INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis has made another top 15 list, but for pretty unpleasant reasons.
Orkin, a pest control company, recently released its annual top 50 cities with the most bed bug treatments. In 2017, Indianapolis had the 11th-most bed bug treatments.
"Any type of home is prone to bed bugs," said Dr. Tim Husen, an Orkin entomologist. "It has nothing to do with sanitation. We have treated for bed bugs everywhere, from newly built upscale homes to public housing."
In last year's list, Indianapolis was No. 14, so we're trending in the wrong direction.
The following cities had more bed bug treatments in 2017:
1. Baltimore
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Chicago
4. Los Angeles
5. Columbus, Ohio
6. Cincinnati
7. Detroit
8. New York
9. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
10. Dallas-Fort Worth
An adult female bed bug lays 2-5 eggs per day, up to 500 in her lifetime. Adult bed bugs are reddish-brown and about the size of an apple seed.
During travel, Orkin advises you to 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 15 minutes at the highest setting after you return home.
For more information about how to protect against bed bugs, and to see the full rankings, click here.
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