Orkin’s Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List has Dayton ranked 33rd in the nation. The rankings are based on treatment services data from Dec. 1, 2022, to Nov. 30, 2023.
Chicago topped the list for the fourth year in a row.
The Dayton region held the 34th spot in the 2023 rankings, after grabbing the 32nd spot in 2022. Dayton ranked 28th in the nation in 2021, 49th in 2020 and 45th in 2019.
The Cleveland-Akron metro area once again is the fourth-worst urban area in the nation for bedbugs, while Columbus has the 11th most bedbugs and Cincinnati has the 12th most.
Youngstown ranked 20th on Orkin’s list, while Toledo ranked 32nd.
Bedbugs are red to dark brown in color and usually measure about 3/16ths of an inch long, Orkin said.
They are mostly nocturnal insects that feast on blood. Blood is their only source of food.
Bedbugs are clever hitchhikers that sneak into luggage, purses and other personal items.
“While bedbugs are visible to the naked eye, they are excellent at hiding,” Ben Hottel, an Orkin entomologist, said in a prepared statement.
Bedbugs spread quickly, since females can deposit one to five eggs every day.
The insects can survive for several months between blood feedings.
Second-hand items, like clothing and furniture, also are common bedbug hiding places, Hottel said.
“Examining any new items before they enter your home will help to catch a bedbug infestation sooner, rather than later,” he said.
Tips to prevent bedbug infestations
At home:
- Inspect your home for signs of bedbugs regularly. Check the places where bedbugs hide during the day, including mattress tags and seams, and behind baseboards, headboards, electrical outlets and picture frames. Inspect when you move in, after a trip, when a service worker visits or after guests stay overnight.
- Decrease clutter around your home to make it easier to spot bedbugs on your own or during professional inspections.
- Examine all secondhand furniture before bringing it inside your home.
During travel, remember the acronym S.L.E.E.P. to inspect for bedbugs:
- Survey the hotel room for signs of an infestation. Be on the lookout for tiny, ink-colored stains on mattress seams, in soft furniture and behind headboards.
- Lift and look in bedbug hiding spots: the mattress, box spring and other furniture, as well as behind baseboards, pictures and even torn wallpaper.
- Elevate luggage away from the bed and wall. The safest places are in the bathroom or on counters.
- Examine your luggage carefully while repacking and once you return home from a trip. Always store luggage away from the bed.
- Place all dryer-safe clothing from your luggage in the dryer for at least 30-45 minutes at the highest setting after you return home.
About the Author
