The Windy City establishes itself as the #1 city on the list of Orkin’s 50 Best Bed Bug Cities for the third year running. Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia hold the top three spots, taking first, second, and third place respectively. Los Angeles made the biggest jump that year, climbing seven spots into the top five, with Cleveland (#4) and Raleigh (#20) each moving up the list four spots.
With National Shop for Travel Day on January 10th, travelers are reminded to start planning their vacation, including finding travel accommodations. As Americans begin booking hotels for 2023 and beyond, it is vital for businesses to have bed bug protection in place and that employees know how to spot and thoroughly search for bed bugs in hotel rooms and other facilities.
The list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022. The ranking includes both home and commercial treatments:
1.Chicago
2. New York (+1)
3. Philly (-1)
4. Cleveland-Akron, Ohio (+4)
5.Los Angeles (+7)
6 Detroit (-2)
7. Indianapolis (-1)
8.Baltimore (-3)
9. Washington, D.C. (-2)
10. Columbus, Ohio (-1)
11. Champaign, IL (+2)
12. Grand Rapids, Michigan (-1)
13. Cincinnati (-3)
14. Charlotte (+1)
15 Denver (+2)
16 Atlanta (-2)
17. Dallas-Ft. value (-1)
18 Pittsburgh (+2)
19. Charleston, West Virginia (+3)
20. Raleigh-Durham (+4)
21. Flintstone, Michigan (+2)
22. San Francisco (-3)
23. Norfolk, Va. (+2)
24. Greenville, SC (-3)
25. St.Louis (-7)
26. Richmond, Va
27. Youngstown (+10)
28. South Bend, Indiana (+5)
29. Buffalo, New York (-1)
30. Knoxville (-1)
31. Cedar Rapids, Iowa (-1)
32. Omaha, Nebraska (-5)
33. Nashville (+1)
34. Dayton, Ohio (-2)
35. ft. Wayne, Indiana (+1)
36. Harrisburg (+6)
37. Davenport (-2)
38. Toledo (-7)
39.Seattle (+5)
40. Milwaukee (-2)
41.Tampa (-1)
42. Lansing, Michigan (+6)
43. Greensboro, North Carolina
44. Houston (-3)
45. Miami (-6)
46. Lexington, Ky. (+1)
47. Orlando (-1)
48.Peoria (-3)
49.Louisville, Kentucky (-3)
50.Lincoln, Nebraska
Typically bed bugs are 3/16 inch long, red to dark brown in color and are mostly nocturnal insects that come out of hiding to take blood meals from sleeping humans. These pests are hematophagous, meaning blood is their only source of food. You can easily travel from place to place and hold on to items like luggage, purses, and other personal belongings.
“Bed bugs are extremely resilient, which makes them difficult to control. As people begin to bulk up their travel plans this year, it’s important they know how to protect themselves through pest detection and appropriate control,” says Ben Hottel, Orkin’s entomologist. “Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are visible to the naked eye but are excellent at hiding. It is recommended that a trained professional be consulted upon seeing a bed bug introduction.”
Bed bugs are known for rapid population growth. Female bed bugs can lay one to five eggs per day and can lay 200 to 500 eggs in their lifetime. They can survive for several months while awaiting their next blood meal, so they’re likely to emerge when a food source, such as a food source, becomes available. B. humans or animals, becomes available.
“While it is important to be aware of bed bug infestations in hotels, taking precautions in other aspects of travel is also important. Taxis, buses and airplanes are also common hideouts for bed bugs, giving these pests a chance to ride along with unsuspecting travelers. Regular inspection of clothing and luggage when traveling can help detect bed bug infestations in the early stages,” says Hottel.
Here are proactive tips Orkin recommends to help prevent bed bugs:
- Check your facility regularly for signs of bed bugs. Check places where bed bugs hide during the day, including mattress labels and seams, as well as behind baseboards, headboards, and electrical outlets.
- Reduce clutter to make bed bugs easier to spot on your own or during professional inspections.
- Examine all used furniture before bringing it into your store.
Remember the acronym SLEEP to look for bed bugs:
- Check the room for signs of an infestation. Look for tiny, inky stains on mattress seams, in upholstery, and behind headboards.
- Lift up and look inside bed bug hideouts: mattresses, box springs and other furniture, as well as behind baseboards, pictures and even torn wallpaper.
- Lift bags or luggage away from the bed and the wall. The safest places are in the bathroom or on countertops.
- Examine luggage carefully when repacking and upon returning from a trip. Always keep luggage away from the bed.
- After you return home, place any dryer-safe items in your luggage in the dryer on the highest setting for at least 30-45 minutes.
With more than 125 years of bed bug experience and state-of-the-art tools and products, Orkin is well-equipped to assess your bed bug problem, provide training for understaffed hospitality teams, and find a strategic answer to eliminate your business from the pest and provide maximum protection .
Click here to check last year’s rankings. For more bed bug prevention tips, click here.
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