Bed bug infested furniture - disposal instructions

How to manage bed bug infested furniture
Many people feel that throwing away an infested piece of furniture will get rid of the problem. While this may reduce the number of bed bugs, it will not necessarily eliminate the infestation or help with the overall problem. Furniture should only be thrown out if it cannot be properly cleaned as part of professional pest control. New furniture is not the solution as it can also be subject to infestation if the larger problem is not addressed.

Mattress encasement's
For mattresses and box springs you can get mattress encasement's that are specifically designed for managing bed bugs. Mattresses that are encased trap any bed bugs inside. They will eventually die of starvation; remember bed bugs can survive without a blood meal for more than six months. Any new bed bugs on the outside of the encasement will be easily detected. Clean up is easier when using a mattress encasement. Encasement's should be tight fitting (few creases or folds) and used on box springs as well as mattresses.

Disposal as the last resort
When advised by a pest control professional that furniture heavily infested with bed bugs cannot be salvaged, disposal needs to be done in a manner that will prevent the further spread of bed bugs. In the process of removing a piece of furniture, preventative precautions need to be taken to prevent bed bugs from spreading to new areas.

If you have decided to throw out bed bug infested furniture:

  1. Take the furniture apart or deface or damage it, to prevent it from being re-used. For example mattresses can be slashed to be made unusable.
  2. Furniture should be wrapped in plastic so bed bugs cannot escape. This should be done in the unit before it is removed.
  3. Post a warning sign on the furniture: Example: "Bedbugs. Do Not Take" or "Bed Bug Infested".
  4. Put furniture out for trash collection, shortly before pick-up time so it doesn't sit for long.

Note: Any recyclable item, infested with bed bugs should be placed in a black garbage bag and disposed of in the garbage bin.

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