Philadelphia Drops In Orkin's Top Bed Bug Cities List
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia has fallen on Orkin's list of top cities for bed bugs. Last year, the city was no. 10 on the list, but now Philly is no. 12.
Pest-control company Orkin ranked the top 50 cities with the most bed bugs based on the number of bed bug treatments the company performed from Dec. 1, 2018 through Nov. 30, 2019. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.
Coming in first place this year is Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Baltimore fell to the second spot after three years as the frontrunner, and Indianapolis joined the top of the list.
Orkin's 2020 Bed Bug Cities List:
- Washington, D.C. (+1)
- Baltimore (-1)
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Columbus, OH
- New York
- Detroit (+1)
- Cincinnati (-1)
- Indianapolis (+5)
- Atlanta (-1)
- Cleveland, OH
- Philadelphia (-2)
- San Francisco (-1)
- Raleigh, NC (-1)
- Norfolk (+2)
- Champaign, IL (+7)
- Dallas (-2)
- Grand Rapids (+2)
- Pittsburgh (+6)
- Charlotte (-1)
- Richmond, VA (-5)
- Greenville, SC (-4)
- Knoxville, TN (-1)
- Buffalo, NY (-3)
- Greensboro, NC (-4)
- Charleston, WV (+5)
- Denver
- St. Louis (+2)
- Nashville (-5)
- Lansing (+2)
- Flint (+16)
- Miami (-3)
- Milwaukee (-3)
- Tampa (+1)
- Omaha (+2)
- Orlando (+5)
- Davenport, IA (+5)
- Houston (-12)
- Syracuse (-6)
- Boston (-2)
- Cedar Rapids, IA (+3)
- Myrtle Beach (new to list)
- Seattle (-4)
- San Diego (+5)
- Phoenix (-11)
- Fort Wayne, IN (+2)
- Las Vegas (-7)
- Hartford, CT (-5)
- Dayton, OH (-3)
- Toledo, OH (new to list)
Bed bugs, which are typically 4-5 mm in length and red to dark brown in color, can travel from place to place with ease, including luggage, purses and other belongings. Normally nocturnal, bed bugs will come out of hiding to take blood meals from sleeping or quietly resting humans. Bed bugs are known for rapid population growth. Females can deposit one to five eggs a day and may lay 200 to 500 eggs in their lifetime. Under normal room temperatures and with an adequate food supply, they can live for more than 300 days, often making treatment challenging.
Here are some tips to prevent bed bugs at home:
- Inspect your home for signs of bed bugs regularly. Check the places where bed bugs hide during the day, including mattress tags and seams, and behind baseboards, headboards, electrical outlets and picture frames.
- Decrease clutter around your home to make it easier to spot bed bugs on your own or during professional inspections.
- Inspect your residence regularly—when you move-in, after a trip, when a service worker visits or after guests stay overnight.
- Examine all secondhand furniture before bringing it inside your home. This is a common way for bed bugs to be introduced into homes.
- Wash and dry your bed linens often, using the hottest temperature allowed for the fabric.
