CBS News reported on the updated list of 2024 top 50 worst cities in the U.S. battling bed bugs. Orkin’s press room releases these yearly studies, which showcase the top 50 cities, and include helpful information, such as where the cities moved in the list (up or down, improved or worsened). This year, for the first time ever, Minneapolis has ranked on the list of top 50 cities, coming in at number 47. Read on to learn more of what this means for you, below.
Table of Contents
- A review of the study
- What this means for you
- How to prevent a bed bug outbreak in your home
- How to know when to call the pros
- Conclusion & next steps
Our expert pest control technicians treat for invasive pests such as cockroaches, bed bugs, and mice, every single day. Rest assured that we know what we are doing and we are here to help you have peace of mind, in your home. Call today, to talk to an expert: 651-342-9489
A Review of the Study
Orkin is a nation-wide pest control company and the study is based off of the treatment data from these major cities across the country. Keep in mind that even more bed bug jobs are performed than just Orkin’s bed bug jobs. There are thousands of pest control companies with licensed pest control technicians trained to eradicate bed bugs. The data collected is from Orkin’s bed bug jobs in these cities from December 1, 2022 through November 30, 2023.
The study also shows helpful statistics in regards to cities who have improved or worsened in terms of bed bug cases. Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia all came in number 1, 2, and 3, respectively, as they have for the last couple of years. Three cities also saw large increases of bed bug cases: Greensboro, North Carolina jumped up 25 spots, then Milwaukee, Wisconsin jumped up 15 spots, and Tampa, Florida jumped up 10 spots.
So the question is: why do some cities have more bed bug cases than others? There are several factors to consider: size, density, tourism, international travel, and more.
Take, for example, size. Smaller, rural cities do not have the number of bed bugs cases that larger cities do. There is no correlation to it either, not when you’re looking just at the size of a city. However, the larger the city, typically the more bed bug cases there are.
Take, for example, density. Is the city in question more spread out with much more of a residential feel than skyscrapers filled with hundreds and hundreds of multi-family housing apartment units? Bed bugs, and other invasive pests like cockroaches and mice, have a tendency to spread quickly through wall voids and can infest entire buildings if not properly treated and prevented.
You may ask, how does tourism play a role in bed bug spread? Bed bugs spread in any number of ways, like boxes, luggage, sleeping accommodations, rental exchange, and even ride-share. Cities with more tourism sees more people with more luggage looking for more sleeping accommodations, rental exchanges, and ride-shares. If the people visiting these cities had bed bugs back home at their house, chances are they brought them with them.
Bed bugs can even spread in college dorms and around the holidays, anytime, really, that there are upticks in travel. It’s important to stay informed about how bed bugs spread, to know what to look for and this will help you prevent bed bug outbreaks in your home.
So, what about international travel affecting bed bug spread? Well, just in the same way bed bugs spread through general tourism, cities with international airports will see more bed bug cases. Just like these same cities see more illness and disease spread as well. Bed bugs are no respecter of persons, so they can hop luggage and head to any country or city in the world. Where people live is where they want to be.
So the question is: why do some cities have more bed bug cases than others? There are several factors to consider: size, density, tourism, international travel, and more.
Something the study doesn’t cover, however, is the eradication rate versus repeat bed bug services. There are many ways to treat for bed bugs, but not all of them have a 100% success rate. Some common ways to treat for bed bugs are: heat treatments, chemical treatments, fumigation treatments, DIY treatments, and more.
Take, for example, heat treatments. Heat treatments are common, though are decreasing in popularity as chemical products become the norm due to less hassle, stress, and speed. Heat treatments involve a lot of prep work, removing anything from the home that could melt or catch fire. Then the pest professionals bring in machine equipment to heat the house, or unit, to a certain temperature to kill off bed bugs.
Bed bug heat treatment exterminators also charge quite a bit of money for their services. While this method can have success, but because these bugs can also hide in wall voids, the temperatures would not be as hot in those crevices. This is why heat and chemical should go together, if one is using heat. Heat treatments alone are not 100% effective due to bed bugs’ ability to burrow into the baseboards, the wall voids, areas that cannot heat up to a hot enough temperature to kill them. Bed bugs can also go into hibernation mode and survive without a host for up to 9 months, so they are very resilient pests!
Take, for example, chemical treatments. Chemical treatments are the most cost-effective treatments (in terms of professional bed bug extermination treatments) since they are quicker and cause less hassle. The prep work may vary per company, but the method is the same: application of a liquid chemical around baseboards, cracks and crevices, bed frame, box spring, etc. Depending on the product used, the dry time may differ. Once dry, residents can go about their day as normal and do laundry (on high heat setting).
Done Right Pest Solutions utilizes this method, and it’s why we have such high success (100%) ratings as a bed bug exterminator service. When applying an effective chemical correctly, the results can stand out as supreme.
Take, for example, fumigation treatments. Fumigation is another form of bed bug treatment, which I would group similarly with heat treatments because of the severity and hassle of prep work. Fumigation treatments consist of removing all living things from the home, packing bags, and staying elsewhere, while pest professionals use a tent to fumigate the belongings and household for bed bugs. This process is extensive and while it can have success, there should be other treatment methods used as well.
Fumigation, like bed bug heat treatment exterminators, charge quite a bit of money for their services. And, just like with heat treatment, there is not always eradication.
Well, you might ask, what about DIY treatments? Good question. We would never advocate for any self-treating of such invasive and mentally-taxing pests as bed bugs. It is best to have a licensed professional treat. Bed bugs bite us when we are at our most vulnerable, while we are asleep. And so, they can cause quite the amount of stress and a type of PTSD and delusional parasitosis if not handled quickly and efficiently. People can swear up and down about the effectiveness of diatomaceous earth or some over-the-counter product, but keep in mind that most of the over-the-counter products you can buy are not widely tested and monitored like commercial-grade products licensed pest control companies can buy.
Something the study doesn’t cover, however, is the eradication rate versus repeat bed bug services. There are many ways to treat for bed bugs, but not all of them have a 100% success rate. Some common ways to treat for bed bugs are: heat treatments, chemical treatments, fumigation treatments, DIY treatments, and more.
What This Means for You
This information, while upsetting to know the list of the top 50 worst cities in the U.S. battling bed bugs, doesn’t change much on your daily basis. This simply is good information for you to have when you travel to these locations.
It is helpful to plan your trips, call ahead to hotels or book early on your Airbnb or VRBO locations. And before you get too settled in, inspect the place:
- Pull up the sheets and check the sides of the mattress and box spring for any dark little spots
- Check the sheets and top of the mattress for any blood marking stains
- Pull out some of the night stand drawers and search for any sort of little bug skin casings
- And finally, take a flashlight and look around the baseboards for any bug casings
If you inspect every place you stay before you set your luggage down, that greatly decreases any chance that you would spread bed bugs to your home if you encounter them.
But if you have a service job in Minneapolis or the surrounding cities and ever happen to bring a couple bed bugs home, don’t worry, just call the pros at Done Right Pest Solutions for a preventative bed bug treatment or full bed bug treatment.
Want to talk with an expert? Simply call our office at 651-342-9489. We’re happy to help.
How to Prevent a Bed Bug Outbreak in Your Home
Bed bugs spread in a number of ways, some listed previously in this article. For the full explanation of ways, check out our Complete Bed Bug Guide.
A common way bed bugs spread is through second hand items. Be careful when you look at second hand items. Typically thrift stores and consignment stores know what to look for, but any items on the side of the road could be havens for pests just waiting for someone to pick the item up and take them to a new home. If you don’t buy things second-hand or are very careful when you do, this is one way how to prevent a bed bug outbreak in your home.
Another common way bed bugs spread is through boxes. This can mean through grocery boxes from stores or even packages bought online and shipped to your home. It is important to be careful when opening these boxes, and if you see any pests jump out, it is best to call a pest professional right away to get a preventative treatment. Through preventative treatment, that’s another way how to prevent a bed bug outbreak in your home.
Finally, take a breath. You aren’t going to get bed bugs simply from neglecting some cleaning duties here and there, or by having guests over. Bed bugs spread from homes and locations that have a bed bug infestation.
How to Know When to Call in the Pros
Throughout our blog we give helpful tips and tricks of things you can do on your own to prevent and eliminate pests. But, I always recommend when it is best to call in the pros. Bed bugs is one of these cases. Bed bugs bite us when we are most vulnerable, and because of that they can cause a lot of mental stress and trauma.
They can also be very resilient when treating on one’s own, which leads to more mental stress and trauma. At Done Right Pest Solutions, it is our goal to lessen stress and give peace of mind. It’s what you can expect when you hire us!
If you ever have any pest that is destructive to your home, like carpenter ants or squirrels, or they carry and spread diseases like cockroaches and mice, or if they are dangerous like stinging insects, I’ll usually recommend you calling in the pros. Mice can be treated on your own, and with our Complete Mouse Control Guide we actually give the step-by-step instructions for how we solve mouse issues.
Our expert pest control technicians treat for invasive pests such as cockroaches, bed bugs, and mice, every single day. Rest assured that we know what we are doing and we are here to help you have peace of mind, in your home. Call today, to talk to an expert: 651-342-9489
Conclusion & Next Steps
Thank you for reading, and I hope it calms some of your fears of bed bugs and the spread thereof. In this article, you learned about the study of the top 50 worst cities in the country battling bed bugs. You also learned the implications of what this means for you, how to prevent a bed bug infestation in your home, and how to know when to call in the pros.
At Done Right Pest Solutions, we are the bed bug experts. We treat bed bugs, cockroaches, and mice every single day. We know what we’re doing and we actually care about you and your sleep. Call or text us at 651-342-9489 or email us today at donerightpestsolutions@gmail.com to start the conversation.
We’re here to help,
Done Right Team
Have you ever had a bed bug scare in your home? How about in one of your friends’ or family member’s homes? What did you do? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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