Bed bugs: How bad is the infestation in Denver?

Are bed bugs a big problem in Denver? Missy Henriksen, spokeswoman for the National Pest Management Association, which is currently hosting its inaugural National Bed Bug Forum in nearby Broomfield, assures us that the decision to host the confab in Colorado had nothing to do with our infestation level. But...

By Melanie Asmar

January 7, 2011

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Are bed bugs a big problem in Denver? Missy Henriksen, spokeswoman for the National Pest Management Association, which is currently hosting its inaugural National Bed Bug Forum in nearby Broomfield, assures us that the decision to host the confab in Colorado had nothing to do with our infestation level. But separate rankings by two well-known national pest control companies show that Denver may have reason to fret. And itch.

Terminix ranks Denver the No. 6 bed bug-infested city in the U.S.

"It's no surprise that highly trafficked cities such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles are on the list," said Paul Curtis, entomologist for Terminix. "It's the bed-bug problems in cities like Dayton and Louisville that prove bedbugs are back and can pop up anywhere. The bed-bug problems in these cities outpace markets of far greater size despite their having a fraction of the population and typically fewer travelers and hotels."

Should Denver be included in that analysis too?

Meanwhile, another pest control giant, Orkin, ranks Denver No. 4 in bed-buggyness, behind Cincinnati and Columbus in Ohio, and Chicago. The two least infested states, according to Orkin? Montana and Alaska. Which proves that the single most effective weapon against bed bug infestations may in fact be Sarah Palin.

What are the chances that Governor-elect John Hickenlooper will appoint Palin director of the ~~newly formed~~ fake Department of Caribou Hunting and Bed Bug Vanquishing?

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Melanie Asmar is a staff writer for Westword. She joined the paper in 2009 and has won awards for her stories about education, immigration and epic legal battles. Got a tip? She'd love to hear it.

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