Where Bed Bugs Reports Are Rising Fast in Missouri Right Now

Just mentioning this topic makes me itch, but I'll brave it because many in Missouri are either traveling or getting ready to vacation this summer and everyone needs to know where the reports of bed bugs are spiking in the state.

I don't know of a more reliable site than Bed Bug Reports. You can choose nearly every city and state in America, but I'm hyper-focused on Missouri for obvious reasons. Here are the regions and cities in Missouri where the reports of bed bugs are increasing and alarming:

Very High Risk

• St. Louis – Missouri’s #1 persistent hotspot; high housing density + travel hub activity
• Kansas City – second major hotspot with ongoing recurring infestations in multi-unit housing and hotels
• Springfield – frequent reports tied to hotels, rentals, and student housing clusters

High Risk

• Columbia – college-town turnover increases exposure risk
• Jefferson City – moderate but steady cases in rentals and older housing stock
• Joplin – smaller scale but recurring treatment reports
• St. Joseph – sporadic clusters, usually localized outbreaks

Moderate Risk

• Cape Girardeau – occasional outbreaks, often tied to travel or lodging
• Branson – seasonal tourism spikes (hotels + rentals = periodic risk increases)
• Wichita Falls metro spillover areas near MO border zones

Lowest Risk

• Rural Missouri counties and smaller towns away from highways/travel corridors
• Single-family home–dominated areas with low rental turnover

The best plan is to check Bed Bug Reports and select the exact city or town you plan to stay in. You can see the most recent bed bug reports to make sure you're vacation doesn't turn into nightmare fuel that follows you home, too.