What countries are bed bugs found in? All of them - including the United States, which is where our research is focused. This is a fairly subjective list, as the data varies from source to source and from year to year, but it will get us in the ballpark, anyway. For instance, in their list of the top bed bug cities in the U.S., Orkin states that Washington, D.C. is number 1 on the list while Terminix says it's Philadelphia, PA. Meanwhile, CBS news says it's New York City, NY and Bloomberg has Baltimore, MD as number 1. At the end of the day, there's just a lot of bedbugs out there...
What you'll find below is a compilation of the top bed bug cities in the U.S. based on the number of entries we found on various lists along with other information that we found to be relevant such as population density (Wikipedia states that infestations are more common in high density areas), past ranking, etc. That means that, at least to a large degree, it's our opinion as much as anything else. So don't hold us to it - it's for general information only.
7. Chicago, IL
9. Atlanta, GA
10. Detroit, MI
11. Cleveland, OH
12. Columbus, OH
14. Pittsburgh, PA
15. Boston, MA
16. Houston, TX
17. Champaign, IL
18. St. Louis, MO
19. Nashville, TN
21. Grand Rapids, MI
22. Orlando, FL
23. Tampa, FL
24. Dayton, OH
25. Charleston, WV
26. Toledo, OH
27. Denver, CO
28. Miami, FL
29. Davenport, IA
30. Hartford, CT
31. Raleigh, NC
32. Norfolk, VA
33. Memphis, TN
34. Charlotte, NC
35. Louisville, KY
36. Richmond, VA
37. Greenville, SC
38. Knoxville, TN
39. Little Rock, AR
40. Buffalo, NY
41. Greensboro, NC
43. Harrisburg, PA
44. Paducah, KY
45. Fort Smith, AR
46. Lansing, MI
47. Flint, MI
48. Lexington, KY
49. Kansas City, MO
50. Milwaukee, WI
51. Omaha, NE
52. Shreveport, LA
53. South Bend, IN
54. Springfield, MO
55. Syracuse, NY
56. Birmingham, AL
57. Cedar Rapids, IA
58. Myrtle Beach, SC
59. Jacksonville, FL
61. Seattle, WA
62. San Diego, CA
63. Phoenix, AZ
64. Honolulu, HI
65. Evansville, IN
66. Fort Wayne, IN
67. Las Vegas, NV
68. Jackson, MS
69. Youngstown, OH
70. Montgomery, AL
Bed Bugs In Hotels
How common are bed bugs in hotels? How about bed bugs in new York, Philadelphia or Los Angeles CA? Bed bugs are common in hotels throughout our list of the top bed bug cities in the U.S., including Las Vegas, Boston, Charlotte, etc. It's not hard to find data that proves hotels and motels are a major source of bed bugs. After all, they have so many different people coming and going - and sleeping - every day. Since bedbugs are introduced or brought to a location, the more people you have coming and going, the higher the odds are that there will be bed bug activity. You can check on a specific hotel before booking on the Bedbug Reports website, the Bedbug Registry site, and within the guest reviews on Trip Advisor.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bed bugs are found 'across the globe', including in 5-star hotels and resorts, remote & rural areas and everywhere in between. You risk taking them home with you regardless of where you stay while traveling. That's why we recommend the use of really good bedbug monitoring traps when on the road. They are an inexpensive and easy to use form of early detection and prevention. The traps we offer on this site are the best on the market, using CO2 (Active Beacon Technology) to attract the bed bugs and trap them without the use of pesticides. Place them under and on the bed before bringing your luggage in. Turn the lights off and go to dinner, run a few errands, etc. After a couple of hours, check the traps for bed bugs. If there's none, settle in, but if you see even one, stay somewhere else.
How Do You Know If There Are Bed Bugs In Your Hotel Room?
As mentioned above, use the traps - they really do work well. Also, you should do a thorough inspection of the room - especially the bed. Pull the sheets off and closely inspect the stitching and seams of the mattress and box spring, between the mattress and box spring, the pillows, cracks and joints in headboards and foot boards. Most bed bugs tend to hang out with fifteen feet or so of where humans sleep, so use that as a map. Check for bed bug castings and feces on the floor under the bed, around baseboards, pictures, electrical outlets and any other tight, dark spaces close to the bed. Check out our bed bug pictures page for help with identification.
Can I Sue A Hotel For Bed Bugs?
According to the Bed Bug Legal Group, yes. Their website states that if have been to a hotel and were injured because of bedbugs, they can help you carry out legal action against t hat hotel. In our opinion, it's better not to ever have to deal with the problem, but it's interesting to know there are legal remedies available should it happen to you. Of course, the burden of proof will undoubtedly be on you.
What Causes Bed Bugs?
Where do bed bugs come from? It's important to understand that bedbugs are not a naturally occurring pest, such as crickets, ants or scorpions. They are introduced to an environment every time they occur. The majority of the time they hitch a ride with humans and are then transported from location to location. Will bed bugs get in hair? Yes. Will they hide in your luggage? Yes. Will they live and breed in your mattress? Absolutely. That's why we just cannot stress how important a good quality bed bug mattress protector is as far as long term prevention - and peace of mind - goes. Check out our article about bed bug mattress covers for more info.
Why Do Bed Bugs Keep Coming Back?
That is an extremely common question and usually comes from someone who is frustrated because they've had to deal with the hassle and expense multiple times. We have a short article about why they come back, which gives a good explanation of the problem. Another common question is will they go away on their own, so check out that article as well. I can tell you that I owned a pest control business in the Phoenix area for 30 years and we did bedbug eradication in both Phoenix and the White Mountains of eastern Arizona for many years. A recurring problem is more than common - it happens a lot.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
If you're being bitten - especially in bed - the first thought is usually bed bugs. That's not always the problem. It's very common to have a small spider or some ants visiting you at night. Though they are not there to feed on you like bedbugs, they will bite if threatened and it happens more than you may think. If you're worried about it, use the traps we mentioned earlier in this article to see if you catch any bed bugs. If you do catch something, go to our bed bug pictures page to compare what you caught with a variety of bedbug pictures. There are also bed bug bites pictures for help in identification, too.
Top Bed Bug Cities In The U.S.
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