Avoiding Bed Bugs After a Trip or a Thrift Store Find

Most bed bug problems start with something coming into the house: a suitcase, a used couch, a box spring from a garage sale. OSU Extension's advice comes down to checking first and keeping suspect things contained.

In the Hotel Room

OSU suggests not setting luggage on the floor or the bed until you've checked the room. Put it in the bathtub for the moment, since bed bugs can't climb the smooth sides. Then check the mattress seams, the box spring edges and the headboard for the bugs, shed skins or small dark spots. If you find signs, ask for a different room.

• Luggage in the tub while you check
• Look at mattress seams and behind the headboard
• Keep the suitcase on a luggage rack, away from the wall

When You Get Home

Unpack in the garage or on a hard floor instead of on the bed. Run clothes through a hot dryer. OSU notes that bagging infested items and leaving them in the summer heat is one way people deal with them. Vacuum the suitcase and empty the vacuum into a sealed bag outside.

Used Furniture

OSU warns that used items, including thrift store finds, can bring bed bugs in. Look over any secondhand couch, chair, mattress or headboard carefully before it comes inside. Seams, folds, joints and the underside are where they hide.

If You Find Them Anyway

Don't start dragging furniture from room to room. That spreads them. OSU calls heat treatment at about 120 to 130 degrees the most effective method and says a pest control specialist is the most effective option overall. See bed bug treatment.

See also: Bed Bug Treatment, Flea Control