Can you get bed bugs from used furniture?

Which used furniture is riskiest?

Anything people sleep or sit on for long periods: mattresses, box springs, couches, recliners and upholstered chairs. Bed frames and headboards are next, because bed bugs hide in their joints and screw holes. Hard pieces like dressers and nightstands carry less risk but can still hide bugs in drawer joints and corners.

How do I check furniture for bed bugs?

1. Use a bright flashlight and check every seam, fold, tuft and zipper.
2. Look underneath. Flip cushions and check the fabric on the bottom of couches and box springs.
3. Check joints, corners, screw holes and the backs of headboards and drawers.
4. Look for live bugs, shed skins, tiny pearly-white eggs, and dark fecal spots that look like marker dots.

Do this before it goes in your car, not after it’s in the living room.

Where is used furniture riskiest to buy?

Pieces left on the curb and furniture of unknown origin carry the most risk. Online marketplaces, garage sales and thrift stores can be fine. Inspect every piece no matter where it came from.

What if I already brought it home?

Don’t drag it from room to room, because that spreads bed bugs. Keep it in one place, vacuum the seams and empty the vacuum outside into a sealed bag. If you see signs, call us. A whole-room heat treatment treats the furniture in place along with the room around it. Learn how heat treatment works.

Moving into a new apartment? See our apartment and multi-unit treatment, or our residential heat treatment for houses.

Used furniture FAQs