Check for bed bugs on used furniture

You can tell if a piece of furniture is infested with bed bugs by looking for droppings near or on the furniture. Bed bug droppings look like small black specks and are often found under tables or near furniture seams.

Here are some signs that your furniture is infested with bed bugs:

• If you notice itchy red bites, you may have bed bugs.
• Check for red stains on your bed, clothes, or furniture. If you've squashed an insect, it will leave a bloodstain. You might also find rust-colored stains, which are bed bug droppings. These can be found on your sheets, as well as in hard-to-reach places like mattress seams, bed frames, and wooden frames. Also check the walls and under the wallpaper.
• Bed bugs have scent glands that release pheromones, and if present in large numbers, the odor can be unpleasant. If your bedroom or living room smells musty or like spoiled food, you should be concerned.
• Bed bugs shed their skin as they grow, so check for clear shells. Inspect your pillows, mattress seams, chairs, and between cushions. Don't forget to check the drawers of your wooden dressers too!
• If you see white spots on your furniture, they could be bed bug eggs or shells. They are shaped like a grain of rice and are transparent and sometimes shiny.
   

If these signs seem familiar, don't hesitate to call an exterminator !

One or two bed bugs can be enough to trigger an infestation. Bed bugs can reach adulthood in as little as one month. These bugs can lay eggs that hatch over several weeks, and each bed bug can lay up to 200 eggs in its lifetime. If a bed bug is not found and killed, it can live for up to two years.

The time it takes for bed bugs to infest your furniture depends on several factors. Bed bug infestations tend to be more common during the summer, but they can occur at any time of year. The presence of bed bugs depends on the presence of a host they can feed on.

These insects feed on blood and generally remain hidden. People are therefore unaware of their presence until the infestation is significant. During the day, they hide in bed frames, headboards, box springs, and nearby furniture. They emerge at night when their food source is asleep.

Here are some tips for checking for bed bugs in used furniture:

1. Examine the seams
2. Check for insect traces
3. Returning used furniture
4. Talk to the previous owners

01. Examine the seams

Examine the seams of your furniture for stains that bed bugs may have left. Depending on the type of furniture, check all places where they could be hiding. Avoid sitting on or touching used furniture before observing it from a distance.

02. Check for insect traces

Examine the furniture more closely for bed bug eggs or dead skin. If you hear a "click" when you press on the material or fabric, it could be a sign that an insect is hiding there. Check if the furniture appears damp.

03. Turn the furniture over

Bed bugs tend to avoid being seen. They prefer to stay in warm places, away from sunlight.

04. Talk to the previous owners

It's always best to know the history of an item you're considering buying. Where was it stored? Why are you getting rid of it? Has it ever been infested with bedbugs? These simple questions can shed light on the condition of the piece of furniture in question.

Bed bugs are not a health hazard and do not spread disease, but they can be a source of anxiety. Here's what NOT to do if you find bed bugs in your home:

1. Do not attempt to treat bed bugs yourself with over-the-counter products. These products are ineffective and can be dangerous to you and your family if misused.
2. Do not move objects from an infested room to an uninfested room. You could accelerate the spread of bed bugs.
3. Do not use insect bombs in your home. They do not work on these types of insects and will only make the problem worse, as they will spread them around your house instead of killing them.
4. Do not use items from an infested area in another part of the house.
5. Do not use heat to kill bed bugs, except for using a high-temperature dryer on your clothes.

Clean the infected area

The first thing to do is clean the infested areas. From sheets and curtains to clothing, everything must be cleaned. We recommend washing them in hot water and drying them in a dryer on high heat. Check furniture seams for bed bugs. Use a steam cleaner on your mattress and pay particular attention to seams and crevices where bed bugs can hide.

Let them starve to death

Bed bugs need food to survive. They feed on human blood, and they eat about once a week, depending on food availability. If you deprive them of blood, they will starve to death.

Vacuum everywhere

Use a vacuum cleaner with a hose to thoroughly vacuum all areas of the room where you have found signs of bed bugs, especially on the mattress and box spring, as well as any furniture within one meter of where you found them.

Buy a mattress protector

Although we like to think our mattresses are clean, this isn't true. In reality, our sheets and pillows are teeming with bacteria and dust mites. Buying a mattress protector helps prevent bed bug infestations!

Call an exterminator 

The best way to get rid of bed bugs is to call an extermination company. Exterminators have the training, experience, and equipment necessary to quickly and effectively rid you of bed bugs. RD is proud to offer eco-friendly extermination solutions that are safe for your family and the environment.