It's not a list you want to be on, but Tampa made it back into the top 50 cities with the most bed bug activity.
The list was compiled by pest control company Orkin and is based on data collected from areas where it performed the most bed bug treatments from May 2025 to May 2026.
Last year, Tampa wasn't in the top 50. Before that, it was 31st in 2024 and 41st in 2023.
Orkin entomologist Ian Williams said Tampa's popularity as a travel destination contributed to the city's return to the rankings, as places with a high volume of residents and visitors make it easy for bed bugs to spread.
"They can't fly, they don't walk around outside," he said. "If they're showing up someplace, they're brought either on people or their belongings as they're brought into different areas. Luggage is a great place for bed bugs to live and hide."
"If you have new housing that's showing up, especially apartment complexes that are coming in, and people moving around a lot," he said. "Anytime you've got movement of people, you're gonna also move bed bugs. They're attached to us at the hip, sometimes literally."
Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit came in as the top three. Miami was the only other Florida city in the list at 47th, down 6 spots from last year.
"We've got this comparative data over time," Williams said. "And so what we're looking at is services that have been provided in those areas and being able to quantify those to be able to come up with the list."
Williams said an important part of treating bed bugs is making sure there is attention to their presence.
"It's a conversation piece to be able to have understanding and awareness as, hey, maybe this is something I should be aware of so that I can protect myself or my business from the potential negative impacts of bed bugs."
With Tampa back in the top 50, Williams said it's important to be prepared to identify bed bugs and call for professional assistance.
"We work on a professional side with a lot of our clients and vendors on training, on just making sure that if you're working in a hotel as a cleaning staff, you're able to identify that bug and understand what that is," he said.
Orkin suggests using the acronym S.L.E.E.P. when you're traveling:
- Search the room for signs of infestation, looking for bed bugs, which are small, flat, oval-shaped insects that are reddish-brown and about the size of an apple seed as adults but almost translucently cream colored as nymphs. Other signs of bed bugs include ink-like speckled stains on fabrics, shed exoskeletons around crevices of beds and furniture and a sweet, musty smell.
- Lift sheets, curtains and cushions to check for bed bugs or signs of bed bugs before settling in.
- Elevate your luggage onto racks and keep it away from the bed or other furniture.
- Examine your luggage carefully while repacking and again when you return home.
- Place all dryer-safe clothing from your luggage in the dryer for 30 to 45 minutes at the highest heat setting upon returning home.
You can see the full top 50 list of cities and learn more about bed bugs and how to identify them by clicking here.
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