Baltimore Among 50 Worst Cities For Bed Bugs: Terminix

BALTIMORE — Baltimore is crawling down the list of the 50 most bed bug-infested cities. Terminix, a pest control company that wages war on the blood-sucking creatures, released its annual list Monday, coinciding with the start of Bed Bug Awareness Week.

On it, Baltimore was ranked the 13th most bed bug-infested city in America.

"Bed bugs continue to pose concerns for public health, as their presence is felt across the country, in cities large and small," Matthew Stevenson, president of Terminix Residential, said in a statement, saying the nearly decade-old ranking has "helped bring awareness to an epidemic that can lead to a variety of negative physical health, mental health and financial consequences."

The 2019 ranking is an improvement for Charm City, which came in 11th on last year's list.

Bed bugs are hitchhikers that bum rides in travelers' suitcases, purses, jackets and other belongings. Though bed bugs are associated with bedding and mattresses, they also hide in upholstered furniture and behind baseboards.

Normally bed bugs come out at night to feed on people as they sleep. They lay two to five eggs a day. Signs of bed bugs are bites, blood-stained bedding or flat reddish-brown insect bodies the size of an apple seed.

While bed begs do not carry diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that their bites can cause allergic reactions ranging from minor to severe; and the presence of bed bugs can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and insomnia.

The most common places where professionals find bed bugs are single-family homes, apartments/condos and hotels/motels, according to the National Pest Management Association.
Hotels spend an average of $6,383 per bed bug incident, the association reported.

The economic impact of bed bug infestations is "significantly more than the cost of eliminating other pests," according to the CDC, because these pests often require repeated visits due to diligence required on the part of those experiencing the infestation and the ability of the bugs to hitchhike to nearby areas.

Terminix based the 2019 rankings on how many times it was called to perform bed bug-specific services at more than 300 Terminix branches across the country. The rankings show Metropolitan Statistical Areas with the highest number of actual services rendered between April 16, 2018, and April 15, 2019, according to the pest control company.

These are the top 20 on list of cities for bed bug infestations in 2019, according to Terminix:

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, Tennessee
18. Nashville, Tennessee
19. Orlando, Florida
20. Tampa, Florida

About one-fifth, or 22 percent, of Americans have had a bed bug encounter, according to a national poll of 1,516 randomly selected U.S. adults conducted in March by the market research company Maru/Blue. The number of children who have had bed bug encounters was higher, at 35 percent.

The Maru/Blue research also showed that nearly half (48 percent) of U.S. travelers don’t know what precautions to take to protect themselves against bed bugs.

Tips To Stay Safe Against Bed Bugs

• Check hotel headboards, mattresses and box springs for live bed bugs, their exoskeletons and/or dark blood spots.
• 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 hotel 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.
• Keep luggage in a sealed plastic bag in a garage or basement, away from bedrooms, between trips.

Terminix is not the only one producing a ranking of bed bug-infested cities.

Orkin releases its list each January. In the most recent Orkin list, Charm City was ranked No. 1 and deemed the most bed bug infested city for the third consecutive year.

The ranking is based on metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2017, to Nov. 30, 2018. Both residential and commercial treatments are included.

RELATED: Baltimore Is Most Bed Bug-Infested City In America...Again

— By Patch editors Beth Dalbey and Elizabeth Janney