Guess who's taking center stage in the bedbug drama this year? Paris had its moment in 2023, and now Chicago stepping into the spotlight as the U.S. city with the most bedbugs.
Orkin's annual Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List reveals that the Windy City takes the lead as the city in the U.S. with the most bedbugs for the fourth year in a row, closely followed by New York City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Los Angeles.
The list shows that Greensboro in North Carolina experienced a significant increase in bedbugs, climbing 25 spots from the previous year to secure a spot in the top twenty. Meanwhile, Milwaukee rose by 15 positions, securing the 25th spot, and Tampa moved up by ten, landing at 31.
The top 10 “Bed Bug Cities” in the U.S. are:
1. Chicago
2. New York
3. Philadelphia
4. Cleveland-Akron, OH
5. Los Angeles
6. Detroit
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Indianapolis
9. Charlotte
10. Champaign, IL
Orkin, an American pest control company, created the list based on treatment data from areas where they treated the most bedbugs between Dec. 1, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2023, including both homes and businesses.
Unfed, bedbugs are long and brown with a flat, oval-shaped body. After a meal, they become balloon-like, reddish-brown, and elongated. They can be found anywhere around the world and are experts at hiding.
Yes, their presence can be annoying, but bedbugs are not known to spread diseases. They do cause itching and disturbances in sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While everyone does react differently to their bites, excessive scratching could lead to the risk of a secondary skin infection, and some people may even be allergic to bedbugs.
According to Orkin, you can identify bedbugs in your home by spotting clusters of dark brown or black excrement on surfaces, along with a subtle, sweet, musty odor.
Bedbugs thrive in small cracks near sleeping areas, including your bed and furniture. They also enjoy gaps behind outlets, floor molding, window and door molding, and where carpet edges meet the wall.
