These U.S. Cities Have the Worst Pest Problems

The summer heat brings fun and a time to soak up the sun, but it also attracts household pests and critters into your home. Gnats, mosquitoes, and cockroaches suddenly find their way into your backyard or kitchen, and they’re immediately ruining dinner parties and bonfires, and just getting on your nerves. Luckily, bug repellents can prevent swarms of insects and similar critters from ruining your time outside, but you’ve also got to keep your eyes out for pests that are looking to come indoors.

In a recent study by At Home Pros, researchers have discovered the top 15 cities in America with the biggest indoor pest problems. While occupying an older home with potentially damaged furnishings or living near a dilapidated home, residents can encounter pests that enter a household through damaged windows, roofs, or walls. And although an older home may come with that vintage, aesthetically pleasing charm, the journey of ridding your household of pests might not be worth it.

The study by At Home Pros hints that the current U.S. economy plays a role in the increase of pests, especially in homes that are decades old. 

“A lack of new supply [of newly built homes] in turn means that more people in the U.S. are living in increasingly older homes,” researchers said. “According to data from the National Association of Home Builders, just one in 10 U.S. homes have been built since 2010, and more than one-third of owner-occupied homes today are more than 50 years old.”

With the cost of labor or renovation materials steadily increasing, it’s difficult for homeowners to afford updated maintenance to keep their homes pest-free. Aside from living near an older home that will more than likely attract pests, your regional location also determines what you’ll spot nearby. According to the study, rat and mice sightings are common in Northeastern metropolitan cities, but cities in the South have a warmer climate, so cockroaches have a habit of finding their way into homes.

Southern spots like Houston, Birmingham, Atlanta, San Antonio, New Orleans, Raleigh, Tampa, Memphis, Miami, and Dallas are within the top 15 cities that are more likely to have a cockroach problem. Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, D.C. struggle with sharing their home with an occasional rodent. Unfortunately, there’s no peace for residents of New York and Oklahoma City, as they happen to run into infestation problems with cockroaches and rats. 

If your city is on this list, it’s a good time to make sure every crack or small hole in your home is sealed — especially before it gets any warmer.