Bed bugs galore: 3 Ohio towns in Top 15 U.S. cities with most critters

CLEVELAND, Ohio — If you’ve ever experienced bed bugs, you know how disturbing the experience can be.

While it’s common knowledge that practicing good hygiene and cleanliness can help prevent bed bugs, it turns out these invasive insects are more commonly found in some areas than other.

For those in Ohio, brace yourself: 3 cities rank among the 15 most bed bug-infested cities in the U.S.

The Cleveland-Akron, Ohio, metro area has the fourth-most bed bugs among U.S. cities, according to a report from Orkin, a national pest control company. Orkin compiled its rankings by comparing data from the areas where it performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2022, to Nov. 30, 2023. What’s more, Cleveland’s No. 4 ranking is identical to its fourth-place ranking in Orkin’s 2023 bed bugs report.

Cleveland ranks behind only No. 3 Philadelphia, No. 2 New York and top-ranking Chicago.

Beyond Cleveland at No. 4, two other Ohio cities also ranked among Orkin’s top 15 cities with the most bed bugs. Columbus, Ohio, ranked 11th on Orkin’s list while Cincinnati placed 12th.

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The top 15 U.S. cities with the most bed bugs, according to Orkin, are:

1. Chicago, IL

2. New York, NY

3. Philadelphia, PA

4. Cleveland-Akron, OH

5. Los Angeles, CA

6. Detroit, MI

7. Washington, D.C.

8. Indianapolis, IN

9. Charlotte, NC

10. Champaign, IL

11. Columbus, OH

12. Cincinnati, OH

13. Atlanta, GA

14. Grand Rapids, MI

15. Denver, CO

To prevent bed bugs in your bed, Orkin suggests the following tips:

· Regularly inspect your home for signs of bed bugs, which are typically 3/16-inch long and red to dark brown in color. Signs of bed bugs include rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses; dark spots, which may be bug excrement; and eggs and eggshells, which are about 1mm in size with pale yellow skins.

· Look in bed bug hiding spots, including the sheets, mattress, box spring, behind baseboards, headboards, pictures and torn wallpaper.

· Decrease clutter around your home to make it easier to identify bed bugs

· Examine all secondhand furniture before bringing it into your home

“Bed bugs are extremely resilient, making them difficult to control. As travel plans ramp up, it’s important that Americans know how to protect themselves through pest identification and proper control,” Orkin entomologist Ben Hottel said in a statement. “While bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, they are excellent at hiding. Involving a trained professional at the sight of a bed bug introduction is recommended.”

Orkin’s full rankings of the U.S. cities with the most bed bugs can be found online.