by Shane Henson — March 22, 2013—The threat of bed bugs has not gone away. In fact, Orkin’s parent company, Rollins, which operates eight pest control brands nationwide, saw a nearly 33 percent increase in bed bug business in 2012 compared to 2011, the company says.
While no city is immune to bed bugs, some seem to have more of a problem with the hard-to-kill insects than others, as shown in Orkin’s list of top 50 bed bug cities for 2012, in which Chicago replaced Cincinnati as having the most bed bug treatments conducted by Orkin. Rounding out the top 20 of the 50 cities on the list are:
- Chicago (+1)
- Detroit (+1)
- Los Angeles (+2)
- Denver
- Cincinnati (-4)
- Columbus, OH
- Washington, DC (+1)
- Cleveland/Akron/Canton (+5)
- Dallas/Ft. Worth (-2)
- New York (-1)
- Dayton, OH (+4)
- Richmond/Petersburg, VA (-2)
- Seattle/Tacoma (+14)
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (-2)
- Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, NC (+4)
- Indianapolis (+15)
- Omaha, NE (+11)
- Houston (-7)
- Milwaukee (+13)
- Baltimore (-2)
“This list shows that bed bugs continue to be a problem throughout the United States,” said Orkin entomologist and technical services director Ron Harrison. “Based on the diversity of cities on the list, we all need to be very cautious when we travel—whether it is business or pleasure, or to visit family, friends or vacation. We need to be vigilant wherever we are and take the proper precautions.”
According to Orkin, sanitation is not a factor when it comes to the development of the tiny bloodsuckers. Other common misconceptions are that they can only be found in bedrooms, when, in fact, in your home they can be found in kitchens and bathrooms. Not only are residences a potential risk, but they can be found in hospitals, movie theaters, planes and gyms. The good news is that while people may believe bed bugs transmit diseases, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, bed bugs can carry more than 30 different human pathogens and can cause mild to severe itching, but there is no evidence that they transmit diseases.
Orkins notes that bed bugs can multiply quickly, so early detection is critical to preventing a larger infestation. The company says that while people may want to take on a bed bug infestation themselves, it is a complicated process and not recommended for do-it-yourselfers.
