Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee has (again) been named one of the top cities in America for bed bug infestations
Where do bed bugs come from? How they get could get into your home
Does the thought of bed bugs keep you up at night? Here’s what to know.
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
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Several Milwaukee leaders are condemning recent Immigrations and Customs Enforcement activity in the city, though questions remain whether actions meant to limit the agency within city limits can be enforced.
The group led by U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore expressed anger at the nature of the at least 57 confirmed arrests made by ICE agents across Wisconsin during “targeted operations” that began in late June.
“They’re being kidnapped. They’re being disappeared. They’re being rushed through a judicial process without due process because they don’t have any money. And we’re here to decry that,” said Moore during a press conference July 9.
Back in April, Milwaukee Common Council members unanimously passed one of the key pieces of their “ICE Out MKE” package: an ordinance that prohibited ICE agents from wearing masks while working in the city. But the Department of Homeland Security has indicated they will not adhere to the ordinance, with representatives asserting the US Constitution’s Supremacy Clause allows for federal laws to supersede any local ordinance.
“State and local sanctuary politicians attempting to ban our federal law enforcement from wearing masks is despicable and a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers,” said an ICE spokesperson in a statement to WTMJ. “To be crystal clear: we will not abide by unconstitutional bans. The Supremacy Clause makes it clear that state and local sanctuary politicians do not control federal law enforcement.”
During the recent arrests, ICE agents were spotted by groups like Voces de la Frontera wearing masks despite the ordinance. Agents also used the Milwaukee Police Department District 2 parking lot for staging purposes, which is against another “ICE Out” city ordinance. A statement from MPD said they were not told in advance that ICE intended to use the parking lot, and then asked them to leave.
No citations have been written by Milwaukee Police against any agents who have violated the mask ban, with the department citing the need for legal clarity from City Attorney Evan Goyke.
“We’re waiting to see what the city attorney’s advice will be on that,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson July 9 when asked by WTMJ if any of the “ICE Out” package is enforceable.
ICE says those arrested will remain in custody pending removal proceedings.
TOP STORIES FROM THE WTMJ NEWSROOM:
Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)
MILWAUKEE – A shooting in Milwaukee on Wednesday, July 8 left one person wounded.
11th and Locust
What we know:
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, a 23-year-old was shot around 6:30 p.m. near 11th and Locust.
The victim arrived at the hospital for treatment.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are under investigation.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
MPD tips
What you can do:
Milwaukee police are seeking information to identify a suspect in connection with this incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or P3 Tips.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department.
Milwaukee community members gathered at pop-up events across the northwest side Wednesday as part of “Peace on Every Block,” a week of activities aimed at building community, mentorship and sharing resources for violence prevention.
The week is organized by Advance Peace Milwaukee, Milwaukee Community Cross Roads and Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services.
“We want to see everybody win, and that’s the whole theme about it, about healing, coming together, stopping the violence,” Desilynn Smith of Uniting Garden Homes said.
Lorenzo Davis of Advance Peace said the northwest side was a deliberate focus for the effort.
“Because this is where the gun violence is happening, and we’re trying to end the gun violence in the city of Milwaukee. We really want to do what’s best for Milwaukee,” Davis said.
The Milwaukee Police Department reported a 30 percent drop in homicides during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year. But community members say that progress doesn’t always reflect what people are experiencing on the ground.
Watch: ‘Peace on Every Block’ brings Milwaukee community together to fight gun violence
‘Peace on Every Block’ brings Milwaukee community together to fight gun violence
“The data doesn’t lie, that’s true, but when it’s like every day we’re hearing about a shooting, or we’re so connected to it, and so many people connected to it, it just doesn’t appear that way,” Smith said.
The events come as Milwaukee has seen several violent deaths in recent days. 42-year-old Kristy Syed was found shot to death on Milwaukee’s south side.
The Medical Examiner’s Office also identified 19-year-old Savannah Lynn, who was killed after gunfire broke out following a fight on the Fourth of July.
Nine-year-old Jade Riser died after a shooting that happened near East Burleigh Street last Thursday.
Smith said healing is central to any lasting change.
“If we don’t heal, we can’t stop anything, because violence is actually the secondary emotion that is really driven off a lot of pain,” Smith said.
Davis said the young people in these neighborhoods are ready for something better.
“They want to see a better inside Milwaukee. They want to see a better chance for Milwaukee, and they want to do something better for themselves. So, these kids out here, we promote peace with them, and we’re going to back them, and we want to see them win,” Davis said.
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