Michigan Just Ranked Worst in America for Bed Bugs

We’ve been talking about Michigan’s bed bug problem for the past few years, but apparently things have gotten even worse.

A new report says Michigan is now the worst state in America for bed bugs, and somehow two Michigan cities landed in the top five nationwide.

According to Travel and Leisure, Warren ranked as the worst city in the entire country, with odds of about 1 in 59 of running into the nasty little bloodsuckers. That's no joke.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, Flint came in at number five.

Michigan ranked worst overall for bed bugs

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The report says Michigan as a whole had the highest odds in the country for bed bug encounters, with roughly a 1 in 57 chance.

That sounds terrible, but before we all start to freak out, there’s an important detail.

This wasn’t based on official state infestation numbers. The rankings were put together using pest-control data and hotel reviews, so no, it’s not an exact science.

That said, I still take this stuff seriously.

It’s actually one of the reasons I do preventative treatments around my house every few months. The risk just feels too high, especially when bed bugs are an absolute nightmare to deal with once they get inside.

Can you get rid of them? Sure.

But from everything I’ve heard, it can be a long, expensive, miserable process.

How to Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home After Traveling

If you’re traveling this summer, one of the smartest things you can do is keep your suitcase off the bed, check mattress seams, and avoid throwing your clothes into hotel drawers.

And when you get home, don’t just toss that suitcase in the bedroom and call it a day. Throw your clothes straight into the washing machine and dryer

Because bringing home a T-shirt from vacation is cool.

Bringing home bed bugs? Not so much.