Curbside Couches

We've all been there.

You're driving down the road on a Saturday morning when, on the side of the road, you see a piece of furniture that would look great in your living room.

You think to yourself, "What an amazing find! I can't believe someone would be getting rid of this couch and love seat, they're in such good condition!"

So you call up your friend, neighbor, or relative with a pickup and explain that you need their help ASAP -- before someone else sees this sidewalk-sofa-set and snatches it up. Your friend understands completely (that's how they got the good chair in their TV room, and it's been a loyal part of the family ever since) and they'll be there in a minute.

You pace the floor waiting for your buddy to get there, just KNOWING that it's already gone. Someone must have seen and snagged it before you even had the chance and, OH NO, are those rain clouds? If your new couch gets rained on before you get it inside it will probably get moldy and stink up the whole house!

When the truck pulls up, you jump in before it even comes to a complete stop, and you're explaining as quickly as you can where your new furniture is. Thankfully, your buddy knows exactly where it is, and as he turns the corner you heave a sigh of relief because it's all still there and those ominous clouds are moving south just enough to miss you.

You've got it. Totally worth driving across town for breakfast.

A month goes by with your new furniture. You've named them both -- much to the chagrin of the rest of your family. You've spent afternoons napping in them, watching preseason games, or Friday Night Prime Time. You even finished that book it's taken you a year to get around to; it's now part of your home.

You come home from work that Monday and sit down to decompress because, well, its Monday. As you are about to take your shoes off and put your feet up, you have a crawling sensation on the back of your neck. Your natural reaction is...SMACK! You pull your hand back and see blood. But it's too early in the year for mosquitoes? What could have? Oh no...

BED BUGS.

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Bed bugs are the scourge of the United States right now, and because of their elusive nature and ability to develop resistance to chemicals, they have gained the correct reputation of being difficult to get rid of. Often, a regiment of pesticides applied by a pest management professional, along with tenacious efforts by the customer will yield the best results when faced with a bed bug infestation.

For all customers currently going through this, it is important to remember that there is a high level of responsibility on you to get rid of the infestation, in comparison with any other pest infestation. Your best friend is your dryer, whether personal or laundromat. Many people know that heat kills bed bugs, but what most don't understand is that heat can only kill bed bugs if they are exposed for a duration of time.

Dr. Dini M. Miller states in her research that "bed bugs exposed to 113°F will die if they receive constant exposure to that temperature for 90 minutes or more," and that "they will die within 20 minutes if exposed to 118°F." Dr. Miller goes on to let us know that bed bug eggs are much more durable considering the eggs "must be exposed to 118°F for 90 minutes to reach 100% mortality" (Miller, “Using Heat to Kill Bed Bugs”).

Fortunately, the standard clothes dryer reaches temperatures of about 130°F, meaning that once the dryer itself gets up to temperature, 20 minutes will suffice to kill all bed bugs within it. It is important to remember to put your clothes in the dryer before washing them during a bed bug infestation.

Many people who get infestations first think “How did I get them? I’m so clean?” Because of the bed bug's ability to remain elusive and not require a blood meal for up to 6 months, some infested sites may not know that they are the source of the infestation you just brought home.

The bed bug, despite its name, doesn’t just live around beds or personal homes.

Because bed bugs typically live within close proximity to their host, they most often are found nesting in a person’s favorite lounging spot in the house. Like the anecdote above, bed bugs can often be found in furniture, but they are also commonly found on clothing, dressers, nightstands, and most certainly are not limited to infesting objects within the home. Reports have shown bed bugs traveling into a person's luggage while on an airplane.

It is important to remember: if you are someone who frequents establishments or services used by a high number of individuals such as taxi cabs, airplane seats, hotel rooms, or even hospitals -- if a bed bug has traveled on a person just before you in that place, you may end up with your own infestation.

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So what do you do?

Remain vigilant. Understand that not EVERY hotel room, bus seat, or waiting room chair is infested. But there is always a lingering possibility that the one you’re about to sit in does.

So, before you sit down, take a look. Before you lay down in an unknown bed, pull back the sheets and check the mattress corners. And never, ever, ever assume that the furniture on the side of the road is easy pickins'.

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For more information on bed bug heat treatments feel free to check Dr. Miller's work cited in the post:

1. Miller, Dini M. Ph.D., Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech. “Using Heat to Kill Bed Bugs” https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/bb-heat1.pdf