Worst Bed Bug Cities 2012 With Chicago Topping List
The 2011 winner for the Worst Bed Bug Cities was Cincinnati. But not this year! This 2012, the title goes to Chicago, according to Orkin’s annual listing of cities with the most treatments for bed bug infestations from January to December 2012.
Here is the list of the top 50 bed bug cities for 2012 along with their shift from last year’s ranking in parenthesis.
1. Chicago (+1)
2. Detroit (+1)
3. Los Angeles (+2)
4. Denver
5. Cincinnati (-4)
6. Columbus, Ohio
7. Washington, D.C. (+1)
8. Cleveland/Akron/Canton (+5)
9. Dallas/Ft. Worth (-2)
10. New York (-1)
11. Dayton, Ohio (+4)
12. Richmond/Petersburg, Va. (-2)
13. Seattle/Tacoma (+14)
14. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (-2)
15. Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, N.C. (+4)
16. Indianapolis (+15)
17. Omaha, Neb. (+11)
18. Houston (-7)
19. Milwaukee (+13)
20. Baltimore (-2)
21. Syracuse, N.Y. (+2)
22. Boston (-8)
23. Colorado Springs/Pueblo, Colo. (+2)
24. Lexington, Ky. (-2)
25. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (-1)
26. Hartford/New Haven, Conn. (+10)
27. Knoxville, Tenn. (+11)
28. Buffalo, N.Y. (+1)
29. Atlanta (-8)
30. Louisville, Ky. (+5)
31. Charleston/Huntington, W. Va. (+18)
32. San Diego, Calif. (-6)
33. Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa (+12)
34. Minneapolis/St. Paul (+12)
35. Phoenix (-1)
36. Pittsburgh (-6)
37. Honolulu (-19)
38. Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo, Mich. (+1)
39. Grand Junction/Montrose, Colo. (-1)
40. Nashville, Tenn.
41. Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney, Neb. (+7)
42. Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y. (+2)
43. Charlotte (-10)
44. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.
45. Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, Calif. (-4)
46. Las Vegas (-30)
47. Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville, S.C.
48. Champaign/Springfield, Ill.
49. Portland, Or.
50. Sioux City, Iowa
Seattle/Tacoma jumped 14 spots in 2012. Other cities making significant jumps include Indianapolis, Omaha, Milwaukee, Hartford/New Haven, Knoxville, Charleston/Huntington, Cedar Rapids/Waterloo and Minneapolis. Atlanta, Honolulu, Charlotte and Las Vegas all dropped significantly. The Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla. area was not on Orkin’s top 50 bed bug cities list last year, and neither were Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville, Champaign/Springfield, Portland or Sioux City. Philadelphia; Des Moines/Ames, Iowa; Salisbury, Md.; Salt Lake City and West Palm Beach/Fort Pierce, Fla. were on the 2011 list, but are no longer in the 2012 top 50 bed bug cities.
“This list shows that bed bugs continue to be a problem throughout the U.S.,” said Orkin entomologist and Technical Services Director Ron Harrison , Ph.D. “Based on the diversity of cities on the list, we all need to be very cautious when we travel—whether it is business or pleasure, or to visit family, friends or vacation. We need to be vigilant wherever we are and take the proper precautions.”
SOURCE Rollins Inc.