Philadelphia Rises to #2 Among Bedbug Infested Cities

Where are the bedbugs biting most these days?  A national survey puts Philadelphia near the top of the list.

KYW's Mike DeNardo reports that when it comes to bedbug infestations, Philadelphia is now #2 in the country behind the Big Apple, according to calls placed in the last year to the Terminix pest control company.

(Robert Byer:)  "We don't want to pass New York in this case."

Not so far.  New York is first, Philadelphia second, Detroit is third, and Ohio has four cities in the top 15.

Entomologist Robert Byer, from Terminix in Northeast Philadelphia, says Philadelphians move around and live close together -- not a good combination for controlling bedbugs:

"We have a lot of people in our city that travel and are out and about.  And it's very easy to bring them back home.  And then it's very easy to transport them in between homes."

Byer says two years ago, they'd get one call a week for bedbugs.  Now, they're getting a dozen calls a day.

Will these national headlines keep visitors away from Philly hotels?  No reason for that, says Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association executive director Ed Grose:

"This is marketing for Terminix to say there's a bedbug problem.  That doesn't necessarily mean there's a bedbug problem in hotels."