The 10 Worst U.S. Cities for Bed Bugs

Los Angeles International Airport Source: Flickr/Thomas Hart

Bringing home a souvenir from your travels is one thing. Bringing home bedbugs is quite another. Professional bug blasters Orkin recently released its annual list of the Top 50 Bed Bug Cities, via Conde Nast Traveler. And the Mid-Atlantic region did not do so well.

For the second year in a row, Baltimore was in first place, followed by Washington, DC. The complete top ten reads as:

1. Baltimore
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Chicago
4. Los Angeles
5. Columbus, Ohio
6. Cincinnati
7. Detroit
8. New York
9. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
10. Dallas-Fort Worth

The list is based on the number of bed bug treatments Orkin performed in both residential and commercial buildings from December 1, 2016 through November 30, 2017. Bed bugs look to prefer the East Coast and Midwest, including Flint Michigan and New Orleans which were added to this year’s edition. Conde Nast Traveler points out a couple of improvements from last year: New York City fell four spots and Orlando dropped off the list entirely.

Although bedbugs are less than pleasant, and you don’t want to bring them home with you, don’t let them prevent you from enjoying your time in a city. There are measures that you can take to avoid taking home any unwanted guests. When you first enter a hotel room, place your luggage in the tub or shower because bugs can’t cling to the smooth surface.

Then take your time performing a search of the room to check for signs of life, including stains on the mattress seams and other soft surfaces. Be sure not to drop your dirty laundry on the floor, lest it pick up anything unwanted. Once you’re back home, place any clothing in the dryer on the highest setting to kill any possible bugs. And you can also find guides and handy information about how to check for and prevent bed bugs on Orkin and other sites.