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It’s easy to find advice on dealing with bed bug infestations, but most people would rather avoid encounters with the parasites in the first place. There are a few ways to do this, from staying at trustworthy hotels to resisting the urge to take in furniture you find on the street. But which part of the country you choose to rest your head can also determine your chances of running into the pests. Before planning your next trip, refer to the list below.
As Condé Nast Traveler reports, these cities come from Orkin’s annual list of the top 50 bed bug cities in America. The pest control company pulled their data from the number of bed bug treatments executed between December 1, 2016 and November 30, 2017. These results cover residential buildings like apartments and houses as well as hotels and motels.
Bed bug infestations are on the rise across the country, according to Orkin entomologist Dr. Tim Husen, but the problem is more apparent in some cities than others. Baltimore tops the list for the second year in a row, followed by Washington D.C. and Chicago. Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas also break the top 10.
A quick glance at the list shows that no part of the country is safe from the unwelcome bedfellows. That doesn’t mean the solution is to sterilize your home and never step outside again: Just be aware if you're living in or a visiting a city with high rates of bed bugs and take the appropriate level of caution. When sleeping in a new bed, no matter what city it’s in, it’s always a good idea to check the mattress first. Pull back the sheets and scan the crevices for blood, eggs, droppings, and the bugs themselves. And if you’re not sure what bed bugs look like, this guide should give you an idea.
Here is the full list:
1. Baltimore
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Chicago
4. Los Angeles
5. Columbus, Ohio
6. Cincinnati, Ohio
7. Detroit
8. New York
9. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
10. Dallas-Fort Worth
11. Indianapolis, Indiana
12. Philadelphia
13. Atlanta
14. Cleveland-Akron-Canton, Ohio
15. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
16. Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia
17. Houston
18. Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, Virginia
19. Charlotte, North Carolina
20. Buffalo, New York
21. Knoxville, Tennessee
22. Nashville, Tennessee
23. Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Michigan
24. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
25. Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina-Asheville, North Carolina
26. Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, Illinois
27. Phoenix
28. Denver
29. Milwaukee
30. Hartford-New Haven, Connecticut
31. Charleston-Huntington, West Virginia
32. Boston
33. Syracuse, New York
34. Dayton, Ohio
35. St. Louis, Missouri
36. Seattle
37. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
38. Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Michigan
39. Omaha, Nebraska
40. Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Dubuque, Iowa
41. San Diego, California
42. Lexington, Kentucky
43. Honolulu, Hawaii
44. Louisville, Kentucky
45. Las Vegas
46. Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem, North Carolina
47. New Orleans, Louisiana
48. Myrtle Beach-Florence, South Carolina
49. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida
50. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, New York