# Major American city again takes top honors for worst possible travel reason

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-07-12 03:07 UTC · Category: Business

## Executive Summary
New data from Orkin identifies the most bed-bug-infested U.S. cities, including a major city reclaiming the top spot for infestations.

## Intelligence Brief
A new ranking of U.S. cities with the highest rates of bed bugs has been released, highlighting several major metropolitan areas struggling with infestations. According to a report from Orkin, a major American city has once again taken the top honors for being the worst location for this specific travel-related issue. The data reveals a broad geographic spread of these pests, with the rankings including 50 cities across the United States. Specific cities noted in the data include Dallas, which is ranked 23rd, and Pittsburgh, which has moved into the top 10 list of cities plagued by bed bugs. Additionally, Tampa has appeared on the list of the top 50 cities with bed bugs for the first time. Multiple news outlets are covering the implications of these rankings for residents and travelers. WESH reports that the list of the 50 cities with the highest bed bug rates includes several popular vacation spots.


Regional coverage from WZZM13.com notes that three cities in Michigan are among the 50 worst national hot spots. Similarly, The Asheville Citizen Times references the Orkin report to confirm that two cities in North Carolina are listed as hotspots. The News Journal has raised questions regarding whether bed bugs are present in Delaware following the release of these national infestation level rankings. Fox News focused its coverage on the major American city that reclaimed the top spot for these infestations. This trend is significant because bed bugs are a recurring concern for the travel and hospitality industries. To address the risks associated with these infestations, USA Today has provided guidance on the specific hotel bed bug checks that every traveler should perform before they begin unpacking their belongings. The recurrence of a single city taking the top spot suggests a persistent systemic issue in certain urban environments.


The inclusion of popular vacation destinations on the Orkin list increases the stakes for tourists who may unknowingly transport pests back to their homes after visiting these high-rate areas. Future developments will likely center on how these cities respond to the Orkin data to mitigate the spread of pests. While coverage does not yet specify the exact name of the city in the top spot, the focus remains on the prevalence of bed bugs in top 10 and top 50 lists. Travelers are encouraged to remain vigilant, particularly when visiting the Michigan, North Carolina, and Florida locations mentioned in the reports. Monitoring will continue as more regions, such as Delaware, seek to determine their specific standing relative to the identified national hot spots.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| WFLA | Tampa ranks among top 50 cities with bed bugs for 1st time | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijgFBVV95cUxOcF90c1RXV2tsWFRZVERFd3VqZG1ITmxBLW5YcmlhX3RtUW9ITGhmd1JETlhsVG1wUjlaeUNaMzA2OWJ4TlhnTWJrVWZWRFFLMk9acEFXR251bUZiZThBUVI5MV9BUDBIQkc0YlcxT1VVTWlQZkJjWG51Mjh5UVV0Yll0WTZrSU5fdzUwRktB?oc=5) |
| USA Today | The hotel bed bug check every traveler should do before unpacking | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxQSWc4STNNbi1ob1JrcE50aDMzalRiaEVWVThPQkhuYmxtREJwZDFsa2syN0c4TkpUZElNcUIya2NSQnRtMjhPdTNfemE1eTlrY0NJenlYd212RVV3UlRSbmtMZ1pyR0VWWEJuSUUtUlZsY1dXd3FkV0x4eEpXakNLUEpKMTNQNnlMcldtWmF4TGp4dw?oc=5) |
| Dallas News | Dallas ranked 23 in ranking of U.S. cities with most bed bugs | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxNYi1DaW5zdzA3THJXcE8teXJaR0FnbC1wYjFpRl9ScDZEUXM2YVMxZDRUTTVORXE4b3hnZGsxZnFaSTh1bzMzelhvZHhLZ1JvVHZqRy1hRXY3WkpKRnl2ZTd6QXYzajR3N1pWcm5VclRlZDZZOUpUTXRnX0ZSLXZTWmY4ZVFBajByMjZnSklrUEZJdzJyaGNmSmd3WlRJUVpRWWhhYW0xMlhRTVpPMmdUTA?oc=5) |
| The News Journal | Are bed bugs in Delaware? Latest rankings reveal US infestation levels | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxOOElTUExRLWdNNm8wOW9uVmdBR2ZHUDZoamc1T3duVUpsV0k0Rk9CdG02RWNMZ3VMeXJBQ2luOTNPeWxxNkZwVG1KSnZ4U3doQmladXJicmx4ZEJGQ0lrWlZaVmVBblI0dm84TGRYOUVYVFc1TmNwbEtsYnNvamVwSVpaeFRyMlYwYTZiQVRpX21HTTdFYzlVeU1reTBYUTZ2UG1TZjZiMDRxNmVWSkVFQnVVX1Y4WkdpaHNKOUl0aVFQQ2JfS1E?oc=5) |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Pittsburgh creeps into top 10 U.S. cities plagued with bedbugs | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxOUERjUkZvdWhoTENZek5lOTFMTl9XSVRTdVYtbWs1UWxBeERHeUZtVzNzam1LMDhLT0dLRThERm5uS0xScTM2T0FGS01rUUVpeDdBbi1acHh4ZjJhODVRYUswYWNkWXN1VnAzQ1pCTU1vT0liVWYzS1FFQVVsYVM0Z0hLeUlYSXNFVmdpVkdnNEpwVU1CbDlEbENwWkJrdG1QM2NleA?oc=5) |
| WESH | 50 US cities with highest rates of bed bugs include popular vacation spots | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMic0FVX3lxTE1HU0NHY3BfVnQ2OTNQYV81bUE2NUJnZVdVYzNEM1ZCS0Z5Tm0ydGZjdUctMkhzOEYzclByY1U0dVVxQWJ2Qm80cmtweVFHQ2FnQlE4OE5yMU5IZE15cHpKMWVYNk5QRGRSYlVleTktbVB4Qlk?oc=5) |
| WZZM13.com | These 3 Michigan cities are among the 50 worst hot spots in the nation for bed bugs | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1AFBVV95cUxPVUtVLUdlaEZlY0Rsa3JOTlJjSU9BaUtyblg3Z0V3cHNPRG80TWh2SFJac2pqRFdtRWZJbGRFV3BwVm9ocldaZmRSZ2hWV1A5ajQtNzZqMjJNem1iMFZDRFFBMjN4Uk9Ic1B1SFktb2x0ME1hbGprVGpIdWxraEtOYzV6bXd3U0JfRTJmWmxEdmk0QmlUc3lBNWJHYlFKaXJueGp5NUFwRGU5U25rR2piM253YWowQVVsV0pjZUgtcXQtMUxjS2ZYQ1pKb2lOR1Vwb3ZuNg?oc=5) |
| The Asheville Citizen Times | These 2 NC cities among U.S. bed bug hotspots, Orkin reports | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixwFBVV95cUxONnN2SFpISVFDTmxpMUk4dHJ4N2NONGUxajZYZW9KWExsNkM3MG0yeVByYjMtQ2VSTXQ5alJhUTlrSkpGcFZHX2xHSzVGVVB0T3pfZkx4Y3dyeWlWMlVsUG9RMzR1eHAwZU1CeHYydVRHSlZRM1IwZ1dSRnIzRS03bktCRnJGaEpGeGh5WDBELVUtLU9pZjQ1VmhfM2I3N01nWGFBT1hLazIzWTlxVWVfelpCc2Q1SUhQcG1VdmxHMG1DdlNOcDU4?oc=5) |
| Fox News | Major American city again takes top honors for worst possible travel reason | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPWU1CSVh5SWFNaENsdjZXUUc1MjFTT2swWnJMRVNHVnZUcGduaXg0R2FuWnhNQ0FMY2dYcGpqSjJSbGJuUUlGaEg3cU56S1hXZEZhcWVYdzlKZ21zeWpLbnNCc2J0Q3ItVW5kMk16a1NEUVBYQVdJV0g2VlFUQnIwU2FXRjZIM1JBSmJ1aV8tTVJtbGhUMkVBSGJuUTFOTFhiVWR2adIBqgFBVV95cUxPQUZORktTV3lPR18zOEd1LVZ3SEJhYWJvQzRiZGdUWVB0dG9TSE1RM19rSTUyeXZZRkpHdnAwVXg5NmhoZnlwVkJ6NTlfR0pBdlB0UXYwVjVNR0ZDanJCRG16X3I0bmR4YnhqZWloSGtiQ0JlTkgzVnQtR3BXaXNycTJDMy1wNldXS050UENoRUctSFZya2tIMFNha2syUUp1dVNyVHptNmlydw?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-07-12/major-american-city-again-takes-top-honors-for-worst-possible-travel-reason*