Orkin ranks Pittsburgh 12th-worst city for bed bugs

Pittsburgh ranked as the 12th-worst city for bed bugs in Orkin’s 2025 Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List — climbing the ranks higher than in previous years.

Last year, the Steel City was in 21st place.

Orkin said bed bugs can be found clinging to items like luggage, purses and other personal belongings, which allow them to easily travel from place to place.

Blood is their only food source, and Orkin said their favorite supplier happens to be sleeping humans.

Orkin’s rankings this year are based on treatment data from metro areas where it performed the most bed bug treatments from May 15, 2024 to May 14, 2025. The list includes both residential bed bug control and commercial bed bug treatments, the company said.

For the fifth consecutive year, Chicago once again topped the list as the most bed bug-infested city in the nation.

Hartford, Connecticut made the biggest leap on the list this year — of 48 spots — coming in 35th, indicating a significant increase in bed bug activity.

Unlike Pittsburgh’s rise, Philadelphia, which came in 25th place, was one of the cities that saw significant drops, which Orkin said indicates fewer reported bed bug infestations compared to the previous year.

The full list is as follows:

1. Chicago

2. Cleveland (+2)

3. Detroit (+3)

4. Los Angeles (+1)

5. Indianapolis (+3)

6. Washington, D.C. (+1)

7. Grand Rapids, Mich. (+7)

8. Columbus, Ohio (+3)

9. Champaign, Ill. (+1)

10. Milwaukee (+15)

11. Baltimore (+5)

12. Pittsburgh (+9)

13. Cincinnati (-1)

14. Denver (+1)

15. New York (-13)

16. Flint, Mich. (+7)

17. Atlanta (-4)

18. St. Louis (+1)

19. Charleston, W. Va. (+7)

20. Cedar Rapids, Iowa (+19)

21. Davenport, Iowa (+8)

22. Youngstown, Ohio (-2)

23. Raleigh, N.C. (+1)

24. Dallas (-2)

25. Philadelphia (-22)

26. Omaha, Neb. (+10)

27. South Bend, Ind. (+10)

28. Richmond, Va. (-11)

29. Knoxville, Tenn. (+5)

30. Greenville, S.C. (-3)

31. Norfolk, Va. (-3)

32. Charlotte, N.C. (-23)

33. Peoria, Ill. (+18)

34. Oklahoma City, Okla. (+14)

35. Hartford, Conn. (+48)

36. Toledo, Ohio (-4)

37. Buffalo (+5)

38. Fort Wayne, Ind. (+2)

39. Seattle (+5)

40. Minneapolis (+7)

41. Miami (+1)

42. San Francisco (-1)

43. Dayton, Ohio (-10)

44. Nashville (-14)

45. Houston (-7)

46. Las Vegas (-11)

47. Boston (+10)

48. Lansing, Mich. (+4)

49. San Diego (+10)

50. Syracuse, N.Y. (+8)

Spotting bed bugs

Orkin stressed the importance of inspecting beds and luggage for bed bugs during and after travel.

“Bed bugs are some of the most resilient pests in the world, making them extremely difficult to control if brought into a home or hotel,” said Ben Hottel, Orkin entomologist, in the announcement.

The best way to prevent bringing bed bugs home during travel is by utilizing the acronym “S.L.E.E.P.” to inspect for them, according to Orkin.

This is what it stands for:

• Search the room for signs of infestation by looking for bed bugs, which are small, flat, oval-shaped insects that are brown and about the size of an apple seed. Other signs of bed bugs include ink-like stains on fabrics, shedded exoskeletons around furniture and a sweet, musty smell.
• Lift sheets, curtains and cushions to check for bed bugs or signs of bed bugs.
• Elevate your luggage onto racks and keep it away from the bed or other furniture.
• Examine your luggage carefully while repacking and again when you return home.
• Place all dryer-safe clothing from your luggage in the dryer for 30 to 45 minutes at the highest heat setting upon returning home.

“What makes bed bugs especially challenging is their growing resistance to certain treatments, which is why early detection and proactive prevention are so critical,” Hottel said. “If there’s any sign of bed bugs, it’s important to involve a trained professional … right away.”