Philly Tops NYC as #1 Bedbug-Infested City

The bedbugs keep biting

The City of Brotherly Love welcomes a multitude of new brothers: bedbugs.

Philadelphia has finally topped the list and beat New York City, its number one competitor, to win the dubious honor of 2012’s most bedbug-infested city in the United States.

When pest control company Terminix released its annual list on Monday, Philly came out on top. Cities honored for the first time as part of the Top 15 included Cleveland, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami and New Haven.
 
The national bedbug epidemic began a few years ago and appears not to be abating anytime soon. Terminix says there has been a steady increase of bedbug buddies in most states since its first report in 2010.
 
And with the influx of summer travelers in the coming months, Philadelphia should watch out.

So what do you do to keep the bedbugs from biting? Terminix offers a few tips: Hang all clothing, vacuum suitcases after you get home from travel and check your bed for bugs, bug shells and dark blood spots.

Here's another travel tip: stock up on sanitizing wipes to lather up the main light switch and TV remote control in your hotel room. University of Houston researcher Katie Kirsch recently looked at hotels across 3 states and found that light switches and remote controls are just as germy as bathroom sinks and floors.

High levels of fecal bacteria and other bugs that can cause illness hide on these surfaces.

Bedbugs and bacteria bugs do not warrant putting the ax on summer travel plans. But doing a clean sweep of your hotel room can never hurt.

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