But it’s an occurrence that’s happening more and more often throughout the U.S. Bedbugs are so prevalent in college dormitories, apartment complexes, hotels, and office buildings that many are calling the current bedbug infestation a pandemic.
New York City is currently experiencing the biggest problem with the bugs, according to Terminex, which studied its call volume for bed bugs throughout the country. Ohio is the state with the biggest bedbug problem, according to Terminex. That state has asked the EPA for an exemption to allow the in-home use of propoxur, a pesticide and neurotoxin. Propoxur was banned in the 1990s because there was a concern of negative effects on children.
Last year, more than $258 million was spent trying to eliminate the bedbugs. That number is not expected to be any less in 2010, the year that seems to have brought the country’s full attention to the bedbug problem. In fact, the first annual Bed Bug Summit kicked off this week near Chicago. The summit was sold out and attended by more than 360 people, including representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The problem with eliminating bedbugs is that it can be very difficult to kill all the bedbugs, and all of their eggs. Bedbugs continually reproduce, so it’s a must to catch them early, in order to avoid major expenses. Moderate bedbug infestations can be eliminated with a one-time, properly-applied treatment of insecticide. More serious infestations will easily run into the thousands of dollars. For instance, owners of an average-size house might spend $2,000 or more to get rid of the insects.
A majority of the cities that are among the most infested with bedbugs, according to Terminex, are in the East and Midwest. Only Los Angeles and Denver are west of the Mississippi.
Even if you’re not in one of the cities that is experiencing major problems with bedbugs, it’s easy to get a little anxious when traveling, or even going to the movies. Extermination experts say to be vigilant when leaving home, to ensure that the bedbugs don’t tag along and make their way home with you.
Three ways to avoid the spread of bedbugs is to carefully inspect hotel rooms, wash all clothes taken on a trip in hot water, and vacuum and treat your luggage.
If you were wondering which cities are the most infested with bedbugs, here is the Terminex list:
1. New York, N.Y.
2. Philadelphia, Pa.
3. Detroit, Mich.
4. Cincinnati, Ohio
5. Chicago, Ill.
6. Denver, Colo.
7. Columbus, Ohio
8. Dayton, Ohio
9. Washington, D.C.
10. Los Angeles, Calif.
11. Boston, Mass.
12. Indianapolis, Ind.
13. Louisville, Ky.
14. Cleveland, Ohio
15. Minneapolis, Minn.
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