Despite national awareness and attention to detail from custodial crews, bed bugs continue to plague facilities across the country. According to pest control company Orkin and its parent company, Rollins, there was nearly a 33 percent increase in bed bug business between 2011 and 2012.

The city most affected by bed bugs in 2012: Chicago. In fact, the Windy City ranked above Detroit, Lost Angeles ad Denver. Cincinnati, which was ranked at No. 1 in 2011, moved down to No. 5 on the list of most infested cities. (All top 50 cities are listed below.)

As many know, cleanliness is not a factor in bed bug infestations. Instead, the pests are attracted to clutter and are not confined to beds. In addition to mattress seams, the bugs can be found in picture frames, electrical outlets and other upholstered furniture. Bed bugs are also only the size of an apple seed when fully grown, which makes them difficult to spot.

Signs of an infestation include rust-colored stains on sheets or other surfaces and a sweet musty odor (compared to rotting raspberries), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information on bed bugs:
Research Shows Bed Bugs Can Carry Staph
Tools To Kill And Remove Bed Bugs
Taking A Bite Out Of Bed Bugs

The following cities are ranked in order of the number of bed bug treatments Orkin performed from January to December 2012 along with their shift, if any, in ranking compared to January to December 2011.
1. Chicago (+1)
2. Detroit (+1)
3. Los Angeles (+2)
4. Denver 
5. Cincinnati (-4)
6. Columbus, Ohio
7. Washington, D.C. (+1)
8. Cleveland/Akron/Canton (+5)
9. Dallas/Ft. Worth (-2)
10. New York (-1)
11. Dayton, Ohio (+4)   
12. Richmond/Petersburg, Va. (-2)
13. Seattle/Tacoma (+14)
14. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (-2)
15. Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, N.C. (+4)
16. Indianapolis (+15)
17. Omaha, Neb. (+11)
18. Houston (-7)
19. Milwaukee (+13)
20. Baltimore (-2)
21. Syracuse, N.Y. (+2)
22. Boston (-8)
23. Colorado Springs/Pueblo, Colo. (+2)
24. Lexington, Ky. (-2)
25. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (-1)
26. Hartford/New Haven, Conn. (+10)
27. Knoxville, Tenn. (+11)
28. Buffalo, N.Y. (+1)
29. Atlanta (-8)
30. Louisville, Ky. (+5)
31. Charleston/Huntington, W. Va. (+18)
32. San Diego, Calif. (-6)
33. Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa (+12)
34. Minneapolis/St. Paul (+12)
35. Phoenix (-1)
36. Pittsburgh (-6)
37. Honolulu (-19)
38. Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo, Mich. (+1)
39. Grand Junction/Montrose, Colo. (-1)
40. Nashville, Tenn.
41. Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney, Neb. (+7)
42. Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y. (+2)
43. Charlotte (-10)
44. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.
45. Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, Calif. (-4)
46. Las Vegas (-30)
47. Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville, S.C.
48. Champaign/Springfield, Ill.                                     
49. Portland, Or.
50. Sioux City, Iowa