Philadelphia ranks high on Orkin's bed bug cities list yet again

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia once again ranks high on a list that no city wants to be a part of.

The City of Brotherly Love is now No. 3 on Orkin's Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List.

According to the exterminator company, the list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from December 1, 2021 - November 30, 2022.

There is some good news: Philadelphia dropped one spot over the past year. We were ranked No. 2 last year.

New York crawled up to that slot.

Chicago takes the top spot for the third year in a row.

The top five also includes Cleveland and Los Angeles.

For reference, Philly ranked No. 14 in 2021, 10 in 2020 and 12 in 2019.

Along with its annual list, Orkin released some proactive tips for homeowners and travelers to prevent bed bugs:

At Home:

• Inspect your home for signs of bed bugs regularly. Check the places where bed bugs hide during the day, including mattress tags and seams, and behind baseboards, headboards, electrical outlets and picture frames. Inspect when you move in, after a trip, when a service worker visits or after guests stay overnight.

• Decrease clutter around your home to make it easier to spot bed bugs on your own or during professional inspections.

• Examine all secondhand furniture before bringing it inside your home.

During travel, remember the acronym S.L.E.E.P. to inspect for bed bugs:

• Survey the hotel room for signs of an infestation. Be on the lookout for tiny, ink-colored stains on mattress seams, in soft furniture and behind headboards.

• Lift and look in bed bug hiding spots: the mattress, box spring and other furniture, as well as behind baseboards, pictures and even torn wallpaper.

• Elevate luggage away from the bed and wall. The safest places are in the bathroom or on counters.

• Examine your luggage carefully while repacking and once you return home from a trip. Always store luggage away from the bed.

• Place all dryer-safe clothing from your luggage in the dryer for at least 30-45 minutes at the highest setting after you return home.