Thinking About That Free Couch on the Curb? Check These 6 Spots for Bed Bugs First
Bed bugs are expert hitchhikers, and secondhand upholstered furniture is one of their favourite rides. Here is how pest experts inspect a sofa, and when to walk away.
By Elena RossiHome Editor
A free sofa on the sidewalk can look like the best deal of the year. Before you carry it home, know the risk. Bed bugs are expert hitchhikers, and upholstered furniture is one of the easiest ways they move from one home to another.
Official advice is blunt. Health Canada says: "Never take a mattress or sofa from a curb." Purdue University's extension guide also warns people to be cautious of furniture left in alleys or along roads.
If you still want that couch, inspect it properly first. Here is what to know and exactly where to look.
Why "it looks clean" means nothing
- Bed bugs can wait a long time. They can live several months without feeding (CDC). Rutgers University puts it at about four and a half months at 70°F. A couch that has stood empty for a while can still carry them.
- Clean doesn't mean safe. The CDC notes that how clean a place is does not determine whether bed bugs are present.
- They multiply quickly. A female can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime, according to Rutgers.
The good news: the CDC says bed bugs are not known to spread diseases. They cause itching, lost sleep and expensive, stressful treatments.
What you are looking for
Adults are flat, oval and reddish-brown, roughly the size of an apple seed. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, signs include:
- rusty or reddish stains from crushed bugs,
- tiny dark spots (droppings) that may bleed into fabric like a marker,
- tiny pale-yellow eggs and shed skins, about 1 mm long,
- live bugs.
Bring a flashlight. Health Canada suggests sliding an old credit card along seams and crevices to push bugs out of hiding.
The 6 spots to check
- Cushion seams and piping. Remove every cushion and check along all seams, including decorative edges and zippers. Oklahoma State University's extension specialist Gina Peek names these first.
- Where the cushions sat. Look into the crease between the seat deck, the back and the arms, where crumbs collect.
- Underneath. Turn the sofa over and check the fabric dust cover, staples and corners. Purdue's inspection guide specifically says to turn furniture over to see the underside and the back.
- The frame. Look at joints, screw holes and cracks in the wood. Push down on the springs and look inside where you can.
- Rips and tears. Any opening in the fabric is a hiding place.
- The back panel and legs. Check the back, the feet and any drawers or compartments. Remove drawers and look inside the cavity.
Peek also suggests wiping surfaces with a light-coloured towel to reveal dark spots you might miss.
If you find anything, leave it
If you see live bugs, eggs or the stains described above, don't take it. Purdue's guidance is not to bring the piece in at all. Treating an infestation is far harder than avoiding one. The University of Minnesota Extension says most people can't eliminate bed bugs on their own and recommends a pest management professional.
If it looks clear and you take it
- Inspect it again outside or in the garage before it goes into your living space.
- Vacuum it thoroughly, especially the seams, and empty the vacuum outdoors right away.
- Wash any removable covers, then dry them on a regular dryer cycle. Oklahoma State says heat from one dryer cycle kills adults and eggs.
- Never use outdoor pesticides indoors. The EPA also warns that some foggers are highly flammable.
- Watch for signs over the following weeks.
A free couch is only free if nothing comes with it. Ten minutes with a flashlight is cheaper than any treatment.
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