Summary: Learning how to get rid of bed bugs in furniture can be frustrating. But, once you understand where bed bugs like to hide, understanding how to get rid of bed bugs becomes a lot easier to understand.
It is the toughest decision you will have to make when dealing with a bed bug problem in your home. Do you toss out infested furniture or hope that pest control treatments will eventually eliminate the problem?
Pest control professionals have customers on both sides of the aisle. Some clients quickly decide to throw out mattresses and box springs, upholstered chairs and even their dressers and bedside tables. They are disgusted by the very thought that their room might be inhabited by blood sucking insects.
While others simply refuse to discard anything at all. The latter type accounts tend to be continually plagued by bed bugs, of course. They eventually come to realize that either the infested furniture must go or they must decide that they can live with the bed bugs.
Generally speaking, wooden furniture can be treated in a way that bed bugs can be eliminated. Plywood should be tossed out because bed bugs can get into the laminated ends of the plywood sheets and hide from pesticide treatments. Solid wood provides no cracks and crevices and treatments are more successful.
How to get rid of bed bugs in upholstered furniture is problematic because of all the folds in the fabric. Bed bugs can get behind buttons, tufts and piping where pesticide applications are difficult. Treatments must also include areas covered by the cambric fabric (dust cover) on the bottom of most furniture, requiring the cambric to be removed.
As a rule of thumb, any piece of upholstered furniture with torn fabric should be discarded. Bed bugs easily move about looking for the best hiding places. Once they become established it is almost guaranteed that they will find openings in torn furniture where pesticides will not penetrate. Throw it out!
Understanding how different furniture types must be treated may help you in deciding which pieces may stay and which pieces must go.
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Comments
Amy
17 Jul 2009, 08:47
I work for a property management company who has bed bug problems and many
of its properties. Due to the nature of my job, I spend entire days in
their rental office sitting in chairs often occupied by tenants (some of
whom may have bed bugs). Yesterday I was on the job, today I'm all over
itchy and had a small bump pop up on my back around 4:30am. No other
noticeable bites though. Could have been a spider, but am concerned.
Could I have brought something home with me yesterday?
Liz
19 Jul 2009, 23:06
Hey, I'm getting my apt fumigated. The people coming are doing 3 types of
treatment, fumigation, some kind of dust and...something else I can't
remember. Um, I've gotten bitten a few times and I read I might have to get
rid of my mattress and such. But I'm living with a few people and there's
no way we can pay for the stuff we might need to throw out with our budget
right now. Do you think these 3 treatments will help? Also this is our
first infestation and we're totally clueless to what we should pack and not
pack. I know food and things that are to be ingested, but what about
clothes, should they be in plastic bags? I also have to bring my laptop bag
around since its a weekday, should I worry about it infesting the apt
again? I'm so sorry, I have so many questions but these are probably the
most important ones.
Sleepy
21 Jul 2009, 19:16
Thank you for this great service. We had our apartment (bedroom and
living-room b/c we slept on the couch too) treated by a pest control
company today. They did not fumigate but basically poured chemicals on the
bed and floor. They seem to think it's ok for me and my pregnant wife, and
cat, to sleep here tonight in our 1 bedroom apartment as long as we don't
sleep on the treated bed or couch (we have an air mattress).
Does that sound credible to you? Thanks so much.
Julie
26 Jul 2009, 14:44
Just a repost as it seems to have been missed:
I have bought a second hand wooden bed and have noted what appears to be
dropping marks on the corners and cracks.
I have washed it down and lefte it outside for about 2 months. It is now
getting consistantly to 85F to 90F daily.
Currently it is under a covered portable garage.
Since it has been outside for so long - if there is any infestation would
they all be dead? Is it safe to bring it in the house now?
maria
26 Jul 2009, 20:32
we just moved found out we had bed bugs 3 days later had the whole apt
treated by a company 1 week later found some more bed bugs so we threw away
all of the mattresses and couch had exterminator come back 1 week or so
later found some more had exterminator come back again i have washed all
our clothes toys pillows sheets blankets weekly how long before we know
that we are cured? thanks for any help is it normal to keep finding 3 to 5
bed bugs every 2 weeks?
Jacki
28 Jul 2009, 01:08
I am moving out of an apartment in only five days. Over the course of the
year (even when I first moved in) I noticed stains similar to that of bed
bug fecal matter on the walls and baseboards. I also eventually noticed
very small amounts of them on my mattress and bedding. I never once saw a
bed bug or was bitten, however. Finally, after an entire year, yesterday I
discovered a series of bites on my stomach which seem like bed bug bites.
They appeared as I was laying on my bed, and I quickly checked the
surrounding area and found one tiny bed bug nymph on the wooden sideboard
of the doorway into my small room (only a few feet from my mattress). I
suspect that the bed bugs were living in the cracks of the room before I
even moved in. The thing is: I have two "bedrooms" because all of my
belongings are in one room, and my mattress and desk are in a very small
adjoining room. Should I have everything in the non-sleep-in room treated
when I move out? I have checked most of the furniture and objects and they
have to signs of being infested. Do you think that they could still be
dangerous to bring into a new apartment since the bed bugs were most likely
in the cracks of the walls before I even decided where to sleep? I have to
make the decision quickly because I'm moving soon. Thanks a lot!
Jamee Sandoval
29 Jul 2009, 20:58
I was staying with my friend and we got into an argument, she asked to
leave, so while I was packing my stuff I notice a BUNCH of bed bugs in my
curtains and all in my bed. So, I think I spread the bugs into her brand
new couch and into her house..the apartments went an treated the house but
I realize I'm pretty dirty and well..really dirty actually how can I get
them out of her couch?
Ask the Exterminator
30 Jul 2009, 10:26
Treating an upholstered couch is very difficult because the bed bugs do not
remain on the surface. They hide deep down in the folds of the upholstery.
It will require repeated applications to rid the couch of the infestation
and daily monitoring to confirm that all the bed bugs have been killed. I
recommend a product made by Natural Ginesis, available online.
Elaine
31 Aug 2009, 04:33
What do I have to do about papers and plastic toys.
Thanks.
zippy wambui
31 Aug 2009, 06:50
I noticed that I have bedbugs in my studio apartment the other day. All my
beddings are new n I dnt have a sofa. Should I throw away my new mattress
and contact an exterminator.
mark
14 Oct 2009, 06:51
my parents had bed bugs in one their rooms in thier house. they had the
whole house treated and had it examined again a week later. Since then they
have not seen any bugs. They are spending a few nights by us next week and
plan on bringing thier linen . should I be concerned? would you recommend
that they put the linen and blankets in the drter for a few minutes before
they arrive?
thanks
