Now you know where to find bed bugs: 2021 Edition

by Tommy Underhill
June 9, 2021

Every year, Orkin publishes a list of the top US cities for bed bugs. While it’s been out for a while, I finally completed my New Year’s resolution and cleaned off the top two inches of my desk... and found the press release.

Many sources across the internet will inform you (and pest control operators know first-hand!) that treating for bed bugs can be expensive and traditional chemical treatments can require several weeks or more to knock out an active infestation. Bed bugs are expert hitchhikers, and easily move from place to place. The National Pest Management Association lists the top three places exterminators find bedbugs are in single-family homes, apartments, and hotels. Now that the economy is open again, you don’t need to live in one of these cities to have a potential bed bug problem... the person next to you could have traveled through one and brought them to visit you!

The 2021 list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from December 1, 2019 – November 30, 2020. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.

1. Chicago, IL (+2)
2. Baltimore, MD
3. Washington, DC (-2)
4. Detroit, MI (+3)
5. Columbus, OH
6. Cleveland, OH (+5)
7. Indianapolis, IN (+2)
8. Cincinnati, OH
9. Los Angeles, CA (-5)
10. Grand Rapids, MI (+8)
11. Charlotte, NC (+9)
12. New York, NY (-6)
13. Atlanta, GA (-3)
14. Philadelphia, PA (-2)
15. Champaign, IL (+1)
16. Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX (+1)
17. Raleigh, N.C. (-3)
18. Charleston, WV (+8)
19. Pittsburgh, PA
20. Denver, CO (+7)
21. Flint, MI (+10)
22. San Francisco, CA (-9)
23. Greenville, SC (-1)
24. Norfolk, VA (-9)
25. St. Louis, MO (+3)
26. Richmond, VA (-5)
27. Toledo, OH (+23)
28. Dayton, OH (+21)
29. Buffalo, NY (-5)
30. Omaha, NE (+5)
31. Nashville, TN (-2)
32. Milwaukee, WI (+1)
33. Ft. Wayne, IN (+13)
34. Greensboro, NC (-9)
35. Cedar Rapids, IA (+6)
36. Knoxville, TN (-13)
37. Houston, TX (+1)
38. Davenport, IA (-1)
39. Tampa, FL (-5)
40. Youngstown, OH (new to list)
41. South Bend, IN (new to list)
42. Phoenix, AZ (+3)
43. Lexington, KY (new to list)
44. Seattle, WA (-1)
45. Orlando, FL (-9)
46. Louisville, KY (new to list)
47. Miami, FL (-15)
48. Lansing, MI (-18)
49. Peoria, IL (new to list)
50. Minneapolis, MN (new to list)

Congratulations to cities that moved down the list. For everyone in new cities and those that moved up the list, GreenTech Heat has the best one-day bed bug solution.

Traditional treatments can be expensive and time consuming

According to the 2018 “Bugs without Borders Survey” by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), 97% of pest professional have treated bed bugs in the prior year— the majority of them report that overall bed bug service work and the prevalence of these pests are increasing. The top three places for finding bed bugs are single-family homes (91%), apartments/condominiums (89%) and hotels/motels (68%). Homeguide.com reports the average cost of a bed bug treatment for a home is between $1,000 and $2,200. Industry surveys show hotels spend an average of almost $6,400 per bed bug incident.

Traditional bed bug treatments can take weeks and can destroy your reputation in the interim— it makes no difference if the infestation is in your home, your restaurant, your movie theater, or your hotel! Heat is the only single-treatment protocol effective for all life stages of bed bugs and other insects. Join the thousands of hospitality managers, property management companies, homeowners, and pest control professionals who have decided that self-treating with heat is their most effective and economical method of bed bug elimination available. One treatment kills bed bugs and their eggs.

GreenTech Heat technology is 100% effective for bed bugs, cockroaches, and all other insects. Heat kills microbes, viruses, and bacteria that can cause allergies and odors. GreenTech Heat equipment allows you to self-treat with heat on your schedule and as your needs demand. Our certified training lets you do it right and do it safely the first time. Heat safely kills insects and microbes everywhere they may be found in a single one-day treatment. Call us at 888-699-3944. We have bed bug heaters for sale to get started with heat today.