Top 15 bed bug cities in the United States:
- Detroit, Mich.
- Philadelphia, Pa.
- Cleveland-Akron, Ohio
- Los Angeles, Calif.
- Dayton, Ohio
- Chicago, Ill.
- Columbus, Ohio
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas
- San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif.
- Denver, Colo.
- Toledo, Ohio
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Baltimore, Md.
- New York, N.Y.
Source: Terminix
Ohio has five cities in a list of the top 15 cities in the U.S. for bed bugs — the most of any state.
Terminix, a provider of pest control services in the United States, released its sixth annual ranking of bed bug-infested cities Thursday.
For the first time in four years, Philadelphia was outranked by Detroit, which stole the top spot.
In Ohio, the Cleveland-Akron area ranked third in the U.S.
Ohio cities closely behind, in order, were Dayton (fifth), Columbus (seventh), Cincinnati (eighth) and Toledo (12th), according to Terminix.
“We’ve seen a steady increase in bed bugs since the 1990s, which has been influenced by increased international travel and infestations left untreated,” said Paul Curtis, manager, technical services at Terminix.
Curtis said most cities in the top 15 are tourist and business destinations, making travelers even more at risk for encounters with bed bugs — whether it’s on the plane, at a hotel, in a movie theater or riding in a taxi.
Curtis added the name bed bug is deceptive, as the pests can thrive anywhere.
The list was compiled using data from over 300 Terminix branches nationwide from Jan. 1, 2015 to Dec. 17, 2015.
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