Toledo ranks among top 50 cities for bed bugs

TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo newly joins the list of the top 50 cities across the country infested with bed bugs.

Orkin puts together the list of the Top 50 Bed Bug cities each year. The 2020 edition includes Toledo for the first time, coming in at number 50.

Other Ohio cities joining the ranks of those metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2018 thru Nov. 30, 2019 include Columbus (5), Cincinnati (8), Cleveland (11) and Dayton (49).

Michigan cities include Detroit (7), Grand Rapids (18), Lansing (30) and Flint (31).

“While bed bugs have not been found to transmit any diseases to humans, they can be an elusive threat to households,” said Chelle Hartzer, an Orkin entomologist. “They are excellent hitchhikers, and they reproduce quickly which make it nearly impossible to prevent bed bugs. Sanitation has nothing to do with where you’ll find them.”

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“The key to preventing a bed bug infestation is early detection,” Hartzer said. “When one or more bed bugs enter a space, we call it an introduction. During an introduction, bed bugs probably haven’t started reproducing yet, but they could soon. Vigilance is key to stopping bed bugs before infestation levels.”

The full list is below, including the change from last year's ranking.

1. Washington, D.C. (+1)
2. Baltimore (-1)
3. Chicago
4. Los Angeles
5. Columbus, OH
6. New York
7. Detroit (+1)
8. Cincinnati (-1)
9. Indianapolis (+5)
10. Atlanta (-1)
11. Cleveland, OH
12. Philadelphia (-2)
13. San Francisco (-1)
14. Raleigh, NC (-1)
15. Norfolk (+2)
16. Champaign, IL (+7)
17. Dallas (-2)
18. Grand Rapids (+2)
19. Pittsburgh (+6)
20. Charlotte (-1)
21. Richmond, VA (-5)
22. Greenville, SC (-4)
23. Knoxville, TN (-1)
24. Buffalo, NY (-3)
25. Greensboro, NC (-4)
26. Charleston, WV (+5)
27. Denver
28. St. Louis (+2)
29. Nashville (-5)
30. Lansing (+2)
31. Flint (+16)
32. Miami (-3)
33. Milwaukee (-3)
34. Tampa (+1)
35. Omaha (+2)
36. Orlando (+5)
37. Davenport, IA (+5)
38. Houston (-12)
39. Syracuse (-6)
40. Boston (-2)
41. Cedar Rapids, IA (+3)
42. Myrtle Beach (new to list)
43. Seattle (-4)
44. San Diego (+5)
45. Phoenix (-11)
46. Fort Wayne, IN (+2)
47. Las Vegas (-7)
48. Hartford, CT (-5)
49. Dayton, OH (-3)
50. Toledo, OH (new to list)