If you’re squeamish about bugs or tiny crawling critters, you may want to look away. A new report lists a few cities in North Carolina as being some of the worst places in America for bed bugs.
Pest control company Orkin released its annual list of the U.S. cities with the most reported cases of bed bugs, using data gathered from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023, of cities with the most bed bug treatments. Three cities city in the Tar Heel State are among the worst in the country for bed bugs:
- No. 9: Charlotte (+5)
- No. 18: Greensboro (+25)
- No. 24: Raleigh-Durham (-4)
Bed bugs are typically around 3/16 inch long and red to dark brown in color and are mostly nocturnal, coming out at night to “take blood meals from sleeping humans,” the site states. A bed bug fiasco in Paris last year had people more concerned than ever about the pests. Orkin entomologist Ben Hottel notes that while people may be aware of the bugs while traveling , it’s important that they also take precautions at home to ensure their space stays bed bug-free.