Carlos I. Agurto walks with Ladybug, a Beagle trained to sniff out bed bugs, as they inspect a bed. Cases of bed bug infestations are on the rise across the U.S. with many people bringing them into their homes after visiting hotels and airports. Bed bugs feed off of human blood.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Let me set your mind at ease. Boston didn't even come in the top 50 on this new national list of the cities in America with the worst bed bugs problem. But if you travel often, you might want to take a look at this list to see if the cities you visit saw an uptick in bed bugs this past year. Orkin compiled data from their treatments performed from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023 both for homeowners and businesses.
One city has the dubious distinction of topping the bed bug list for the FOURTH year in a row. Sorry Chicago! Here's the rest of the Top 10 cities you might wanna check under the mattress before you go to sleep.
10. Champlaign, Illinois
9. Charlotte, North Carolina
8. Indianapolis, Indiana
7. Washington, D.C.
6. Detroit, Michigan
5. Los Angeles, California
4. Cleveland, Ohio
3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2. New York, New York
1. Chicago, Illinois
Why Bed Bugs So Hard To Beat
Orkin says it's not easy to find bed bugs. They are creatures of the night and their ONLY food source is your BLOOD! They're usually less than a quarter inch long and are a red to dark brown in color. They cling to luggage so the experts say travelers really should pay extra attention when unpacking after a trip. They are GREAT at hiding. The other thing that presents a challenge is that bed bugs can go a REALLY long time without a meal... we're talking several MONTHS!
What Can You Do?
Orkin has these tips to avoid bed bugs invading your bedroom. First, when you get to a hotel, inspect for small ink-colored stains on your mattress and on soft furniture. As for your luggage, keep it far away from the wall. Your best place to put luggage is in the bathroom or on a counter. Finally, when you get home, toss everything in the dryer for at least a half hour on the warmest temperature setting. [Source: USA Today]
New England's best hotels have risen to the top of a new ranking. Let's take a look and see who gets bragging rights this time.
I'm sharing this hot on the heels of another travel-related piece. Just yesterday, I was looking at vacations through the lens of sports. Sports vacations are certainly a thing. And no, I don't mean when your kid is playing travel hockey and you turn a weekend tournament into a family vacation. I'm talking about when you travel to a city for the sports scene. Turns out Boston is a Top 5 destination.
But what about when you're not traveling for sports? What about when you're choosing your destination based mainly on accommodations? Maybe you want to stay in a nice hotel for a few days. And maybe you don't want to travel far: you want to stay right here in New England. Well, read on my travelling friend.
New England's Best Hotels: We Have 5 of the Top 100
I first caught wind of this in this piece from Boston.com, so props to my old Globe colleague Kristi Palma. She does a great job of covering culture, travel, and leisure, so if that's your cup of tea, definitely give her a follow. In the piece, Kristi breaks down Travel + Leisure's 100 Favorite Hotels in the World for 2023. And, as stated above, 5 New England spots landed on the list.
This is all part of Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards, which are recommended and chosen by the publication's vast readership. So this isn't just one travel writer's opinion. This is a consensus situation, so, in my opinion, it holds a little more weight. If you want to dive into the full list of 100, you can do that here. Otherwise, take a look below to see the New England's celebrated accommodations.
86) Pickering House Inn
Located in Wolfeboro, NH, the Pickering House Inn puts you right in the Lakes Region. Yes, they were #86 in the world, but they landed at #12 in the U.S. and #4 in New England.
75) Candleberry Inn
Brewster's Candleberry Inn describes itself as "an elegant Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast." They've scored a #1 TripAdvisor ranking, too.
72) The Wauwinet
You knew Nantucket was going to show up on this list. The Wauwinet bills itself as "the quintessential Nantucket experience," and that certainly looks to be an accurate billing.
52) The Newbury
An iconic Back Bay landmark, The Newbury is one of Boston's most sought-after luxury hotels. Readers clearly love its mix of the modern and the traditional.
22) Quisisana Resort
On the shores of Kezar Lake in Center Lovell, ME, Quisisana Resort was the highest-rated of any New England hotel. Maybe you'll spot Stephen King in the area...
