NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The summer vacation season is officially here, bringing with it all the good and bad that comes with traveling on airplanes, sleeping on hotel beds and potentially bringing home a most unpleasant guest – the bedbug.

According to research done by Yelp for its Summer Infestation Index, nationwide searches for bedbug extermination have risen 53% between May 2024 and April 2025.

Data from extermination company Terminix suggests cases may have been ticking higher for several years now.

“We have seen a consistent increase in bedbug control service performed since the ‘new normal’ post-COVID-19 pandemic,” Terminix Technical Service Manager said in a recent report.

Furthermore, searches on Yelp for pest control and bedbug inspection have climbed steadily every month of 2025.

According to Yelp’s methodology, cities were ranked based on the volume of bedbug-related searches per million.

In light of that, Yelp has mapped out which communities across the country have had an increase in bedbug-related searches, with the Northeast and Midwest leading the pack.

Atlantic City, New Jersey; Columbus, Ohio; and Las Vegas, Nevada; make up the top three cities with the most bedbug search queries. Two Oklahoma cities (Oklahoma City and Tulsa) made the list as well.

The study warns that bedbugs aren’t only found in hotels. They can also be found in gyms, cabs, rideshares, planes – basically anywhere in public that a lot of people would go. Yelp urges people to remember that when they travel, they should try to keep their bags and personal items off the floor.

Take a few minutes to inspect mattress seams, upholstered seats, and bags for signs of bedbugs, which look like small reddish-brown spots or dark specks. When you get back from a trip, immediately wash clothing on high heat to help eliminate potential stowaways.

Bedbugs are not known to spread diseases to people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but can cause itchy skin, loss of sleep and, in rare cases, allergic reactions.