Just about every city in America has something it can claim    that its got the best of. But the last thing a local chamber    of commerce would like to advertise is that its got more bed    bugs than anyplace else!  
    Now, on top of its hotdogs and pizza, the Bulls and the    Bears, and a history full of gangsters, Chicago can boast that    it is the worst city in America for bed bugs, according to an    annualstudy from Orkin.  
    New Yorkers and Philadelphians don't have much to cheer about,    either. New York has the second-worst bed bug problem and    Philadelphia is third.  
    The problem is increasing in Greensboro, N.C. That    metrogained the most ground this year, moving up 25    spots, followed by Milwaukee (#25) and Tampa (#31).  
    The only two towns in the U.S. that can feel good    aboutthe results of this study are Louisville and    Lexington, Ky.,which finished last. Maybe bed bugs dont    like bourbon.  
    Heres the whole list of bed bug-infested cities based on    treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the    most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2022  Nov.    30, 2023. The ranking includes both residential and commercial    treatments.  
        Chicago      
        New York      
        Philadelphia      
        Cleveland-Akron      
        Los Angeles      
        Detroit      
        Washington, D.C. (+2)      
        Indianapolis (-1)      
        Charlotte (+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 (-4)      
        Milwaukee (+15)      
        Charleston, W.Va.(-7)      
        Greenville, S.C. (-3)      
        Norfolk, Va.(-5)      
        Davenport (+8)      
        Nashville (+3)      
        Tampa (+10)      
        Toledo (+6)      
        Dayton, Ohio(+1)      
        Knoxville, Tenn. (-4)      
        Las Vegas (new to list)      
        Omaha, Neb.(-4)      
        South Bend, Ind.(-9)      
        Houston (+6)      
        Cedar Rapids, Iowa(-8)      
        Ft. Wayne, Ind.(-5)      
        San Francisco (-19)      
        Buffalo, N.Y. (-13)      
        Harrisburg (-7)      
        Seattle (-5)      
        Miami      
        Orlando (+1)      
        Minneapolis (new to list)      
        Oklahoma City (new to list)      
        Louisville, Ky.      
        Lexington, Ky.(-4)      
    Paris has had time to work on its bed bug program, but    according to reports, the punaise de lit (bed bug)    situation is getting worse there instead of better  like 65%    worse. according to Frances Union Chamber of Insect    Control.  
    Thats a headache and a half for the most visited city in the    world, whose hoteliers have been searching for something    positive for the 15 million people coming to town for the    Olympics.  
    "While the bed bug infestations in Paris have made travelers    more conscious of the pests in hotels while traveling    internationally, it is also important to take precautions at    home, said Ben Hottel, Orkin entomologist.  
    Second-hand items such as clothing and furniture are also    common bed bug hiding places, allowing pests an opportunity to    hitch a ride home with new consumers. Examining any new items    before they enter your home will help to catch a bed bug    infestation sooner, rather than later.  
    If you live in one of the markets where bed bugs rule, it may    be a good idea to double-check to see what levels of    infestation you may or may not have. ConsumerAffairs has a    complete guide to pest control  including reader reviews and    ratings  available     here.  
        Gary        GuthrieReporter      
    Garys main beats for the ConsumerAffairs news team are travel    and technology, including the hearing aid industry. (Hes also    been a hearing aid user for over 15 years.) Prior to working    here, he was a programming consultant for radio and TV stations    in some 20 markets around the U.S., as well as a presentation    developer for the likes of Jack Daniel's, Procter & Gamble,    AT&T, and Columbia University.  
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Bed bugs are increasing. Where does your city rank? - ConsumerAffairs