We’re Not No. 1! Chicago No Longer Worst City for Bed Bugs

The good news is, Chicago is no longer the worst city in the U.S. for bed bugs, according to a study from Orkin.

The pest control company bumped Chicago down two spots to No. 3 on its 2016 “Top 50” list of cities where it performed the most commercial and residential bed bug treatments. Prior to 2016, Chicago spent four years as No. 1 on the list.

The bad news? The blood-sucking insects, which can infest the seams of beds and other furniture, are still a problem in the Windy City.

In September, the CTA pulled a rail car off its Red Line after riders discovered bed bugs in one of the seats. Now, a man is suing the Courtyard Marriott Chicago Downtown/River North, claiming he was bitten by bed bugs in not one, but two rooms at the Hubbard Street hotel.

A suit filed last week claims the pests inflicted “extremely painful” bites on the man’s feet, arms and torso, according to DNAinfo.

Bed bugs can hitch a ride onto people from mattresses, luggage and furniture. You can pick them up anywhere – even posh hotels – and bring them into your house, where eradication can be time-consuming and costly.

“Anyone can get bed bugs in their home," Orkin Entomologist and Director of Technical Services Ron Harrison, PhD, said in a statement. "We have treated for bed bugs in everything from million dollar homes to public housing."

The tiny bugs – the size of an apple seed when fully grown – can often go unnoticed. The first signs of bed bug infestation are often small dark stains on bedding.

“People may have bed bugs and not know it, because many people have no physical reaction to bed bug bites,” Harrison said. “That’s why it’s important for people everywhere to inspect for bed bugs regularly.”

To avoid an infestation, Orkin advises travelers to survey hotel rooms by checking mattresses, box springs, bed skirts, baseboards, behind pictures and even in torn wallpaper for the round, flat, reddish-brown insects. While you’re checking, elevate your luggage away from the wall and the bed, the company advises, adding the safest spot is the bathroom.

When you return home, before you take your luggage inside, give it a good once-over to make sure it hasn’t picked up any hitchhiking bugs, and place all dryer-safe clothing in the dryer for at least 15 minutes.

photo via Centers for Disease Control | Wikimedia Commons