How to check for bed bugs in used furniture

Bed bugs are known to feed on human blood, and other warm blooded creatures. They can be quite a menace if not detected and dealt with on time. When buying used furniture, it’s not surprising to find bed bugs or their eggs in the crevices and nooks.

Here’s how to check for bed bugs in used furniture.

1. Check if there are any insect remains

Bed bugs are small nocturnal insects that are oval shaped ad brown in colour. They tend to shed as they grow so, you should look for light-coloured shells when buying used furniture. You can check for these between cushions, in the drawers and in the bed frames. Detecting bed bugs earlier helps you eradicate them before they spread to different parts of your space.

2. Look out for stains on the furniture

If a bed bug was squashed after feeding, it will likely leave blood stains on the surface that you should look out for. They also leave feacal stains which can look like small dark spots. You should also look out for bed bug eggs which can look like tiny white spots. The bed bug eggs are translucent in colour and they look like tiny rice grains.

3. Turn the furniture

Bed bugs are known to flourish in warm, dark areas, therefore, turn furniture upside down when looking for any bugs. You should check under all crevice, especially with used office chairs. This will allow you to expose the bugs and eradicate them.

4. Watch out for a foul smell

Bed bugs tend to release an unpleasant smell that can easily be detected. Their scent glands release pheromones that can have a foul smell especially if there are many bugs. If you can feel your furniture smelling bad, you should look out for the bugs and also ensure that you thoroughly clean your used furniture.

5. Talk to the previous owner

One way to find out whether used furniture was exposed to bed bugs is by talking to the previous owner. You can ask how the furniture was stored, and whether it had any bed bugs. You can also find out why they are getting rid of the furniture. This will help you know how to go about taking care of the furniture. Knowing how to check for bed bugs in used furniture saves you the risk of having an infestation.