Health & Fitness
Denver's Rank Drops For Bedbugs Infestations: Study
In a Terminix report, the number of service calls in Denver dropped from 5th last year to 25th this year.
DENVER, CO – Terminix just released its yearly list of top 25 bed bug-infested cities across the country. The bad news? Denver made the list. The good news? Denver has fallen from a ranking of 5th-most service requests in 2017 to 25th this year.
Terminix uses the number of service requests the pest control company received during the first half of the year to determine the company's busiest cities for bed bug calls.
Cheer up Denver, the list paints an especially bad picture for Ohio. Cleveland and Cincinnati earned first- and fifth-place dishonors, respectively. Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Indianapolis ranked numbers second, third and fourth.
Find out what's happening in Denverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Here is this year's list of bed-bug infamy:
- Cleveland
- Philadelphia
- Los Angeles
- Indianapolis
- Cincinnati
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- New York
- Columbus, Ohio
- Houston
- Dayton, Ohio
- St. Louis
- Chicago
- Detroit
- Atlanta
- San Francisco
- Baltimore
- Tampa, Fla.
- Washington, D.C.
- Louisville, Ky.
- Phoenix
- Nashville, Tenn.
- Pittsburgh
- Memphis, Tenn.
- Boston
- Denver
Bed bug infestations have been on the rise since the late 1990s, according to Terminix. The cause, the pest control company says, remains unknown. Things like resistance to insecticides and upticks in international travel may play a role.
Find out what's happening in Denverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate,” Paul Curtis, director, technical services at Terminix, said in a statement. “And, they can travel to new locations very easily—hitching a ride on clothing, handbags, suitcases and taxis, which can create substantial infestations in no time.”
Bed bugs are noted for being able to hide rather well. Signs of infestation include a musty odor, blood spots on sheets and sightings of the critters themselves. Bed bugs are about the color and size of an apple seed.
Terminix’s rankings were created by compiling data from the company’s 300-plus branches across the country.
Read the full ranking report here.
Image via Getty Images
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