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Pest control firm announces top cities for bedbug infestations - makes you itch uncontrollably

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Aug 25th 2010 at 11:30AM

Pest control firm Terminix just released a list of the 15 most bedbug-infested cities, "based on an analysis of call volume reporting bedbug infestations and of confirmed bedbug cases reported by sales professionals in 350 of the company's service centers".

The list contains very few surprises, New York takes the top spot, but Ohio manages to snag four of the top fifteen cities. Apologies in advance if I keep you up all night with phantom itches.

Getting rid of these nasty bugs is a laborious process - the Harvard School of Public Health has a great resource on how to detect and eradicate them.

Here are the top 15 cities where bedbug infestations are found:

New York, NY
Philadelphia PA
Detroit MI
Cincinnati OH
Chicago IL
Denver CO
Columbus OH
Dayton OH
Washington DC
Los Angeles CA
Boston MA
Indianapolis IN
Louisville KY
Cleveland OH
Minneapolis MN

[Photo: AP Photo/Virginia Tech Department of Entomology]

Filed under: North America, United States

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

bed bug victim Aug 30th 2010 12:19PM

I had bed bugs for almost a year and moved out 4 times.

I hate bed bugs. It’s was a nightmare. I couldn’t sleep.

Always thinking that they might come out at night to bite you.

Problem is that I’m sensitve to these bites.

I;ve finally got rid of them

Here is my advice when you have bed bugs:

Don’t throw away your mattress immediately; otherwise someone else can get bed bugs.

1. Buy 3 cans of bed bug spray (you really need that)
2. Spray your mattress
3. Seal your mattress with thick plastic mattress cover
(must NOT have any holes, otherwise they can get in and bit you again)
4. Find the bed bugs in your bed frame and kill them
5. Spray your bed frame every day for at least 1 week

6. Wash your bed sheets and blankets with HOT water
7. Wash all your clothes with HOT water
8. Dry your clothes in heater (heat can kill bed bugs)
9. After cleaning, put your cloths in a plastic bag with air zip
10. Put your bags of cloths in the middle of your house

These are just the basic steps, bed bugs can still hide in the holes and cracks of your wall.

There is more than I can write here, but not enough space here…

Go to http://www.bedbuggoaway.com for the whole checklist.

davy Sep 1st 2010 6:59PM

I've come across various items in the news announcing alarming increases in bed bug infestations. I've never encountered them personally and don't want to in the future. Are there certain measures one can take to avoid a phone call to the local pest control company? Is keeping your place tidy and washing your sheets regularly enough?

MR MIKE Oct 16th 2011 5:55PM

NO. While bed bugs tend to stay around the bedding area, keeping the bed clean does little to prevent them. By the time you wake, have coffee and begin this laundry chore, they have settled into a safe crack or crevice.
They do not walk in on their own (typically-apartment living being the exception). Watch what you carry in and out of the house. Jackets, briefcases, suitcases, clothing (new and used), furniture (new and used too) and bags are all suspect. Children that attend a sleep over, a vacation, hotel or not, attending a party where all the clothes are piled in one spot, are just some situations that changes need to be made to keep you safe. As for prevention, here is an easy tip. When you change the sheets, inspect thoroughly. Google some images and educate yourself about what to look for. If you catch the activity early (let's not panic here---- just one more thing for us all to do) it is easiest to get rid of. You are looking for castings (they shed like a snake) and red stains, and these are easy to see. The adult bugs are the size of apple seeds and the stains can be widespread and even easier to spot
http://identify.us.com/_Media/bedbug_clear.png
http://identify.us.com/bed-bugs/bedbug-images/bedbug.html
http://www.badbedbugs.com/what-do-bed-bug-bites-look-like/ ---4 pics to enlarge here

Don't worry. Smile. And if you have trouble, it can be fixed.

Ginny Crandall Oct 8th 2010 1:05PM

Oh. This is not happy news. I mean, I'm sure that the pest control people are ok with it, because it means more money for them, but I've already got the phantom itches and I'm nowhere near any of those cities. Where did these little stinky guys come from? And if I do find them in the early stages, how do I kill them?