Yuck! Minnesota City Named One Of The Most Cockroach Infested In America

It's hard to top a cockroach infestation when it comes to gross things that can happen where you live. However, regarding cockroach infestations, the assumption is that it's a southern problem and isn't common in places like Minnesota. After all, we have mosquitoes and armyworms, why add cockroaches to the mix?

Unfortunately for Minnesotans, while it's true that cockroaches are, in fact, more bothersome in the southern states, they are very much at home in the Land Of 10,000 Lakes, especially in one city.

That's a problem because cockroach infestations can affect your health physically and mentally. Cockroaches may carry bacteria or parasites that can cause intestinal disease, including Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Entamoeba histolytica, and Poliomyelitis virus.

None of that sounds like fun. Oh, did I mention cockroaches can also cause allergic reactions through their excrement and shedding skin?

Pest Gnome conducted a study to determine the most cockroach-infested cities in America. They conducted the study by synthesizing data from the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

They then applied the following metrics:

• Share of Homes With Signs of Cockroaches in Past 12 Months
• Historical Average Number of Extremely Hot Days
• Highest Pest Control Workers per 10,000 Households

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The conclusion they ultimately came to was that if you want to avoid cockroaches, stay away from Texas, Houston in particular. Houston led their list of the cockroachiest cities in America, with a study score of 81.41. In Houston, 37% of homes have shown signs of these pests in the past 12 months. This is due to the hot and humid conditions found in Texas.

As for Minnesota, one advantage the state has in this battle is that it of course gets very cold in the winter, and cold kills cockroaches. However, that didn't prevent Minneapolis from landing at #19 in this particular study with a study score of 19.39.

Minneapolis finished just behind Chicago, Illinois, which landed at #18, while San Jose, California rounded out the top 20.

If you do find yourself infested with cockroaches, they can be difficult to deal with on your own. They can be tough to kill, they'll even survive in a microwave! Plus, even one surviving male-female couple can start the ingestion process all over again.

The good news is that there is professional help available in every city. Pest Gnome says that the cost of a cockroach exterminator ranges from $115 to $350.

Here are the rankings of where the cities Pet Gnome analyzed finished their study, along with their overall score:

1. Houston TX 81.41
2. San Antonio TX 70.27
3. Tampa FL 61.49
4. Phoenix AZ 57.77
5. Las Vegas NV 55.70
6. Miami FL 55.51
7. Atlanta GA 50.19
8. Birmingham AL 49.27
9. Dallas TX 49.24
10. Oklahoma City OK 37.54
11. New York NY 37.39
12. Richmond VA 33.01
13. Los Angeles CA 32.22
14. Washington DC 30.32
15. Philadelphia PA 29.40
16. Baltimore MD 21.70
17. Riverside CA 21.69
18. Chicago IL 20.27
19. Minneapolis MN 19.39 
20. San Jose CA 19.27
21. Boston MA 17.92
22. Detroit MI 17.67
23. San Francisco CA 16.49
24. Rochester NY 16.36
25. Seattle WA 14.61

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