Chicago Among Worst Cities For Bed Bugs, Ranking Says

CHICAGO — Cicadas aren’t the only insects calling Chicago home this spring. The city was recently ranked among the top five worst for bed bug infestations in 2024.

Pest control website Pest Gnome determined the ranking by considering factors such as a city's number of accommodations and used furniture stores, share of multi-unit residential buildings, access to exterminators and average monthly Google searches for bed bug-related keywords. The factors were grouped into the categories of infestation risk, pest control and urban density.

Chicago came in fourth on the list, between Houston, which was third, and San Francisco, which was fifth. New York was ranked first and Los Angeles was second.

“Travel is expected to soar this summer, even as bed bugs have been increasingly troubling vacationers worldwide since their noticeable resurgence last October,” according to Pest Gnome. “Bed bug outbreaks are hard to control and can occur in hotel accommodations and shared living spaces like apartments and retirement homes.”

For more information about the ranking and how to avoid bed bugs, visit Pest Gnome’s website.

Related: When It Comes To Rats, Chicago Is Again Second City To None: Study