The Best Ways to Safely Remove Bed Bug Infested Furniture

Handling

• Protect yourself when trying to remove furniture that was infested with bed bugs by wearing protective clothing. Bed bugs will run for darkness when they are suddenly exposed to light, so avoid wearing loose clothing when moving the furniture. Cover your hair with a hat or wrap of some kind to avoid getting bed bugs in your hair, and wear tight clothing to prevent bed bugs from seeing your pant leg as an escape option.

Lighting

• While preparing bed bug-infested furniture for removal, do not allow bright light to shine on the piece of furniture. If you allow light to shine directly on the furniture, it will cause the bed bugs to run for darkness. By reducing the direct light on the furniture, you are in a better position to trap the bugs inside the furniture and remove them safely from the home.

Wrapping

• Part of preventing a bed bug infestation from spreading is to contain the bugs when moving any furniture. Prior to lifting the furniture, wrap the cushions and any other areas that the bugs could hide in plastic. Wrap each cushion of a couch individually and then wrap the rest of the couch in a large plastic sheet. Be sure to close off all openings with tape. This will prevent the bugs from scattering in the current room, or escaping from the furniture to other parts of the house as you move the furniture out of the building.

Prevention

• Bed bug bites do not spread disease or pose a danger to humans, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website. But they can spread rapidly when they find a source of food, and the infestation can cause severe itching in adults and become a nuisance to young children. When removing bed bug infested furniture, it is best to damage it so that someone else does not try to take the furniture for their own home. Slash the couch cushions and fabric on the couch frame, cut the surface of a bed mattress and cut the top of a box spring to prevent the spread of bed bugs to someone else's home.