Metro area city ranks in top 10 for bed bugs across US
A city can be a welcoming thing, with tourists, residents, communities and neighbors all making a place have its own special charm.
However, a recent release by pest service company Terminix says Atlanta is not just welcoming to people, but also some creepy crawlies.
In their yearly ranking on the topic, Atlanta was was not just among the top 50 most bed bug infested cities in the country, but just shy of joining the top 5.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
That's among 50 cities across the United States.
Terminix said Atlanta named the sixth highest city for being a 'bed bug boomtown.'
TRENDING STORIES:
Peach Pass fee freeze program ends soon, closing temporary amnesty option for drivers
GA law gives tenants at a Southwest Atlanta Apartment Complex protections against unsafe conditions
A runaway pet zebra has been captured in Tennessee
'We have seen a consistent increase in bed bug control service performed since the 'new normal' post-COVID-19 pandemic," Eric Braun, Terminix Technical Service Manager, said in a statement.
The data from Terminix said there appears to be a regional trend in bed bug infestations, 'likely tied to climate, housing trends and travel hubs.'
While Philadelphia is the top city for bed bugs in the U.S., top cities for bedroom invasions were split among several regions.
Here's the top 10 list of bed bug cities, ranked by how many treatments for the critters were carried out:
Philadelphia, Penn.
New York City, N.Y.
Cleveland-Akron (Canton), Ohio
Los Angeles, Calif.
Dallas - Ft. Worth, Texas
Atlanta, Ga.
Houston, Texas
Washington, D.C (Hagerstown)
San Francisco - Oak - San Jose, Calif.
Indianapolis, Ind.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Report: Most Montanans agree tourism benefits outweigh negative impacts
A NPS ranger monitors a packed parking lot at Logan Pass in Glacier National Park. (Image via NPS) The percentage of Montanans who believe the benefits of tourism outweigh the negative impacts held steady from last year, but residents feel local communities are becoming more overcrowded, according to a report released in April by the University of Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR). The report, 'Montana Residents: Attitudes Towards Tourism 2024,' is the latest survey posing a set of questions to Montanans over the last 30 years regarding their attitudes toward visitors. Overall, 68% of respondents to the 2024 survey agreed that the benefits of tourism outweigh the negative impacts, in line with last year's 69%. However, it was just the fourth time less than 70% of Montanans have expressed a positive attitude toward out-of-state visitors. The lowest recorded positive attitude (52%) was in 2001, which researchers attributed to the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks. The second-lowest finding was in 2022, which followed record-breaking visitation after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the ITRR report, residents of Montana's Glacier Country tourism region, which covers the state's eight westernmost counties, remained the least likely to see tourism as a benefit, but that sentiment climbed for the second year in a row. However, that region of the state is also seeing a drastic visitation change this year, as visits from Canadians are down, following President Donald Trump's threats to make the neighbor the 51st state, and prompting targeted marketing from Montana. Residents in Central Montana saw the largest increase in positive sentiment, up to 70%, while residents of Southeast and Southwest Montana dropped their views on visitors. 'In general, Montana residents held a positive yet balanced attitude toward tourism within the state,' the report said. 'A majority of residents feel that the benefits of tourism outweigh the negative impacts, while also being in strong agreement that tourism promotion by the state provides an economic benefit to their community.' In Montana out-of-state visitors spent nearly $5 billion in 2024, contributing to the state's robust outdoor recreation economy. However, the state was split on other nuanced views about tourism. Forty-two percent of respondents said they felt the state was becoming overcrowded from tourists, while the same percent disagreed with that statement. Compared to 2021 — one of the most crowded years for tourism in Montana — significantly fewer respondents (14%) felt overcrowding was an issue. On a local level, more residents felt their communities were becoming overcrowded by tourists, with 47% responding that during the summer travel season they were seeing too many visitors. While that represented a 7% increase from the 2023 survey, the report notes that the responses heavily varied by region. Yellowstone Country and Glacier Country, the tourism regions associated with their eponymous national parks, 72% and 67% of respondents, respectively, felt tourists were overcrowding their communities. In contrast, only 23% of Central Montana respondents and 12% from Missouri River Country had the same sentiment. The survey also asked respondents if they felt the overall quality of life for Montana residents would improve if tourism were to increase. Overall, 35% of Montanans said that quality of life would improve with increased tourism, compared to 38% who felt it would decrease. Interactive data from the 2024 Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research can be viewed here. As the region with historically the most negative attitude towards tourism, Glacier Country, officials working to promote western Montana have worked to change the way they market the area. The Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission is a nonprofit that partners with Western Montana communities to 'welcome visitors and support livelihoods while protecting quality of life, extraordinary outdoor resources, and cultural heritage.' Following droves of pandemic-era tourists in 2021, Glacier Country Tourism held a series of community meetings to discuss how to shift their marketing approach to a more sustainable model for communities. A new long-term collaborative 'Destination Stewardship Strategy' was launched aimed at promoting smaller communities that wanted more visitors while pulling back from some mainstream destination marketing centered around Glacier National Park and Whitefish – core economic anchors for the region's tourism industry. Another set of community listening events was held in 2024, and Glacier Country Tourism President Racene Friede said many of the conversations showed their strategies had accomplished many of the goals. 'Tensions towards tourists were still a little high, but we came out of a lot of those community meetings feeling like one, we really heard what people were thinking deep down, and we also were able to make sure these communities felt like they were being heard,' Friede said. 'It felt very validating to the work we'd done after what we heard in 2021.' One nuance Friede said she discussed with many communities across Western Montana was the issue of overcrowding, which she said isn't perfectly correlated with increasing numbers of tourists. 'Those tourists are here, but they're also mixed with a lot of new residents, and that means there's more new people in the community, year round,' she said. 'Some audiences were really interesting to talk with when they extracted that particular point.' Recent census data shows that Kalispell has been one of the fastest growing cities in the nation since 2020, with most western counties seeing significant growth as well. While Friede said these regular community input sessions help shape long-term visitation and marketing strategies for the region, the Tourism Commission also responds to short term changes to visitor patterns. 'Weirdly,' she said, the region is looking at a shortfall of visitors at the moment, mostly from a decrease in Canadian travel due to inflammatory rhetoric between the federal government and the neighbors to the north. 'Over 50% of the businesses that replied to a survey I sent out said business is down compared to last year at this point,' Friede said. 'The closer you are to the border, the more businesses are feeling it, and they're really worried.' 'It's a whole different world this year than we expected to see,' she added. Friede said the commission recently launched a short-term marketing campaign targeting Canadian cities near Montana, promoting it as a weekend destination. 'I wasn't even thinking about that six weeks ago,' she said. 'But we're focused on people over politics, letting the Canadian people know that we're here when they're ready to visit, and we can't wait to welcome them back.' She said the organization being nimble and able to react and respond to different local needs throughout the year is essential. 'We can't control who's coming here, but we can control what role we play and how they impact our local communities,' Friede said.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rest areas to soon close until 2026 for demolition, upgrade
Rest areas in Auglaize County will soon be closed until 2026 while they get a major upgrade. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced that the Interstate 75 north and south rest areas will be closed on July 7, according to an ODOT spokesperson. The work is expected to take around a year to complete, with a tentative opening for the summer of 2026. This is the second I-75 rest area undergoing a renovation north of I-70. As previously reported by News Center 7, rest areas in Miami County remain closed on both I-75 north and southbound. ODOT said they are scheduled to reopen this fall. TRENDING STORIES: Invasive stinging insect that could cause death spotted in Ohio 1 dead after shooting near Fairborn apartment complex Ohio Senate looking to use hundreds of millions in unclaimed funds to build new Browns stadium The Auglaize County rest areas are located just north of the State Route 67 exit near Wapakoneta. The rest areas will be closed while construction takes place, ODOT said. The new 'lodge-style' buildings will include larger restrooms with adult changing tables, a lobby area with vending, and regional tourism. It will also feature an attached covered outdoor picnic area. Until the Miami County rest area is back open, the nearest facility for northbound travelers will be in Hancock County, ODOT stated. The closed rest area for southbound travelers will be the rest area on Interstate 71 near Florence, Kentucky. The Butler County rest area facilities near Monroe are scheduled to reopen in July. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Zhenyuan's Dragon Boat Cultural Festival Fuels Tourism and Economy
Bureau of Culture, Sports, Broadcast-TV, and Tourism of Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province Zhenyuan's Dragon Boat Cultural Festival QIANDONGNAN, China, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From May 31 to June 2, 2025, the 41st Dragon Boat Cultural Festival was held by the Bureau of Culture, Sports, Broadcast-TV, and Tourism of Zhenyuan County in Zhenyuan Ancient Town, Guizhou. Blending traditional charm with modern vitality, the cultural feast offered visitors an unforgettable Dragon Boat Festival experience. Data shows that Zhenyuan County welcomed 253,900 tourists, generating a total tourism revenue of 234 million yuan during the holiday. This year's Dragon Boat Cultural Festival was packed with excitement and highlights. 53 teams from places such as Hunan and Tongren competed in thrilling races. The event also featured activities such as ethnic parades and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) performances. Visitors not only watched fierce racing on the Wuyang River but also enjoyed diverse ethnic performances, gaining deeper insight into local culture. "It was spectacular. The cultural atmosphere was rich. There were so many activities that we didn't know where to look first. It was worth the visit," said Mr. Zhou, a tourist from Beijing. This year, the tourists can try paddling dragon boats themselves, which enhanced their sense of participation and engagement. Zhenyuan has a long history of dragon boat racing. In 2011, the tradition was inscribed in the third batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage list. With the cultural foundation, Zhenyuan's dragon boat races have become a major attraction for tourists and a powerful cultural asset driving the local economy. Focusing on the dragon boat races, Zhenyuan has developed a comprehensive tourism chain covering food, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment. By linking the Zhenyuan Ancient Town with nearby scenic areas such as Tiexi and Gaoguo River, it offers an immersive travel experience that blends dragon boat racing, natural landscapes, local culture, and unique accommodations. From June to October is Zhenyuan's peak tourism season. The Dragon Boat Cultural Festival has greatly boosted the local tourism economy, with hotels fully booked and the daily revenue of the catering industry in Zhenyuan increased by 5 to 6 times compared to normal days. In addition, a series of cultural and tourism activities during the festival provided platforms for the sale of ICH products. Many tourists purchased Miao silver jewelry and Dong embroidery as souvenirs or gifts. Sales of ICH products increased by nearly 40%. What began as a folk tradition has now evolved into a festival integrating culture, commerce, and tourism. Zhenyuan's Dragon Boat Cultural Festival has become a signature symbol of the county, attracting visitors with its unique charm. Leveraging the influence of the dragon boat races, Zhenyuan continues to expand its tourism market and enrich its tourism offerings, driving its tourism industry toward higher quality and greater diversity and achieving a win-win for cultural preservation and economic growth. Source: Bureau of Culture, Sports, Broadcast-TV, and Tourism of Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province A photo accompanying this announcement is available at CONTACT: Contact person: Ms. Li, Tel: 86-10-63074558Sign in to access your portfolio
