If you’re heading to Pittsburgh for summer vacation, keep an eye out for tiny tourists sharing a room with you and hitchhiking on your luggage.
Orkin’s 2026 list ranking the U.S. cities with the highest rates of bed bug infestations put the Steel City among the top 10 worst municipalities for bed bugs.
Opportunities for bed bugs to spread can increase with higher rates of travel and elevated turnover at hotels and apartments, according to Orkin.
Here’s what to know about how Pittsburgh ranks.
Pittsburgh ranks among top 10 cities for highest rates of bed bugs
Pittsburgh ranked at No. 9 on Orkin’s 2026 list, moving up three spots from previous years.
A live adult bed bug crawls around a Petri dish of Jinbo Song, a Phd candidate studying them in the entomology lab at Clemson University under Eric Benson in May 2019. Mr. Song looks at several varieties in different stages.
Philadelphia was also among the top 25 cities, ranking at No. 22, up three spots from past years.
Overall, Pennsylvania ranks high as one of the worst states for bed bug risks, according to a recent USA TODAY report, which cited a Casino.ca analysis. The Keystone State ranked at No. 4 for its bed bug risks, putting it behind Michigan, Ohio and Maryland and above Wisconsin, Texas, Illinois, New York and Washington, D.C.
Which cities have the highest rates of bed bugs?
These cities have the highest rates of bed bugs, according to Orkin’s 2026 list.
Charleston, West Virginia
Charlotte, North Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina,
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
How to avoid bed bugs while traveling
Your suitcase may be full of bed bugs—here’s how to protect it
Orkin recommends inspecting hotel rooms before unpacking by checking mattresses and furniture for live bugs, shed skins, tiny eggs or dark, ink-like stains. Travelers should also keep luggage on elevated racks away from beds, inspect bags before returning home and place dryer-safe clothing in a high-heat dryer for 30 to 45 minutes after traveling.
“Travel season brings excitement, but it also makes awareness especially important,” said Dr. Shannon Sked, Orkin entomologist and national technical director.
Sked said bed bugs rarely disappear on their own, making early detection and prompt professional treatment the best way to prevent infestations from spreading.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where Pittsburgh ranks among worst cities for bed bugs in 2026