SW Ohio ranks again for bedbug treatments

Dayton continues to rank high nationally in the number of bedbug treatments, according to a study from Orkin.

Dayton ranks seventh, while Columbus is third and Cincinnati is fifth in the number of bedbug treatments from January to December 2013.

Bedbugs are about the size and color of a flat apple seed, and are found not only on mattresses and upholstery, but in suitcases, boxes, shoes, wallpaper and headboards. They are parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood.

"While studies show that bed bugs do not spread disease, the physical and mental health consequences are well documented and of serious public concern," said Ron Harrison, Ph.D., Orkin entomologist and technical services director.

"Once bedbugs are inside your home or business, they can reproduce quickly and can travel from place to place in personal belongings and even on people. They can also move from place to place on their own, independently of objects," he said.

The list ranks cities by the number of bedbug treatments Orkin performed from January to December 2013.

1. Chicago
2. Los Angeles (+1)
3. Columbus, Ohio (+3)
4. Detroit (-2)
5. Cincinnati
6. Cleveland/Akron/Canton (+2)
7. Dayton (+4)
8. Washington D.C. (-1)
9. Denver (-5)
10. Indianapolis (+6)
11. Richmond/Petersburg, Va. (+1)
12. Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, N.C. (+3)
13. Dallas/Ft. Worth (-4)
14. Syracuse, N.Y. (+7)
15. Atlanta (+14)
16. Houston (+2)
17. New York (-7)
18. Seattle/Tacoma (-5)
19. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (-5)
20. Boston (+2)
21. Milwaukee (-2)
22. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (+3)
23. Nashville (+17)
24. Pittsburgh (+12)
25. Charlotte (+18)
26. San Diego (+6)
27. Baltimore (-7)
28. Phoenix (+7)
29. Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa (+4)
30. Charleston/Huntington, W. Va. (+1)
31. Knoxville, Tenn. (-4)
32. Louisville, Ky. (-2)
33. Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo, Mich. (+5)
34. Hartford/New Haven, Conn. (-8)
35. Champaign/Springfield, Ill. (+13)
36. Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville, S.C. (+11)
37. Omaha, Neb. (-20)
38. Buffalo, N.Y. (-10)
39. Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney, Neb. (+2)
40. Lexington, Ky. (-16)
41. Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, Calif. (+4)
42. Colorado Springs/Pueblo, Colo. (-19)
43. Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y. (-1)
44. Minneapolis/St. Paul (-10)
45. Honolulu (-8)
46. Toledo, Ohio
47. Peoria/Bloomington, Ill.
48. Davenport, Iowa/Moline, Ill.
49. New Orleans
50. Kansas City

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