First, the good news. No Alabama city made the list of places in the U.S. with the most bedbugs.

The bad news is there are plenty of popular travel destinations that did make the list, according to pest control company Orkin. The bed bugs city list was based on data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most treatments for the pests from Dec. 1, 2022 to Nov. 30, 2023, including both residential and commercial areas.

Coming in at number one – for the fourth year in a row – was Chicago. New York and Philadelphia came in second and third, while Greensboro, North Carolina, made the biggest jump by moving up 25 spots to crawl its way into the top 20. Milwaukee moved up 15 spots to number 25 and while Tampa jumped 10 spots to number 31.

Here were the top 50 cities for Bed Bugs, according to Orkin. The figures next to the city name reflects the change from last year.

1. Chicago
2. New York
3. Philadelphia
4. Cleveland-Akron, OH
5. Los Angeles
6. Detroit
7. Washington, D.C. (+2)
8. Indianapolis (-1)
9. Charlotte (+5)
10. Champaign, IL (+1)
11. Columbus, OH (-1)
12. Cincinnati (+1)
13. Atlanta (+3)
14. Grand Rapids, MI (-2)
15. Denver
16. Baltimore (-8)
17. Richmond, VA (+9)
18. Greensboro, N.C. (+25)
19. St. Louis (+6)
20. Youngstown (+7)
21. Pittsburgh (-3)
22. Dallas-Ft. Worth (-5)
23. Flint, MI (-2)
24. Raleigh-Durham (-4)
25. Milwaukee (+15)
26. Charleston, W.V. (-7)
27. Greenville, SC (-3)
28. Norfolk, VA (-5)
29. Davenport (+8)
30. Nashville (+3)
31. Tampa (+10)
32. Toledo (+6)
33. Dayton, OH (+1)
34. Knoxville (-4)
35. Las Vegas (new to list)
36. Omaha, NE (-4)
37. South Bend, IN (-9)
38. Houston (+6)
39. Cedar Rapids, MI (-8)
40. Ft. Wayne, IN (-5)
41. San Francisco (-19)
42. Buffalo, NY (-13)
43. Harrisburg (-7)
44. Seattle (-5)
45. Miami
46. Orlando (+1)
47. Minneapolis (new to list)
48. Oklahoma City (new to list)
49. Louisville, KY
50. Lexington, KY (-4)

Bed bugs are extremely resilient pests that make them difficult to control. Typically, 3/16 inches long, they are red to dark brown in color and mostly nocturnal, coming out of hiding to snack on blood from sleeping humans. They typically cling to items such as luggage, purses or other personal belongings, making it easy for them to travel from place to place.

How to prevent bed bugs

Tips from Orkin for guarding against bed bugs:

• 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.