Bed Bugs In Furniture – Quality furniture is a notable sign of a good home. One factor that makes furniture excellent quality is comfort. However, our furniture usually loses comfort through the wear and tear of time or when destroyed. But sometimes, it doesn’t have to be worn or destroyed to lose the comfort it brings. Furniture can be invaded by insects, with one species causing discomfort to anyone who uses it.
Bed bugs are insects that feed on animal or human blood. Their name is derived from their behavior of hiding in beds and feeding on who sleeps on it. Bed bugs are oval in shape and brownish in color. They are as thin as a card, and emit a foul odor, especially when touched. A home infested with bed bugs will have these pests hiding in the seams of chairs and cushions (and beds, of course), drawer joints, appliances, the junction where the wall and ceiling meet, and even the head of a screw.
If bed bug-infested furniture and houses are left untreated, it would cause varying effects of eventual wear and tear on affected furniture and potential health problems. The following are the things you can use to keep your furniture free of bed bug infestation.
Insecticides For Bed Bugs In Furniture
Insecticides are the go-to when insect infestation occurs. There are many types of insecticides, each varying on the insect being targeted, and what is used to make them.
For those that specifically target bed bugs (and perhaps the like), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved more than 300 anti-bed bug insecticides. Most of these are store-bought and can be easily used by people. However, there are products that only professionals are allowed to use.
The EPA has grouped these products into seven chemical classes, each having different ways to eliminate bedbugs.
Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids
The two compounds, pyrethrins and pyrethroids, are the most common classes used in insecticide against bed bugs and other insects. Pyrethrin is a compound made from chrysanthemum flowers, while pyrethroids are synthetic but share the same effect with pyrethrin. These two can flush out the bed bugs in furniture from their hiding places and kill them.
However, while they are the most commonly used in bed bug insecticides, there are bed bug populations that can resist its effects and not die from it.
Desiccants
Desiccant is a class that works by destroying the protective outer coating on the bed bugs that will make them dehydrate and eventually die. Unlike pyrethrins and pyrethroids, bed bugs cannot develop resistance against desiccants. This variant of insecticide is best used on cracks or hiding spots with a small opening due to the health risk they pose to humans when inhaled.
Biochemicals
Biochemicals are made out of chemical reactions in the living organism, which serves as its source. There is only one product of this class approved by the EPA: Cold Pressed Neem Oil.
This said product is a product made from the seeds of the neem tree, which grows in Africa and Southeast Asia. Cold Pressed Neem Oil has proven to control the bed bug population due to its insecticidal properties.
Pyrroles
Pyrrole is an aromatic organic compound used for different purposes, such as for dyes and perfumes. Variants of this compound have proven to kill bed bugs by disrupting their cell function. Only one product of this class is approved by the EPA, which is Chlorfenapyr.
Neonicotinoids
Neonicotinoids are a synthetic variant of the chemical compound nicotine. It kills insects by disrupting their nervous systems. While it is effective as bed bugs cannot develop resistance from it, it’s also harmful to humans.
Insect Growth Regulators
Insect growth regulators are a type of insecticides that works by mimicking the hormones of young insects and altering or hampering its development. While there are insect growth regulators that do not do much to harm adult bed bugs, it can help gradually lessen the bedbug population.
Natural/Home Remedies
Sometimes the answer to your problems lies right inside your home. Besides pesticide, you could also try a few of these methods- whichever would work best- to eliminate bed bugs living in your furniture.
Ethyl Alcohol
Ethyl alcohol, or more specifically diluted rubbing alcohol, is effective for killing bed bugs. It kills them once it makes contact and evaporates quickly. This method is fast and safe to use. However, while it may instantly kill bugs, you have to make sure that you have covered all the spots that they dwell in.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are the star in aromatherapy and are known to be used to relieve some physical and mental conditions, such as headaches and stress. However, essential oils have been used to kill bed bugs for a very long time. There are particular essential oils that you must use, and, like alcohol, you have to cover all the spots where the bed bugs stay.
Vacuuming
Using a vacuum to eliminate bed bugs can work. The vacuum cleaner sucks the bed bugs from the surface they are on to be killed when taken out of the said appliance. However, the disadvantage is that it only works when the only hiding places of the bed bugs are visible and reachable.
Laundry
As it suggests, this method only works for removable cloth used in furniture. This cloth includes bed sheets and tablecloths. Wash the cloth and dry them in high heat. Sheets with bad infestations may still come out dirty, so it is best to rewash them when it has cooled.
Pest Extermination
If the bed bug infestation in your home is already severe, it is best to call pest control to deal with it. Pest control is a service run by a company which aims to exterminate pests from homes.
This is the best option for people who do not have time or do not have the infestation under control. You may look up the closest pest control near you and ask if they provide service as a bed bugs exterminator since there are different ways to deal with different pests.
Related: Termite Proof Home Ideas
Takeaway for Bed Bugs In Furniture
A bed bug infestation can quickly happen with one female bug clinging to any of our possessions. This can lead to discomfort in using furniture and potential health problems from bed bug bites. Prevent this from happening by cleaning your home regularly. When you find a bed bug in furniture, kill it and look for possible places where it could lurk. To get rid of bed bugs, you may seek help from professionals to handle the situation better to maintain comfort in your own home.