How they arrive
In the seams of a used mattress or sofa; in a rented truck or storage pod that carried an infested load; in a storage unit. OSU’s 2025 factsheet: bed bugs “can survive up to 70 days without feeding,” and the 2020 sheet says six months or more without a blood meal. Empty furniture is not empty.
The driveway inspection
- Seams, piping and tags on anything upholstered; staples and dust cover on a box spring; screw holes and joints on a frame.
- Washable items straight to the dryer, high heat, 30 minutes (OSU: 130°F or above).
- Mattresses and box springs into a certified encasement before they enter the bedroom.
- Anything with live bugs, spotting or skins stays outside. Call before it comes in.
Do not throw furniture out
Beds and sofas treat successfully, and carrying an infested piece down a shared stairwell seeds the building. Isolate it, bag or encase what you can, and have the room inspected.
Moving out of an infested unit
Heat before packing if the lease allows it: one day clears belongings and the room together. If not: everything washable through the dryer into sealed bags, everything else inspected piece by piece, and the first night in the new place on an encased mattress with interceptor cups under the legs. The tools →