NEW YORK CITY – Even the bed bugs left New York City in 2021.
As the COVID-19 pandemic raged and thousands fled the city for Long Island, Florida and other less-affected areas, the insects also hitchhiked out of town, according to experts at pest control company Orkin.
As of January 2020, NYC was the nation’s sixth most exposed city from the pests. This year it does not even make it into the top 10. In the ranking, the city is in 12th place.
The list is based on treatment data from the metropolitan areas where the company performed the most household and commercial bed bug treatments between December 1, 2019 and November 30, 2020, the company said.
The most contaminated was Chicago, with Washington DC and Los Angeles also in the top 10.
- Chicago, Illinois
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Washington, DC
- Detroit, Michigan
- Columbus, Ohio
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Los Angeles, California
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
Check out the full list of the top cities for bed bugs.
The human exodus from NYC may have caused the decline. Bed bugs are often linked to travel by hitchhiking with people. Or they could just lie in wait in empty townhouses.
“Bed bugs can survive for several months without a blood meal and could be hungry if they survived unnoticed after fewer trips amid the pandemic,” said Cindy Mannes, executive director of the Professional Pest Management Alliance.
The insects are tiny – just under a quarter of an inch long, according to Orkin. They are usually dark brown or red in color and are hematophagous, which means that blood is their only source of food. Bed bugs ingest blood meals from sleeping people and can easily travel from place to place and stash in things like luggage, handbags, and other personal belongings.
If you are planning on traveling this summer, there are a few things you can do to keep bed bugs from coming home. Orkin recommends that people follow the “SLEEP” method to control possible bed bug infestation:
- S: Examine the room for signs of infestation. Look for small, black, ink-colored stains on mattress seams, in upholstered furniture, and behind headboards. Bed bugs can even hide in power outlets and picture frames.
- L: Lift up and look in the hiding places of bed bugs: the mattress, box spring and other furniture, as well as behind baseboards, pictures and even torn wallpaper.
- E: Lift the luggage off the bed and away from the wall. The safest places are in the bathroom or on shelves.
- E: Examine your luggage carefully when repacking and after returning from a trip. Always keep luggage away from the bed. Also, examine all used furniture and clothing before bringing them to your home and check them out after guests visit.
- P: When you return home, put all items of clothing from your luggage that are suitable for the dryer in the dryer for at least 45 minutes on the highest setting.
If you need more guidance on getting bed bugs out of your home, the Environmental Protection Agency has a step-by-step guide on how to assess and treat the infestation.
