New York City is the nations second-most bed bug-infested city, according to pest control company Orkin. <\/p>\n
The Big Apple maintained its No. 2 spot after surpassing Philadelphia on the annual list last year. <\/p>\n
Orkin meanwhile ranked Chicago No. 1 on its list of treatment data from Dec.1, 2022 through Nov. 30, 2023. Its the fourth year in a row the Windy City has claimed the top spot. <\/p>\n
Elsewhere on Orkins list of 50 critter-riddled cities, Buffalo dropped 13 spots to the No. 42 position, after coming in at No. 29 in 2023. The biggest jump, however, belonged to Greensboro, N.C., which climbed a whopping 25 spots to reach No. 18. <\/p>\n
Illinois was the only state to land two cities in Orkins Top 10, with Champaign just making the cut. Heres a rundown of that list: <\/p>\n
Bed bugs are extremely resilient, making them difficult to control, said Orkin entomologist Ben Hottel in a press release of the companys findings. While bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, they are excellent at hiding. <\/p>\n
Orkin says bed bugs are typically 3\/16 inch long, red to dark brown in color, and are known to survive for months while waiting for their next fix of human or animal blood. A female bed bug can lay up to five eggs a day and as many as 500 in her lifetime, Orkin explains. <\/p>\n
While WebMD says bed bugs arent known to spread disease, their bites do cause skin irritation. Scratching bite marks could lead to an infection. People who develop an allergic reaction to bug bites should consult a physician. <\/p>\n
To avoid bed bug infestation, Orkin recommends inspecting homes for places where bed bugs hide during the daytime, such as mattress tags and seams, electrical outlets and picture frames. Thoroughly examining secondhand furniture before bringing it home is also a good idea. <\/p>\n
Pest control specialists may recommend pesticides or heat treatments that temporarily make insect hiding spots too hot for survival. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n