As Americans prepare for their summer vacation travels, the good folks at Terminix ratcheted up the “ick” factor with its annual listing of the Top 50 Most Bed Bug-Infested US Cities.
The new list is based on 2024 service data from more than 300 branches nationwide. According to the company, this year’s list recorded a “notable surge in bed bug activity, with cities across Ohio, Texas, Florida, California and Pennsylvania dominating the list – a trend fueled by increased travel, urban density and housing conditions.”
For the second year in a row, Philadelphia claimed the top spot on this less-than-desirable list. Rounding out the top 10 were New York City, Cleveland-Akron, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Houston, Washington, DC, the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose corridor, and Indianapolis.
“We have seen a consistent increase in bed bug control service performed since the ‘new normal’ post-Covid-19 pandemic,” said Eric Braun, technical service manager at Terminix. “As travel, social gatherings, and public activity resumed, so did the opportunities for bed bugs to spread, prompting a rise in both awareness and demand for professional pest control services.”
Photo courtesy of Picryl
Makes sense.