Fort Wayne residents might be losing more sleep than they realize — and it’s not just the summer heat. The city has crept up the national bed bug rankings, landing among the worst 50 cities in the United States for infestations, according to pest control giant Orkin.
Fort Wayne is now ranked 38th. South Bend came in higher at 27. And Indianapolis? It’s the real shocker — cracking the top 5 worst cities in the entire country for bed bugs this year.
An Itchy Climb Back
Ben Hottel, an entomologist with Orkin, says this spike shouldn’t surprise anyone. He points back to 2020, when pandemic lockdowns meant fewer hotel stays, less travel, and fewer pests hitching rides.
“During the pandemic, people were staying put. We saw a big drop in bed bug reports,” Hottel said. “But as travel came back, so did the bugs.”
And they’re stubborn. Orkin’s rankings come straight from the number of treatment calls they respond to each year — May 2024 through May 2025 saw a steady rise.
A Hoosier Headache
It’s not just hotels. These little critters don’t care how fancy your place is. Bed bugs show up in:
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Apartments
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Single-family homes
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College dorms
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Public transportation seats
Hottel says they don’t discriminate. Warm body, soft bedding — that’s all they want.
Who’s Really at Risk?
Some folks think it’s just dirty places that get bed bugs. Wrong.
They’re equal opportunity invaders. Even the cleanest homes and high-end hotels can get hit. And because they’re tiny — about the size of an apple seed — they’re hard to spot until they’ve made themselves comfy.
One Fort Wayne family who found them crawling in their couch cushions described the experience as “like something out of a nightmare.” Turns out, they’d brought them home from a vacation two states away.
Tips to Keep Them Out
Hottel says the best defense is early detection and smart travel habits. He recommends the easy-to-remember S.L.E.E.P. method:
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Search hotel rooms for signs like rusty spots on sheets.
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Lift mattresses and furniture to peek underneath.
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Elevate luggage off the floor.
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Examine bags and clothes before bringing them home.
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Place items in the dryer on high heat if you suspect any stowaways.
Seems obvious, but skipping just one step can cost you hundreds in exterminator fees.
Resistant and Resilient
Some bed bugs are developing a nasty resistance to over-the-counter sprays. So while DIY fixes might help at first, they often don’t get all the eggs. Professionals use stronger treatments that can reach deep into cracks, seams, and mattresses.
And remember — Orkin’s list only counts official treatments. Plenty of infestations go unreported.
Where Indiana Stands
So how bad is it here compared to the rest of the country? Take a look:
| Indiana City | National Rank | Change Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | 5 | Up 3 spots |
| South Bend | 27 | Up 5 spots |
| Fort Wayne | 38 | New to top 50 |
It’s enough to make your skin crawl.
Staying Ahead of the Scratch
For now, pest pros say Hoosiers shouldn’t panic — but they should stay alert. Travel smart. Check those hotel headboards. Keep your luggage on the rack, not the carpet.
And if you do find bites or signs of an infestation? Don’t wait. One tiny bug can quickly turn into a colony.
