Houston has joined the ranks of the most bedbug-infested cities in the U.S. Making its first appearance on the list, Houston is ranked number 12 in a study conducted by Terminix. Philadelphia takes the top spot, booting New York, the previous leader, to number 3.
Increased travel throughout the summer is a large component of the rising numbers of bedbugs seen.
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Philadelphia has won the dubious title of most bedbug-infested U.S. city, according to the annual Most Bedbug-Infested Cities ranking, released today by Terminix, the world’s largest pest control provider and a division of the ServiceMaster Company.
Philadelphia took the top spot from New York City, which held the title for two years.
The 2012 most bedbug-infested cities include:
1. Philadelphia 2. Cincinnati 3. New York City 4. Chicago 5. Detroit 6. Washington, D.C. 7. Columbus, Ohio 8. San Francisco 9. Denver 10. New Haven, Conn. 11. Dallas 12. Houston 13. Indianapolis 14. Miami 15. Cleveland
The list was created by compiling data from the 300 Terminix branches across the country. The company created the ranking by evaluating service calls from customers, as well as confirmed cases by service professionals.
What can be done about these bugs?