Top 10 Bedbug-Infested Cities in North America

Just in time for summer vacation season, Insight Pharmaceuticals, makers of Pronto Plus, an over-the-counter bedbug insecticide, today released its first annual list of the top bedbug infested cities in North America.

With millions of Americans taking summer vacations, the list comes just as unsuspecting travelers head to their vacation rentals. This year, families will have to take precautions or they might unknowingly bring home unwelcome guests of the insect variety.

Cities on this years list include:

1. Columbus, Ohio. Columbus has been fighting a major bedbug infestation for years, and enacted a bedbug oversight committee to marshal forces to fight this incipit outbreak. Recently, the State of Ohio asked the EPA to allow the use of Propoxur to help fight the problem. Its request was denied.

2. New York. The Big Apples war on bedbugs has been well documented. A group of concerned citizens started a NYC bedbug advisory board whose efforts recently ended in failure as government officials viewed the bedbug problem as having no fiscal impact.

3.Toronto, Canada. Torontos ongoing bedbug fight required the city to use bedbug sniffing dogs in advance of the recent G20 meeting. Torontos Etobicoke General Hospital was also recently found to be harboring the blood sucking pests.

4. Bloomington, Ind. So severe is Bloomingtons fight against bedbugs that the town recently invested $50,000 in bedbug eradication equipment that will fry the invaders with heat and help put a stop to the towns "epidemic."

5.Manchester, N.H. The city of Manchester formed a Bed Bug Action Committee to combat increasing incidences of bedbugs.

6. San Francisco. There have been 17 reports of bedbugs reported in San Francisco in the month of June. Note that not all bedbug cases are reported.

7. Durham, N.C. North Carolina has had such dramatic problems with bedbugs that four of the states congressional members introduced a bill in Congress to establish a grant program to assist states in inspecting hotel rooms for bedbugs, and protect apartment renters.

8. Vancouver, Canada. A quick review of BedbugRegistry.com shows that new infestations are appearing in this city every day.

9. Chicago. Concerned individuals in Chicago formed a bedbug policy advocacy group, which cites evidence indicating that Chicago bedbug infestations are on the rise.

10. Denver. The bedbug problem in Denver has become such a problem that the local library had to destroy rare books that were hundreds of years old after a recent infestation.

Even though many of these cities have put programs in place to combat bedbug infestations, the problem continues to plague communities across the nation. This summer, travelers need to be aware of these risks so they can avoid bringing bedbugs back to their home.

Insight Pharmaceuticals list of the top 10 bedbug infested cities in North America was developed using a combination of factors that include regional sales and extensive research on reported bedbug infestations in North America. Note that many people dont report bedbug infestations so it is not possible to track every occurrence. This makes it even more important for travelers to take preventive measures.