Here’s a list on which Pittsburgh should be relieved it ranks only in the middle of the pack.

A survey released Monday by pest control specialists Orkin ranks Pittsburgh as the 19th-worst city for bed bugs. Pittsburgh also ranked 19th last year and 24th the year before that.

The worst cities for bed bugs? Chicago; Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; and Detroit are the top four. Three cities in Ohio made the top 10: Columbus and Cleveland tied for fifth with Cincinnati eighth. Philadelphia came in at 14th.

Washington ranked as the worst city in the 2020 report, with Baltimore the worst in 2019.

“Bed bugs are a concern for everyone because they are master hitchhikers, traveling home with people when they likely don’t realize it,” said Ben Hottel, an Orkin entomologist. “Their nature of hiding in difficult-to-find cracks and crevices once introduced into a room can make them hard to control, which is why involving a trained professional at the sight of an introduction is recommended.”

The survey is based on how many bed bug treatments — residential and commercial — Orkin performed between Dec. 1, 2019, and Nov. 30, 2020.

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