Austin, TX? Maybe Houston, TX? Which Texas cities do you think are the most big-infected? How do Texas metros stack up to the rest of the country when it comes to fending... or not fending off these tiny pests?

Let's start with some "good" news. On the previous Orkin's Bed Bug City List, two major Texas cities had the dubious distinction of being ranked inside the top 10. Both, thankfully, have since dropped a bit in the rankings.

What is a bed bug?

"Typically 3/16 inch long, red to dark brown in color and are mostly nocturnal insects that come out of hiding to take blood meals from sleeping humans. These pests are hematophagous, which means blood is their only food source," according to ORKIN

What makes bed bugs amazing survivalists? Like most insects, it all goes back to their rapid population growth.

Female bed bugs deposit one to five eggs a day, they can lay between 200 to 500 eggs in their lifetime. What's worse, for us, these little buggers can survive for months without a food source.

How to Avoid Bed Bugs

Anytime you travel remember the acronym S.L.E.E.P. It'll help you to take the following action steps and avoid bringing bed bugs home.

  • Survey surfaces for signs of an infestation.
  • Lift and look for all bed bug hiding spots.
  • Elevate your luggage on a luggage rack away from the bed and wall
  • Examine your luggage carefully
  • Place all your clothing from your luggage immediately in the dryer for at least 15 minutes at the highest setting upon returning home from travel.

Alright, let's find out where Texas cities rank:

The new bed bug cities list is "based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2022 – Nov. 30, 2023. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments."

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The new bed bug cities list is "based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2022 – Nov. 30."

(ranking change +/- from '23)

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