Pittsburgh Among Nation's Worst Cities For Bed Bugs: Terminix

PITTSBURGH, PA - Pittsburgh continues to crawl up the list of the nation's most bed bug-plagued city. A new report out by Terminix said the city is the nation's 16th most bed bug-infested metropolitan area in the country; last year Pittsburgh ranked 23rd.

The rankings are based on the number of service calls Terminx receives to eradicate the blood-sucking creatures.

While bed bugs can be found in bedding and mattresses, they can easily hitchhike from place to place via personal belongings, such as jackets, purses and luggage, or hide in upholstered future and behind baseboards.

"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. He added that the nearly decade-old Terminix ranking has "helped bring awareness to an epidemic that can lead to a variety of negative physical health, mental health and financial consequences."

The cities with the worst bed bug problems:

1. Philadelphia, PA
2. New York, NY
3. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
4. Indianapolis, IN
5. Cincinnati, OH
6. Los Angeles, CA
7. Cleveland, OH
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Chicago, IL
10. Boston, MA
11. Columbus, OH
12. Houston, TX
13. Baltimore, MD
14. Atlanta, GA
15. Detroit, MI
16. Pittsburgh, PA
17. Memphis, TN
18. Nashville, TN
19. Orlando, FL
20. Tampa, FL

With the summer travel season approaching, here's how to mitigate the risk of being bitten by 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.