Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee has (again) been named one of the top cities in America for bed bug infestations

Published

2 years ago

January 25, 2024

Press Room

Milwaukee has (again) been named one of the top cities in America for bed bug infestations

Here’s something that’ll give you the creeps ― bed bugs are on the rise in Milwaukee.

On Monday, the international pest control company Orkin released its annual list of the 50 most bed bug-infested cities in the United States. Milwaukee was named the 25th-most bed bug-infested city, moving up 15 spots from 40th-most infested last year. The only city to rise more spots in the rankings was Greensboro, N.C., which moved up 25 spots from 43rd to 18th.

The most bed bug-infested cities list is based on Orkin’s data on which metropolitan areas they performed the greatest number of bed bug treatments in between Dec. 1, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2023. The ranking includes both residential and commercial pest control treatments.

What U.S. city has the most bed bugs?

Chicago topped Orkin’s list for the fourth year in a row. It’s been a rough year for the Windy City in terms of pests. Chicago was also named America’s most rat-infested city by Orkin last year. Way to hit Milwaukee’s southern neighbor/rival when they’re down.

New York and Philadelphia held the second and third spots, respectively, for the second year in a row.

What are America’s 50 most bed bug-infested cities?

Chicago
New York City
Philadelphia
Cleveland-Akron, Ohio
Los Angeles
Detroit
Washington, D.C. (+2)
Indianapolis (-1)
Charlotte, N.C. (+5)
Champaign, Ill. (+1)
Columbus, Ohio (-1)
Cincinnati (+1)
Atlanta (+3)
Grand Rapids, Mich. (-2)
Denver
Baltimore (-8)
Richmond, Va. (+9)
Greensboro, N.C. (+25)
St. Louis (+6)
Youngstown, Ohio (+7)
Pittsburgh (-3)
Dallas-Ft. Worth (-5)
Flint, Mich. (-2)
Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (-4)
Milwaukee (+15)
Charleston, W.Va. (-7)
Greenville, S.C. (-3)
Norfolk, Va. (-5)
Davenport, Iowa (+8)
Nashville, Tenn. (+3)
Tampa, Fla. (+10)
Toledo, Ohio (+6)
Dayton, Ohio (+1)
Knoxville, Tenn. (-4)
Las Vegas (new to list)
Omaha, Neb. (-4)
South Bend, Ind. (-9)
Houston (+6)
Cedar Rapids, Mich. (-8)
Ft. Wayne, Ind. (-5)
San Francisco (-19)
Buffalo, N.Y. (-13)
Harrisburg, Pa. (-7)
Seattle (-5)
Miami
Orlando, Fla. (+1)
Minneapolis (new to list)
Oklahoma City (new to list)
Louisville, Ky.
Lexington, Ky. (-4)

What do bed bugs look like?

Bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed. They’re quite small, measuring roughly 1-to-7 millimeters, or up to 1/4 of an inch, long. The little pests have a flat, oval body and dark, protruding eyes, as well as short antennae.

Adult bed bugs are reddish-brown in color after feeding on blood. Young bugs are whitish-yellow and closer in size to a poppy seed.

You can learn more about the appearance of bed bugs throughout their life cycle on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website.

Why are bed bugs a problem?

Bed bugs feed on human blood, often when people are sleeping. The bugs are not known to transmit or spread disease, the EPA says, but they can cause itchy bites that irritate human hosts.

Bed bug bites can affect each person differently. Bite responses can range from an absence of any physical signs of the bite, to a small bite mark, to a serious allergic reaction, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say. While the bugs aren’t dangerous, an allergic reaction to several bites may require medical attention.

Additionally, sometimes excessively itching the bites can increase the chance of a secondary skin infection, the CDC warns.

Another sinister thing about these pests is that they travel easily without human detection.

“Bed bugs are usually transported from place to place as people travel,” the CDC says. “The bed bugs travel in the seams and folds of luggage, overnight bags, folded clothes, bedding, furniture and anywhere else where they can hide. Most people do not realize they are transporting stow-away bed bugs as they travel from location to location, infecting areas as they travel.”

Bed bugs can also spread quickly. Female bugs can deposit one to five eggs per day and can lay as many as 500 eggs in their lifetime, Orkin says. The bugs can survive several months between blood meals.

“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. “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.”

How do I know if I have a bed bug infestation on my hands?

Most people don’t realize they have a bed bug problem until their skin breaks out in itchy red welts. These bite marks can take as many as 14 days to appear, according to the CDC.

The CDC and EPA recommend you check your bed sheets or mattress for the following signs:

Dark spots (about this size: •), which are blood-filled fecal matter excreted by bed bugs.
Pale yellow exoskeletons, which look like tiny eggshells, that baby bed bugs shed as they molt.
A musty, sweet odor that bed bugs produce through glands on their lower body.
Blood stains where bed bugs have been accidentally crushed.
Live bed bugs in the seams, piping and folds of your mattress.

How do I prevent a bed bug infestation?

Here are some tips Orkin and American Pest Solutions recommend:

Inspect your home for signs of bed bugs regularly. Check the places where bugs hide during the day, including mattress tags and seams, and behind baseboards, headboards, electrical outlets and picture frames.
Decrease clutter around your home to make it easier to spot bed bugs on your own or during professional inspections.
Vacuum frequently.
Examine all secondhand furniture and clothing before bringing it inside your home.
Bed bugs will lay eggs in dirty clothing but hate the heat, so wash and dry your laundry on the hottest temperature setting when returning from a trip.
Inspect your bedding and luggage carefully if you’ve been traveling. Look for signs of bed bugs. If you see signs of bed bugs on items that can’t be washed, keep those items outside of your home until they can be treated.

How do I get rid of bed bugs if I find them?

If you find bed bugs, it is recommended you call a professional exterminator as soon as possible.

If you can, dispose of any beds, mattresses and cloth-covered furniture that bed bugs have infested. Wrap contaminated items in plastic to prevent any bugs from escaping, and label the items as “bed bug infested” so others don’t unknowingly bring the pests into their homes.

Finally, bed bugs hate the heat, so if you find them on your clothes, it is recommended you dry your clothes on a high-heat setting.

Indianapolis Star reporter John Tufts contributed to this report.

More: Milwaukee is one of the most rat-infested cities in America, but not as rat-infested as Chicago, Orkin says

More: Ticks are active across Wisconsin right now. The good news? There are several ways to prevent the bloodsuckers from biting

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Milwaukee, WI

Longtime anchor Shannon Sims is leaving Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV (Channel 4)

Published

9 hours ago

October 28, 2025

Press Room

Longtime anchor Shannon Sims is leaving Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV (Channel 4)

A WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) fixture is leaving the station.

Singer-turned-longtime anchor Shannon Sims’ last day with TMJ4 News will be Nov. 5, the Milwaukee NBC affiliate announced Oct. 28. Sims — who worked her way up at the TV station — anchors “Milwaukee Tonight” and “TMJ4 News” at 10 p.m. on weekdays, according to her bio on WTMJ’s website.

“Shannon’s passion for journalism and her commitment to our community have made a lasting impact on TMJ4 and the viewers we serve,” the station’s news director, Tim Vetscher, said in the announcement. “She has been a true advocate for those whose stories need to be told. We are grateful for her contributions and wish her all the best.”

Those contributions of Sims, highlighted in the announcement, included launching TMJ4’s public affairs program, “414WARD”; moderating political debates; leading Project: Drive Sober, which won an Emmy; hosting the first broadcast of the city’s Juneteenth parade; creating “Beyond the Bullet,” a special on Milwaukee gun violence; hosting the 2024 Positively Milwaukee Awards; producing the “PozCast” podcast; and being instrumental in the formation of the station’s diversity and volunteer teams.

“The titles and time slots were never what mattered most — it was the trust people placed in me to tell their stories, to ask tough questions, and to be there during the moments that mattered,” Sims said in the announcement. “What a ride it’s been!”

Before joining WTMJ in 2013 as a reporter and weekend news anchor, Sims was a radio announcer for 92.3 WTTS in Bloomington, Indiana; an intern, then production assistant at KGO 7 in San Francisco; and a general assignment reporter for KREM 2 in Spokane, Washington. She also spent time with WVEC in Norfolk, Virginia; WKEF in Dayton, Ohio; and FOX19 in Cincinnati, her station bio said.

Before pursuing broadcasting, Sims — who has a bachelor of arts from the Manhattan School of Music — was a classically trained singer with aspirations of being an opera performer, per her station bio.

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Milwaukee, WI

The Best Things to Do This Week, According to Our Editors: Oct. 27

Published

1 day ago

October 28, 2025

Press Room

The Best Things to Do This Week, According to Our Editors: Oct. 27

1.

ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR

Sometimes I get these nasty headaches, and all I can really do to combat them is down a bunch of aspirin, close my eyes and pray. But one issue, you see, is that aspirin is bad for your stomach lining, so whenever the headache starts – assuming I haven’t just eaten – I gotta get some food in me ASAP. All this goes to say that a few days ago, I was at 3rd Street Market Hall for work when a headache got rockin’ and rollin’. Thankfully, as far as eating goes that was kind of the best possible place to be. As I stumbled through the crowd at the popular Downtown food hall, I had many, many options to fill my pre-aspirin stomach. I landed upon Creta Mediterranean Grill and the humble joy of a gyro. It was classic – tangy tzatziki, juicy lamb, etc. – and just the dose of deliciousness I needed before the aspirin brought some healing to my aching head.

2. Watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR

I’ve never watched The Exorcist. I’ve seen only parts of Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street. The Shining affected my sleep, for weeks. But one of the worst forms of damage made to my young psyche by a horror movie is Invasion of the Body Snatchers – a truly terrifying 1978 film that had me convinced that hideous pods filled with alien replicas meant to replace us were growing in my family basement (I was really little, OK?). So lame, and yet. It took some time for me to recover from that. Flash forward to this past weekend. I turn on PBS and what do you suppose is on but Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But it’s not the 1978 version – it’s the 1956 original. (I never knew the ’78 movie was a remake.) This one, in black-and-white, is far less creepy than I remember its remade version to be. It reminds me of The Twilight Zone – weird, kind of campy, and unsettling but not scary. The actors (not anyone I recognize) seemed to take their roles seriously, too. Take this Halloween week recommendation from a confirmed scaredy-cat: Watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the original 1956 film. If it keeps you up at night, you’re even more of a wuss than I am! On Amazon Prime, The Roku Channel and other platforms.

The Unity Awards celebrates people and organizations who are working to make Milwaukee a better place for all. Know someone who should be honored?

CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Is black IPA the best IPA? I mean, I’m not sure I want this unholy marriage of IPA’s fruity hops and stout’s roasty, mocha-like malt all of the time, but it sure hits nicely this time of year. Brewers have been exploring the niche style since it came back from the dead a bit after the pandemic, and that body of work much more successfully threads the style’s needle than the first iteration of black IPAs in the early 2010s. My favorite of the style, Component Brewing’s Blackest Eyes, will be on tap on Friday at Busby’s second annual Fears & Beers, which includes a Component tap takeover (Oh My Gourd pumpkin spice coffee ale might also be of interest). Many more Halloween doings are in store as well: a tightly curated horror movie marathon with trivia, tarot card readings, a costume contest and eats from Not Bad food truck. 7 p.m.-midnight Friday, Busby’s, 3475 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

Component Brewing’s The Blackest Eyes IPA; Photo by Chris Drosner

EVAN MUSIL, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

We’ve lost many jazz greats in recent memory: Roy Ayers, Hermeto Pascoal, just to name a few this year. And now, at 83, Jack DeJohnette – a wide-ranging, masterful drummer who could pack quiet intensity into every rhythm, showing flashes and then magnificent bursts of complexity without ever overburdening a tune or losing time. You could point to DeJohnette’s time with Miles Davis during the trumpeter’s electric period, or his critical role in the Standards Trio with pianist Keith Jarrett and bassist Gary Peacock (just check out the soloing here!). But I first reached for Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival this morning. Evans makes for a perfect fall soundtrack, and DeJohnette lends such liveliness to this record, the only one he appeared on with Evans.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee man arrested for OWI going 107 mph on I-41 in Waukesha County with kids in vehicle

Published

2 days ago

October 27, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee man arrested for OWI going 107 mph on I-41 in Waukesha County with kids in vehicle

A 24-year-old man was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence with four children in the vehicle under the age of 16, according to a Wisconsin Department of Transportation news release.

Ryad Elmahdi of Milwaukee was stopped for going 107 mph in a 70 mph zone on I-41 near County Line Road in Waukesha County at about 4:29 p.m. on Oct 26, according to the release. Inside the vehicle were five passengers, four minors and one adult, in addition to Elmahdi.

The Wisconsin State Patrol trooper detected signs of impairment related to drug use, administered field sobriety tests and then arrested and transported him to a hospital for a legal blood draw, according to the release.

Elmahdi is being charged with operating while intoxicated with passengers under 16 years of age, possession of THC, reckless driving endangering safety, operating while suspended, operating without insurance and a child safety restraint violation.

The adult passenger in the vehicle was also arrested and charged with obstructing a police officer, and three separate warrants, according to the release.

It was Elmahdi’s first offense for operating a motor vehicle under the influence, the release said.

Anna Kleiber can be reached at akleiber@gannett.com.

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