Bedbugs are irritating people throughout the United States.
Pest control company Orkin recently compiled a list of cities with the biggest bedbug problems based on where the most treatments were performed between December 2016 to November 2017, The Readers Digest noted.
Baltimore made the top of the list for the second time in a row, followed by Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Los Angeles; Columbus; Cincinnati; Detroit; New York; San Francisco; and Dallas.
New York dropped four spots while Los Angeles, Cincinnati, and Dallas all rose in positions.
Bedbugs were prevalent in the early 20th century but, after potent insecticides were introduced, people managed to get rid of the bloodsucking critters for a while, between the mid-1950s to the late 1990s, University of Kentucky entomologist Michael Potter told USA Today.
But they came "roaring back in the last five to seven years," he noted.
Potter suggested this was because many earlier potent insecticides have been banned and also because bedbugs have grown more resistant to modern pesticides.
Also contributing to the problem is an increase in people traveling and spreading the bugs.
In a statement, Orkin reported that bedbugs are constantly in motion, traveling via luggage, clothing and other belongings.
The critters are prevalent in family homes, apartments, hotels, hospitals and public places like daycare centers, public transit, schools and offices.
"Any type of home is prone to bedbugs. It has nothing to do with sanitation. We have treated for bedbugs everywhere, from newly built upscale homes to public housing," said Dr. Tim Husen, an Orkin entomologist.
The problem is that bedbugs can bring a wealth of problems along with them.
A recent study noted that frequent bites can cause many "physical problems and psychological distress."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said "bedbugs can be an annoyance because their presence may cause itching and loss of sleep," adding that "sometimes the itching can lead to excessive scratching that can sometimes increase the chance of a secondary skin infection."
Experts agree that the best way to get rid of bedbugs is still through pest control, which can offer various methods to combat them.
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