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BEDBUG

Source: John Downer / Getty

Baltimore is no. 1 for bed bug, according to FoxBaltimore.com‘s report on Orkin Pest Control’s “50 Bed Bug Cities” list. That’s nine spots ahead of where the city ranked last year.

What’s caused the increase?

Experts say that cannot be explained, but this is the first time in five years Baltimore ranked in the top five. The list was based on data collected from locations it performed the most bed bug treatments on over the past year.

HealthGrove.com says, “bedbugs are most prevalent in areas where there is a high turnover of occupants, such as hotels, apartments and shelters. They are able to infest areas because they are tiny and can hide in cracks and crevices. Body heat and carbon dioxide attract the bugs to humans and they bite because they live on the blood of warm blooded.”

Orkin’s suggests the following “S.L.E.E.P” method:

  • Survey the hotel room for signs of an infestation. Look for black or brown spots on any furniture.
  • Lift and look in bed bug hiding spots: the mattress, box spring, bedskirt and other furniture, as well as behind baseboards, pictures and even torn wallpaper.
  • Elevate luggage away from the bed and wall. The safest place is in the bathroom.
  • Examine your luggage while repacking and once you return home from a trip.
  • Place all dryer-safe clothing from your luggage in the dryer for at least 15 minutes at the highest setting after you return home.

“Anyone can get bed bugs in their home,” Orkin Entomologist and Director of Technical Services Ron Harrison, Ph.D. told Fox 45. “They are not a sign of uncleanliness. Bed bugs only need blood to survive. We have treated for bed bugs in everything from million dollar homes to public housing.”

Here’s a list of the nation’s top 10 affected cities:

1. Baltimore

2. Washington, D.C.

3. Chicago

4. New York

5. Columbus, Ohio

6. Los Angeles

7. Detroit

8. Cincinnati

9. Philadelphia

10. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose

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Baltimore Ranked #1 On ‘Top 50 Bed Bug Cities’ List  was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com