If you’re itching a little less it may be because Atlanta’s ranking on the list of top 50 cities for bed bug infestations has improved, albeit a tiny bit.
Atlanta-based Orkin, the pest control company, is out with its annual list of cities where it has done the most treatments for bed bug infestations, and Atlanta has dropped to No. 29 from 21 last year.
Orkin did more treatments in Chicago than in any other city, giving the Windy City the No. 1 spot on its list, followed by Detroit; Los Angeles; Denver; Cincinnati, which was No. 1 the previous year; Columbus, Ohio; Washington D.C.; Cleveland/Akron/Canton, Ohio; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; and New York City, where at one time stories about bed bug infestations at hotels and in apartments were just as numerous as the little critters.
Orkin said it treated 33 percent more cases last year than the year before.
The flat, wingless, nocturnal insects are reddish-brown and about the size of an apple seed. They become swollen after feeding on blood, their meal of choice, and leave itchy welts after munching. The insects are often in hotels, where they travel from room to room, and are found in cracks and crevices, including mattress seams, sheets, furniture, behind baseboards and electrical outlets. They also prefer homes.
And they are prolific. A female bed bug can deposit one to five eggs a day and up to 500 over a lifetime, according to Orkin, which is owned by Rollins Inc.
It’s always a good idea check your hotel bed before jumping in and your luggage before leaving.
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