Worst bed bug cities list released as cases rise 33% in 2012 (Video)

The 2012 list of the 50 worst bed bug cities was released today (Saturday) and it reveals a staggering rise in the number of cases of the pests. Chicago tops the list ahead of Detroit, Los Angeles, Denver and Cincinnati which round out the top five cities with the worst bed bugs problem.

Pest control company, Orkin, released the list as it does every year. According to a Jan., 18 report by ABC News, the company claims bed bug cases were up 33% from 2011. Experts suggest the rise is due to an increase in international and domestic travel and bed bugs becoming more immune to traditional pest control treatments. "Based on the diversity of cities on the list, we all need to be very cautious when we travel - whether it is business or pleasure, or to visit family, friends or vacation," Ron Harrison, Ph.D., an Orkin entomologist and Technical Services Director said in a statement.

Chicago Tops Worst Bed Bug Cities

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The city with the biggest increase in bed bug cases from 2011 to 2012 is Charleston/Huntington, West Virginia which jumped 18 spots on the list. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Seattle, Indianapolis and New Haven, Connecticut also moved double-digit spots on the list of worst bed bug cities of 2012.

Experts suggest travelers thoroughly inspect hotel rooms, bathrooms, and gyms for bed bugs. Pull back the bed sheets and look for tiny rust-colored spots. They don't just hide in mattresses, sheets and mattress seams, but also on picture frames, outlets, and furniture. When found in hotels, they can travel into homes across the country by hopping a ride on suitcases.

Here are the 2012 Top 50 Worst Bed Bug Cities in the U.S.:

1. Chicago (+1)
2. Detroit (+1)
3. Los Angeles (+2)
4. Denver
5. Cincinnati (-4)
6. Columbus, Ohio
7. Washington, D.C. (+1)
8. Cleveland/Akron/Canton (+5)
9. Dallas/Ft. Worth (-2)
10. New York (-1)
11. Dayton, Ohio (+4)
12. Richmond/Petersburg, Va. (-2)
13. Seattle/Tacoma (+14)
14. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (-2)
15. Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, N.C. (+4)
16. Indianapolis (+15)
17. Omaha, Neb. (+11)
18. Houston (-7)
19. Milwaukee (+13)
20. Baltimore (-2)
21. Syracuse, N.Y. (+2)
22. Boston (-8)
23. Colorado Springs/Pueblo, Colo. (+2)
24. Lexington, Ky. (-2)
25. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (-1)
26. Hartford/New Haven, Conn. (+10)
27. Knoxville, Tenn. (+11)
28. Buffalo, N.Y. (+1)
29. Atlanta (-8)
30. Louisville, Ky. (+5)
31. Charleston/Huntington, W. Va. (+18)
32. San Diego, Calif. (-6)
33. Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa (+12)
34. Minneapolis/St. Paul (+12)
35. Phoenix (-1)
36. Pittsburgh (-6)
37. Honolulu (-19)
38. Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo, Mich. (+1)
39. Grand Junction/Montrose, Colo. (-1)
40. Nashville, Tenn.
41. Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney, Neb. (+7)
42. Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y. (+2)
43. Charlotte (-10)
44. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.
45. Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, Calif. (-4)
46. Las Vegas (-30)
47. Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville, S.C.
48. Champaign/Springfield, Ill.
49. Portland, Or.
50. Sioux City, Iowa