Talk about a club no one ever wants to join.
The pest control giant, Orkin, has released its Bed Bugs Cities List for 2014, ranking 50 cities on their propensity for bed bug infestations. To determine the results, Orkin looked at the number of bed bug treatments it had performed in each city from January to December 2014.
Chicago, Illinois took the #1 spot for the third consecutive year. The problem in the Windy City is so bad that the city council passed an ordinance in 2013 aimed at stamping out infestations.
Detroit, MI came in at #2, followed by Columbus, OH. Our very own Los Angeles came in at #4, with Cleveland-Akron-Canton, Ohio rounding out the top five. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose (#3) and Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto (#14) also made the list.
Even if your city doesn’t rank high on the bed bug list, you’re not necessarily out of the woods. According to Orkin, bed bugs can be found in every region of the country, and the company has treated infestations in all 50 states. The problem is compounded by one of the insects’ defining characteristics: they love to travel—in your clothes, in your suitcase, you name it.
“The problem is growing nationwide,” Orkin said in its press release. “According to an annual report on the pest control industry, Americans spent $446 million to get rid of bed bugs in 2013, the latest data available, compared to $70 million in 2004.”
Ouch!
Now, sleep tight. And don’t let the bed bugs bite.