha, HI

How can I avoid a bed bug infestation?

Here are three simple ways you can reduce your risk of bringing bed bugs into your home:

1. When you travel, keep your luggage on the floor and don’t let it touch your bedsheets or pillow. If a hotel you stay in is infested with bed bugs, you risk them latching onto your clothing and bed sheets as you sleep, so keep your bags away from the bed to reduce the risk of them clinging on as you leave.
2. When you return home from traveling, wash the clothes you travelled with on a high heat setting to ensure nothing can survive on them.
3. If you buy second-hand clothing or furniture, wash and disinfect it before using it.

Why are so many cities infested with bed bugs?

Bed bugs are master hitchhikers, latching onto clothing, bedding, furniture, bags, and suitcases whenever they get the chance. They’re also avid breeders, with the average female bed bug laying up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. Once they’ve hatched, bed bugs begin their journey as they sniff out their next meal of human blood.

A Bed Bug Heat Treatments is the only way to get rid of bed bugs, and most DIY methods don’t end up working. Thankfully, with our DIY heat packages, you can eradicate any bed bug problem in just a matter of hours - it’s a must for the frequent traveler or business owner. Find out more about our heat packages here.