List of the top 50 bed bug cities in America

(WTAJ) — Terminix has released a list of the top 50 cities in America for bed bugs.

The information has been compiled between April 16, 2018, and April 15, 2019, based on data from more than 300 of its locations nationwide.

With Philadelphia topping the list, there are two other cities in Pennsylvania that made it as well.

Terminix based its rankings on the number of services rendered in each city in the past year*. The top 50 cities for bed bug infestations in the United States are:

1. Philadelphia
2. New York
3. Dallas-Fort Worth                                 
4. Indianapolis
5. Cincinnati
6. Los Angeles
7. Cleveland
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Chicago
10. Boston
11. Columbus, Ohio
12. Houston
13. Baltimore
14. Atlanta
15. Detroit
16. Pittsburgh
17. Memphis, Tenn.
18. Nashville, Tenn.
19. Orlando, Fla.                    
20. Tampa, Fla.   
21. Louisville, Ky.                    
22. St. Louis                    
23. Little Rock, Ark.                    
24. Dayton, Ohio                    
25. Charleston-Huntington, W.Va.  
26. Oklahoma City
27. Harrisburg, Pa
28. Toledo, Ohio                    
29. Paducah, Ky.
30. Fort Smith, Ark.
31. Lexington, Ky
32. Champaign-Urbana, Ill.    
33. Kansas City, Mo.
34. San Francisco                    
35. Shreveport, La.                
36. Miami
37. Hartford, Conn.
38. South Bend, Ind.
39. Springfield, Mo.
40. Birmingham, Ala.
41. Grand Rapids, Mich.
42. Jacksonville, Fla
43. West Palm Beach, Fl
44. Davenport, Iowa
45. Honolulu
46. Evansville, Ind.
47. Jackson, Miss.
48. Youngstown, Ohio
49. Montgomery, Ala.
50. Denver    
     

Terminix offers these tips to lower the risk of being bitten or transporting bed bugs:

• Check hotel headboards, mattresses and box springs for live bed bugs, their exoskeletons and/or dark blood spots.
• While full-grown bed bugs are about the size, shape, and color of an apple seed, travelers should also look for newly hatched nymphs, which are cream-colored and the size of letters on a penny, as well as small translucent eggs, which may be found in the tucks and folds of sheets.
• Hang all clothing. Leave nothing lying on the bed or furniture.
• Avoid storing clothing in a hotel’s furniture drawers.
• Store suitcases on a luggage rack as far away from the bed as possible.
• Vacuum suitcases when returning home, and immediately wash clothing in hot water.
• Between trips, store luggage in a sealed plastic bag in a garage or basement, away from bedrooms.

If you suspect you have bed bugs, have your home inspected by a trained professional. Bed bug infestations are extremely unlikely to be controlled by over-the-counter treatments.