Richmond didn’t make this list, and that’s fine

The fifth annual ranking of the most bedbug infested cities in the United States was released by Terminix.

Philadelphia, Penn. keeps the top spot for the third consecutive year. New York City topped the list for the first two years of the rankings in 2010 and 2011.

The 2014 list of Most-Infested Bedbug Cities includes:

1. Philadelphia, Penn.                                                       9. Baltimore, Md.
2. Cincinnati, Ohio                                                             10. Washington, D.C.
3. New York City, N.Y.                                                        11. Houston, Texas
4. Detroit, Mich.                                                                  12. Denver, Colo.
5. Chicago, Ill.                                                                     13. Indianapolis, Ind.
6. Boston, Mass.                                                                  14. Los Angeles, Calif.
7. Dallas, Texas                                                                     15. Cleveland, Ohio
8. Columbus, Ohio

The list was created by compiling inbound call data from the more than 300 Terminix branches across the country.

The rankings represent the metropolitan areas with the highest volume of calls between Jan.1 and June 30, 2014.

Terminix also reports cases of bedbugs by each of its branches nationwide in towns both large and small. And while the majority of bedbug calls are for residential treatment, Termix says they have seen a significant uptick in its commercial bedbug business in servicing public areas such as buses, movie theaters and retail stores.

Bedbugs’ small, flat bodies make them experts at hiding.

They are often found in seams of mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, luggage and folded clothing, and can remain hidden for long periods of time without a blood meal.

The most obvious way to detect the presence of bedbugs is bite marks to the body.

However, marks may take up to 14 days to appear and can be highly variable in appearance, so look for other signs such as exoskeletons of bedbugs, live bedbugs in mattress seams, a sweet musty odor, and rusty-colored blood spots on mattresses and sheets.

Bedbugs generally bite while people are sleeping, so they often do not realize they’ve been bitten until marks appear. These marks are similar to that of a mosquito, with a slightly swollen, red area that may itch or be irritated.

If you suspect bedbugs in your home or business, it’s recommended that you contact a professional pest control company.