Milwaukee Climbs Up Dreaded 'Bed Bug' List

MILWAUKEE — The city of Milwaukee is unfortunately climbing up Orkin’s dreaded "Top 50 Bed Bug Cities" list. Milwaukee is no. 25. It moved up 15 spots from last year.

The 2024 edition of the bed bug cities list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2022 – Nov. 30, 2023. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments, Orkin notes.

"Bed bugs are extremely resilient, making them difficult to control. As travel plans ramp up, it’s important that Americans know how to protect themselves through pest identification and proper control," said Ben Hottel, Orkin entomologist.

"While bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, they are excellent at hiding. Involving a trained professional at the sight of a bed bug introduction is recommended."

Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia held onto the top three spots from last year's list. Meanwhile, Greensboro, North Carolina saw the largest jump this year, moving up twenty-five spots.

The bed bug cities list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2022 – Nov. 30, 2023. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments, the company notes.

These cities have the most bed bugs in 2024, according to Orkin:

1. Chicago
2. New York
3. Philadelphia
4. Cleveland-Akron, OH
5. Los Angeles
6. Detroit
7. Washington, D.C. (+2)
8. Indianapolis (-1)
9. Charlotte (+5)
10. Champaign, IL (+1)
11. Columbus, OH (-1)
12. Cincinnati (+1)
13. Atlanta (+3)
14. Grand Rapids, MI (-2)
15. Denver
16. Baltimore (-8)
17. Richmond, VA (+9)
18. Greensboro, N.C. (+25)
19. St. Louis (+6)
20. Youngstown (+7)
21. Pittsburgh (-3)
22. Dallas-Ft. Worth (-5)
23. Flint, MI (-2)
24. Raleigh-Durham (-4)
25. Milwaukee (+15)
26. Charleston, W.V. (-7)
27. Greenville, SC (-3)
28. Norfolk, VA (-5)
29. Davenport (+8)
30. Nashville (+3)
31. Tampa (+10)
32. Toledo (+6)
33. Dayton, OH (+1)
34. Knoxville (-4)
35. Las Vegas (new to list)
36. Omaha, NE (-4)
37. South Bend, IN (-9)
38. Houston (+6)
39. Cedar Rapids, MI (-8)
40. Ft. Wayne, IN (-5)
41. San Francisco (-19)
42. Buffalo, NY (-13)
43. Harrisburg (-7)
44. Seattle (-5)
45. Miami
46. Orlando (+1)
47. Minneapolis (new to the list)
48. Oklahoma City (new to the list)
49. Louisville, KY
50. Lexington, KY (-4)

Check out Orkin's resources for spotting bed bugs while traveling.