Bed bugs singin' 'We love L.A.'

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FILE - In a Feb. 1, 2011 file photo, bedbugs are seen next to the tip of a finger in a container from the lab at the National Pest Management Association, during the National Bed Bug Summit in Washington. Researchers now say that the creepy bugs have a special genetic gift: withstanding incest. It turns out that unlike most creatures, bedbugs are able to inbreed with close relatives and still produce generally healthy offspring. That means that if just a few bedbugs survive in a building after treatment, they repopulate quickly. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) (Alex Brandon)

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles climbed 20 spots to fifth in the nation in number of bed bug incidents treated by pest control company Orkin last year.

The company recently released a list of the top 50 cities based on the number of bed bug treatments it did in 2011.

The overall number of incidents climbed 33.6 percent over the previous year.

Cincinnati had the highest number of bed bug treatments, followed by Chicago, Detroit, Denver and Los Angeles.

The perennial hotspot New York City dropped two places to ninth.

The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area was 12th, San Diego, 26th, and Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, 41st.

"The changes in some cities' rankings show bed bugs continue to be a problem in most areas of the U.S.," said Orkin entomologist and Technical Services Director Ron Harrison. "Several of the top 50 cities have large, busy airports, and there could be a correlation between increased travel and bed bug activity.

The rankings could also reflect an overall rise in population or greater public awareness of bed bugs and how to identify them, Harrison said.

Orkin advised travelers to remember the acronym S.L.E.E.P. to avoid bringing bed bugs home from a trip:

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Bed bugs singin' 'We love L.A.'

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