New York ranks high on lots of lists — but this is one honor the city could do without.
The Big Apple has landed in sixth place on a list of the Top 50 Bed Bug Cities, crawling up two spots from last year.
The rankings were done by Orkin, pest control specialists who tackle everything from termite treatment to mosquito control, and based on service data from the metro areas where the company performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2017 to Nov. 30, 2018. Both residential and commercial infestations were taken into account.
Baltimore tops the list for the third year in a row. And Atlanta and Philadelphia are now in the top 10, knocking out San Francisco and Dallas.
“Bed bugs are the number one urban pest in many cities today,” said Chelle Hartzer, an entomologist at Orkin.
Don’t assume you’re safe from the creepy critters if you keep your pad super-clean.
“They are master hitchhikers, so no one is immune,” Hartzer added. “Sanitation has nothing to do with prevention: from public transit to five-star resorts, bed bugs have been and can be found everywhere humans are.”
Known for biting humans at night to feed on their blood, they latch onto luggage, purses, backpacks, jackets and other belongings, according to Orkin.
Adult bed bugs are usually reddish brown and are around the size of an apple seed. They hide during the day, so the specialists advise looking for black ink-like stains, which they’re known to leave behind. Also check mattress tags and seams, and behind baseboards, headboards, electrical outlets and picture frames.
Other tips include decreasing clutter to make it easier to spot bed bugs, and inspecting secondhand furniture before bringing it inside your home.
