As it does every year about this time, pest control giant Orkin has just released its new list of the most bed bug-infested cities in the U.S. The list is based on the number of bed bug treatments done by Orkin in each of 50 cities in 2014. Not a very scientific analysis, and dependent on a lot of variables, but interesting data nevertheless.

Chicago heads the list as the most bed bug-infested city in the U.S., followed by Detroit and then Columbus, Ohio. This is the third consecutive year that Chicago has come in first…a dubious honor. Several cities, including Buffalo, made double digit jumps up the list compared to their better rankings in 2013.

For the Most Part, Northeast Cities Did Better in 2014

In the Northeast, this is how our cities ranked, counting down from #1 as worst. Note that dropping a place from the previous year is a good thing, moving up places is not a good thing:

18. New York NY (dropped one place from last year)

26. Buffalo NY (up 12 places from last year)

28. Syracuse NY (dropped 14 places from last year)

29. Boston MA (dropped 9 places from last year)

37. Hartford-New Haven CT (up 3 places from last year)

43. Albany-Schenectady-Troy NY

If you look at Orkin’s list of the top 50 cities, you’ll see that no area of the country is immune to bed bugs. Since they re-emerged as pests several years ago, bed bugs have managed to infiltrate every part of the U.S.

“Bed bugs are a serious issue across the country, and they’re very difficult to control,” said Orkin Entomologist and Technical Services Director Ron Harrison. “Bed bugs are not limited to any level of cleanliness or income, which means they can be found in any home or hotel. They’re great hitchhikers, and people often bring them inside on their clothes or in their luggage.”

Photo credit: Medill DC / Foter / CC BY