According to Terminix, the country’s largest provider of pest control services, New York is US city with the most bedbugs. The company expects bedbugs to continue to plague the nation this summer as travelers and homeowners encounter the tiny pests.
The 2011 most bedbug-infested cities include:
- New York
- Cincinnati
- Detroit
- Chicago
- Philadelphia
- Denver
- Washington, D.C.
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- San Francisco
- Columbus, Ohio
- Dayton, Ohio
- Baltimore
- Louisville, Ky.
- Dallas
As travelers prepare to hit the road for Memorial Day, they should use the following tips from Terminix to protect themselves from bedbugs:
- Check hotel headboards, mattresses and box springs for bedbugs and dark blood spots.
- Hang all clothing. Leave nothing lying on the bed or furniture.
- Avoid unpacking clothing and storing your clothing in the hotel’s furniture drawers.
- Store baggage on a luggage rack as far from the bed as possible.
- Vacuum suitcases when returning home, and immediately wash clothing in hot water.
- If you suspect your hotel has bedbugs, ask for a change of rooms. Bedbugs should only be treated by a trained pest control professional.
