Southwest Michigan A Hot Spot For Bed Bugs

Several Michigan cities including Battle Creek are on a list of those experiencing the worst bed bug infestations in the country.

Detroit is ranked as the second-worst city in the country for bed bugs by Orkin. The pest control company ranks Chicago as the worst.

Last year, Michigan’s largest city ranked third for cities with the largest increase in infestations on a list put out by Terminix, another national pest control company.
Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Battle Creek all tied for 20th worst on the Orkin list.

The Atlanta-based exterminator says the list is based on data from cities where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments in 2014.

In the Battle Creek/Kalamazoo area, Bob Murphy, a specialist with Rose Pest Solutions said he hasn't looked at the new data but would not dispute the findings, saying bed bugs have been getting worse in the area over the last several years.

Original story by Michigan Radio Network with additional reporting by Robert Nelson