Of all the rankings we’ve written about so far, this is perhaps one of the least flattering.
A Pennsylvania city was just ranked by Orkin as the second most bed bug infested city in the entire United States.
Philly Voice reports that when Orkin released its annual “Top 50 Bed Bug Cities” list for 2022, it took a look at which places across the country requested the most bed bug treatments between December 2020 and November 2021.
Number two on this list is Philadelphia.
The list — which counted both commercial and residential buildings that had requested treatment — actually makes a rather disturbing remark, pointing out that Philly has dropped not one, not two, but 12 places from its original ranking of 14 in 2021 jumped up. That’s actually the highest jump of any other city on the list, although none other than Harrisburg was ranked as a newcomer at number 42.
Below Philly at number three was New York (which has moved up nine places since 2021) and above Chicago, a place that has ranked number one for two consecutive years.
Although a previous study reported by PennLive called roaches the most hated pest in all of Pennsylvania, bed bugs are certainly no joke either: The Orkin study describes how these tiny creatures find strength in numbers, breed rapidly, and attach themselves maintain a hematophagous diet, i.e. feeding exclusively on human blood.
“Bed bugs are a problem for everyone because they are masterful hitchhikers, traveling home with people when they probably aren’t aware,” explains Orkin entomologist Ben Hottel. “Their nature of hiding in hard-to-find cracks and crevices can make them difficult to control, which is why it’s recommended to consult a trained professional when seeing an introduction.”
