Disposal of Furnishings Questions

 

Photo credit: Vandana (Flickr)

Aloha, today I'd like to focus on another question I am often asked when bed bugs have been discovered in a home (or hotel or place of business, etc). The question is whether or not to throw away and replace the current furnishings and possessions. Most of the time, it is not necessary to dispose of things as successful treatment to eliminate bed bugs can be applied in many cases.

Much of the decision will likely be based on the level of infestation present and the instructions and suggestions by pest control company who is providing treatment. Be sure to follow your pest control operator's instructions carefully, to eradicate the infestation as swiftly and as cost effectively as possible. Another thing to consider is the value of the furniture or clothing. For example, an owner of antique furnishings would likely want to find a solution to clear the bed bug infestation and preserve the valuable and sometimes irreplaceable furnishings. 

About a year ago, when I attended a beg bug convention, there were several companies offering portable tenting devices in which furnishings and other items could be placed inside and then heat treated. While I have no personal experiences with such devices and cannot endorse their effectiveness or any certain manufacture of these devices over another, I think this is a brilliant and promising solution! 

 Obviously the gentleman in this photo would want to step out of the treatment tent before treatment begins!   (Photo from Zappbug.com)

Shelves with varied types of possessions can be treated at one time in these portable tent like "rooms"!    
(Photo from Zappbug.com)

If you do decide to dispose of things, please don’t put your furniture on the curb, or in the dumpster. Definitely don’t sell things on Craigslist or elsewhere, knowing (or even just suspecting) that it has bed bugs.

Pest World (Pestworld.org) has a great bed bug "Best Practices" outline, which among other things, addresses the question about disposal of possessions in much detail. Here are some excerpts from their suggestions (for the full report, click HERE)

• Disposal of beds, furniture, clothing, and other items should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis since the disposal of these items does not guarantee control of bed bugs, it can place a serious financial burden on people, and replacement items can become infested if brought in prior to control of the infestation.
• When disposal is necessary, steps should be taken to minimize the likelihood of spreading bed bugs, for example, prior to removal, items need to be wrapped to keep the bed bugs from spreading to other areas during removal.