Philadelphia ranked No. 3 on Orkin's top 50 worst bed bug cities
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia is ranked once again, this time for something that will make your skin crawl. The city was ranked third in the nation on Orkin's Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List for the second year in a row.
The ranking is based on the number of new bed bug treatments over the last year. Orkin says the list shows the demand for treatment and the efforts that residents and business owners in Philadelphia have taken to treat beg bug issues.
A slight silver lining might be that Philadelphians are resilient and likely tireless.
According to Orkin, bed bugs "are typically 3/16 inch long, red to dark brown in color and are mostly nocturnal insects that come out of hiding to take blood meals from sleeping humans."
The pest control company shares these tips for keeping an infestation at bay:
- Inspect your home for bed bugs regularly, especially places they could hide such as near mattress tags and seams and behind items like baseboards, headboards, electrical outlets and picture frames.
- Decrease clutter to make it easier to spot the pests.
- Examine any secondhand furniture before bringing it into your home.
Orkin also recommends checking hotel rooms for bugs and stains on mattresses and keeping luggage away from the bed, floor and walls when traveling. Putting all dryer-safe clothing through 30-45 minutes in the dryer on the highest setting after a trip can also help, according to Orkin.
Orkin ranked American cities based on treatments performed in both residential and commercial spaces. The numbers indicate where the cities fell on last year's list.
Here are the top 50 American cities for bed bugs, according to Orkin:
1. Chicago
2. New York
3. Philadelphia
4. Cleveland-Akron, OH
5. Los Angeles
6. Detroit
7. Washington, D.C. (+2)
8. Indianapolis (-1)
9. Charlotte (+5)
10. Champaign, IL (+1)
11. Columbus, OH (-1)
12. Cincinnati (+1)
13. Atlanta (+3)
14. Grand Rapids, MI (-2)
15. Denver
16. Baltimore (-8)
17. Richmond, VA (+9)
18. Greensboro, N.C. (+25)
19. St. Louis (+6)
20. Youngstown (+7)
21. Pittsburgh (-3)
22. Dallas-Ft. Worth (-5)
23. Flint, MI (-2)
24. Raleigh-Durham (-4)
25. Milwaukee (+15)
26. Charleston, W.V. (-7)
27. Greenville, SC (-3)
28. Norfolk, VA (-5)
29. Davenport (+8)
30. Nashville (+3)
31. Tampa (+10)
32. Toledo (+6)
33. Dayton, OH (+1)
34. Knoxville (-4)
35. Las Vegas (new to list)
36. Omaha, NE (-4)
37. South Bend, IN (-9)
38. Houston (+6)
39. Cedar Rapids, MI (-8)
40. Fort Wayne, IN (-5)
41. San Francisco (-19)
42. Buffalo, NY (-13)
43. Harrisburg (-7)
44. Seattle (-5)
45. Miami
46. Orlando (+1)
47. Minneapolis (new to list)
48. Oklahoma City (new to list)
49. Louisville, KY
50. Lexington, KY (-4)
Orkin reminds us that it's critical to take steps to prevent bed bugs in our homes and while traveling.