ATLANTA—As summer travel ramps up, Orkin’s 2026 Bed Bug Cities List highlights several destinations experiencing increased bed bug activity, including the addition of high-growth vacation destinations Tampa and Myrtle Beach. Chicago retained its position as the nation’s city with the highest rate of bed bug infestations, with Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis rounding out the top five.
Ohio is the most represented state on this year’s list with six cities ranking in the top 50, reinforcing a broader trend of Midwestern cities appearing among the nation’s bed bug hotspots. While bed bugs can be found anywhere people live and travel, densely populated cities and environments with high resident and visitor turnover, such as apartments, dormitories and hotels, can create more opportunities for the pests to spread simply due to the movement of high numbers of people.
Many cities where bed bug activity has been the worst in the last year are also some of the country’s most popular travel destinations and are expected to welcome large numbers of visitors for major concerts, festivals and sporting events throughout the summer and beyond. As visitors move through hotels and other accommodations, Orkin encourages vigilance against bed bugs, which can hitchhike home in luggage and other personal belongings. Knowing how to inspect hotel rooms and luggage before unpacking can help prevent an unwanted souvenir from making the trip home.
The Top 10 Cities
This year’s rankings are based on treatment data from metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from May 12, 2025, to May 12, 2026. The list includes both residential and commercial bed bug treatments.
The following are the top 10 cities:
1. Chicago
2. Los Angeles
3. Detroit
4. Cleveland, Ohio
5. Indianapolis
6. Springfield, Ill.
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Columbus, Ohio
9. Pittsburgh
10. Grand Rapids, Mich.
“Travel season brings excitement, but it also makes awareness especially important,” said Dr. Shannon Sked, Orkin entomologist and National Technical Director. “Bed bugs are resilient pests that can be difficult to control once introduced into a home or hotel room, and they are skilled at hiding in cracks, crevices and personal belongings. A quick inspection of hotels or short-term rentals while traveling, or belongings before unpacking at home, can help travelers reduce the chance of bringing bed bugs home.”
Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to detect because they are tiny. Adults measure just 3/16 inch long, while immature nymphs are even smaller, and their flattened bodies allow them to hide in hard-to-spot locations. Primarily nocturnal, these blood-feeding pests often target sleeping humans and can easily spread by hitchhiking on luggage, purses and other personal belongings.
Because bed bugs can remain hidden for weeks before being discovered, travelers may unknowingly bring them home and not realize until long after a trip has ended.
For more information about bed bug prevention and bed bug control, visit Orkin.com.
