Colorado like all other states within the United States has bed bugs, but how does it relate to other states and cities within the US? The most recent survey 2021 has listed the top 50 cities with the most bed bugs. The top five cities include Chicago, Baltimore, Washington DC, Detroit and Columbus Ohio, so that’s good news for us here in Colorado, or is it. Denver made the list as the #20 and that is up 7 positions from the previous year 2020. Luckily, there are no other cities within Colorado that made the top 50 list, but that does not mean there are not bed bugs throughout Colorado.
Huge Increase in Bed Bug Calls in the Past 17 Years
I have been in the pest control industry since 2004 (17 years) and have seen a huge increase in bed bugs since I have been working. When I first started in the industry, we might have a call or two a week for bed bugs. Fast-forward to now and we have 10-20 calls per day and specific technicians dedicated to just bed bug treatments. So, what has changed? Back in the day when DDT was commonly used, the insecticide managed the bed bug population levels extremely well. However, DDT was appropriately banned by the EPA for is devastating effects on the environment and since then, bed bugs have been on the rise. 
A common myth is that there are no insecticides on the market for bed bugs. That is completely false. There are a bunch of products on the market and some of them are quite effective. So, you might wonder why there is still a problem. Well, since the ban of DDT, travel has become more prevalent, and these insects (bed bugs) are great at hitchhiking.
Bed Bugs Spreading Across the Globe Faster, Due to More Travelers
There is also a lot of diversity spread across the globe with respect to travel, with different cultures mixing in with other cultures, and the way bed bugs are viewed may be different from culture to culture or from family to family or even from person to person. It all boils down to tolerance and perception. Unfortunately, bed bugs come with the stigma of being dirty, and that is not always the case. These insects can be found in the cleanest of homes and hotel rooms. Some people may try to do something about bed bugs as soon as they see one insect, whereas other people may not say anything until it reaches an infestation level. Why, might you ask? Fear!!!! They may be ashamed, embarrassed or fearful of getting kicked out of a lease. In these cases, it is possible for the bed bugs to hitchhike.
Other problems include not knowing you have a bed bug infestation or failing to say something about it. Another common area for hitch hiking bed bugs is on used furniture. These can be from mattresses and box springs at garage sales, rent-a-centers, or in the dumpster that dumpster divers find and use.
It is not something that is commonly talked about with the dirty stigma attached to them, but bed bugs are relatively common. There is a statistic floating around that 22% of Americans have had a bed bug encounter in their lifetime. That is a pretty high number. All things aside, do not be worried as the local pros at Northern Colorado Pest and Wildlife Control can rid you of these unwanted guests. Give us a call today!!!
