Oklahoma Ranks High On Every National Bed Bug List

I'm not sure if you've seen the viral posts across social media, but bed bugs are becoming a shockingly large problem for the Sooner State.

Videos and TikToks of bed bugs on the clothes in stores and resale outlets. Reports of outbreaks in college dorms after the holidays. Even Terminix and Orkin are putting in the effort to advise people so they can give their employees a break.

It has gotten so bad that Oklahoma City now ranks in the top ten worst bed bug cities in America according to one list, and in the top-25 of the others.

In this report, Terminix has listed OKC as the 9th worst city in the entire country for bed bugs.

Just a few years ago, Oklahoma City only ranked 23rd. Why the sharp and sudden rise? Experts are blaming tourism--both in the sense that visitors are leaving bed bugs behind after their Oklahoma trip, and Okies are returning home with them in turn--and college campus life that seems to be lacking in cleanliness.

How bed bugs get around.

We call them bed bugs, but they don't only live on our mattresses. These travel aficionados can hitchhike on anything that travels with you.

Luggage, coats, backpacks, etc... Literally anything that travels with you can harbor bed bugs. Even worse, you won't realize it until it's too late.

You can also accidentally spread bed bugs anywhere. We had them in our office a few years ago when a coworker brought them to work with him.

When bumps started appearing all over his body, it took our SWOK doctors far longer than it should have to determine he was suffering from bed bug bites rather than the two or three misdiagnosed issues they concluded on before.

His whole body looked like a worse version of this.

How to treat bed bugs.

Luckily, there are remedies to rid your home or office of bed bugs, but it'll cost you.

To have this done professionally (which every outlet recommends) it's going to run around a minimum of $600-$1200 per application. It's a heavy price but it's the fastest way to knock these critters out.

You can also opt to do it yourself. Chemicals are available over the counter in hardware stores and online which will do the trick, but our resident bug-guy says it's hit or miss and will likely take longer. It's also expensive, but far less than a thousand dollars.

How to inspect for bed bugs.

If you're traveling for the holidays and want to stay vigilant on this topic, there are a few pro tips you can take with you.

If you're staying in a hotel/motel/AirBnB/etc... First and foremost, check the beds. Pull the covers off, lift up the mattress, and pay extra attention to the seams. If you see bugs, you'll be sure, but you also want to look for little stains. Like all living things, bed bugs go number two.

Even if you don't see any evidence of bed bugs, don't leave your luggage and bags on the floor. As anyone who remembers the original Jurassic Park, life will find a way.

Nice hotels have this problem too.

As you travel, it would be natural to assume that nicer, more expensive hotels won't have bed bugs, but that's just not the case.

You can do your own Googling if you want, but all hotels have bed bug problems. From the cheapest No-Tell Motel to the glamourous high-end Hilton's, they've (most likely) all had bed bugs at one time or another, but the nicer hotels manage this problem much faster and with unlimited budgets to keep their guests from finding out.