Hampton Roads is rich in bed bugs.
Orkin, a national pest control company, released a list of the top 50 cities affected by bed bugs. The Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News region took 20th place, up ten places from the last study. Hampton Roads fell just behind the Richmond-Petersburg region, which placed 11th.
The most infested city? That would be Baltimore.
The list is based on pest treatment information from cities where Orkin provided the most bed bug services from Dec 1, 2015 – Nov 30, 2016.
“We have more people affected by bed bugs in the United States than ever before,” said Orkin Entomologist Ron Harrison in a press release. “This was virtually unheard of in the U.S. 10 years ago.”
Bed bugs thrive because they are resilient, difficult to detect, and can easily travel in luggage, purses, and other belongings, according to the release.
