How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in a Couch

Bed bugs are tiny insects that survive off human and animal blood. Couches and mattresses are ideal places for these small bugs to populate. Educating yourself on how to get rid of bed bugs in a couch is crucial, as sofas are familiar hiding places for these critters.

Bed bugs are relatively easy to spot, as they are about the size of an apple seed. However, they are hard to identify on a sofa because they prefer to hide in the crevices. If you have bed bug bites, this article teaches you practical ways to kill bed bugs in a couch and how to identify if a sofa is infested with bed bugs.

We provide easy DIY ways to get rid of a bed bug infestation in your sofa. It is essential to apply the correct processes for checking for bed bugs in a couch to get rid of a bed bug population as soon as possible, as these tiny insects reproduce rapidly.

Ways to get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Couch

If you suspect that you have bed bugs, determine the best way to detect bed bugs to ensure that you start with the right treatment option.

Although you can use a pest control service to kill bed bugs, there are multiple DIY ways for killing bed bugs in a couch. Additionally, several of these approaches are relatively easy and inexpensive.

Unfortunately, sofas are not the only place in your home where a bed bug problem may be present. Bed frames, a mattress, and your box spring are common areas where bed bugs hide.

These locations are very popular for bed bugs because the insects reside where they most likely are able to feed on human blood and skin cells.

After eliminating bed bugs and the problems that accompany them, sanitize your couch on a regular basis to keep bug infestations at bay.

Killing Bed Bugs in a Couch using Encasements

If your couch is infested with bed bugs, there is no reason to purchase an entirely new sofa. Instead, you can use a DIY bed bug killer. Using an encasement is a practical way to identify and treat a bed bug problem successfully.

Encasements are large plastic coverings that surround a couch and suffocate the bed bugs infesting your sofa. An encasement completely seals the sofa, so insects like bed bugs cannot enter the couch.

A bed bug couch cover also helps you identify bed bugs already residing on your couch. For one of the best ways to get rid of bed bugs, put an encasement over your sofa to successfully kill living bed bugs as well as bed bug eggs.

It is vital to make sure the encasement covers your whole couch and is completely sealed so the insects cannot breathe.

If you are using an encasement for eradicating bed bugs, take the covering off after a couple of days and vacuum your sofa. Vacuuming gets rid of the dead bed bugs.

Removing Bed Bugs from Couch Cushion Covers

A critical part of killing bed bugs in a couch and properly treating a bed bug infested couch is correctly washing all removable couch cushions and covers in a washing machine. If your couch cushions are too large to fit into a washing machine, there are alternative bed bug treatment options.

Bed bugs are unable to survive in high heat. Because bed bugs cannot survive high temperatures, it is essential to wash and dry your covers at the highest possible level.

Remove all covers and cushions that fit into your washing machine and use heat treatment to wash them with water at least 118℉ and a natural upholstery cleaner solution for 20 minutes. Dry the coverings at a high temperature for up to 90 minutes to ensure you are bed bug free.

How to get Rid of Bed Bugs Infesting a Couch using a Vacuum

Regularly vacuuming your couch is a simple way to prevent bed bugs from continuously repopulating. It also will get rid of bed bugs in a leather couch. Although vacuuming is essential, it does not make your sofa bed bug proof.

Being educated in techniques for how to get rid of bed bugs in a couch is just as important as preventing more bugs from overtaking it. Vacuuming also helps eliminate the signs of a bed bug infestation, including shed skins and fecal deposits.

Purchasing the correct kind of vacuum cleaner is the first step in correctly vacuuming your couch. A vacuum cleaner that includes a HEPA filter ensures that everything the vacuum picks up stays securely inside the vacuum bag.

A HEPA filter picks up a higher percentage of harmful particles found on your sofas like dust allergens and other particles. If you notice signs of bed bugs, investing in a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter is vital for bed bug control.

Using Steam to Effectively Kill off Bed Bugs

Killing bed bugs in a couch with steam is another way to ensure you are getting rid of all the bed bugs infesting your sofa. These insects cannot survive high temperatures, so a steam cleaner is an easy way to protect your couch.

Steam cleaners heat water at a high enough temperature to kill bed bugs and their eggs. Pest management companies offer professional steaming services.

However, if you prefer to steam your sofa yourself, a wide array of steam cleaner options is available. If you choose to steam clean your sofa yourself, ensure that you reach all the cracks and crevices in your couch. Bed bugs prefer to hide away deep in these areas.

Using Chemical Sprays to Successfully Kill a Population of Bed Bugs

A chemical spray will effectively kill off any bed bugs and nymphs that are infesting your couch. Learning how to get rid of bed bugs in a couch using insecticides as an instant bed bug killer is relatively easy.

Spray also prevents you from needing to hire an exterminator, which is expensive. There are several options for chemical sprays, including all-natural options. To successfully utilize, spray the chemical spray on your couch.

The spray kills all bed bugs and their eggs for up to two weeks after you initially sprayed the sofa. To protect children or pets from pesticides, we recommend an all-natural spray, like one that uses tea tree oil to kill bed bugs.

However, it is essential to understand that natural bed bug sprays do not provide continuous coverage after covering your sofa and require frequent re-treatment. Diffusing essential oils for bed bugs continuously will help keep away an infestation.

Prevent New Bed Bugs by using Traps

After you have successfully killed the living bed bugs in your couch, prevent another infestation with bed bug traps. Bed bug traps are small plastic dishes that are found at your local retail store or you can easily learn how to make a bed bug trap yourself.

Strategically place the bed bug traps underneath your sofa near the legs as one of the ways to repel bed bugs. If your couch touches the ground, buy lifts to make it more difficult for bed bugs to crawl up your couch—the interceptors capture bed bugs that attempt to infest your sofa.

Additionally, the bed bug traps help you monitor if areas of your living space, like the baseboards in the room, are infested with bed bugs.

Utilizing Insecticide Dust to Kill Bed Bugs in Your Sofa

Insecticide dust products like diatomaceous earth are specially designed to get rid of virtually any pest invading your house, including bed bugs. All bed bugs will die within two days of spreading diatomaceous earth on your sofa.

Spread a layer of the insecticide dust over your sofa using a dust dispenser. Use a paintbrush to get into the crevices of your sofa. After you have completely covered your couch, seal it with an encasement.

Leave your couch sealed for at least four weeks to ensure that the bugs are all dead. The encasement is similar to a plastic bag and suffocates the bed bugs infesting your couch.

Correctly Checking for Bed Bugs in a Couch

Knowing the signs as you are checking for bed bugs in a couch is essential in identifying whether your sofa is infested with these harmful insects. Checking for bed bugs on a couch is quite simple with everyday products.

Check for a bed bug infestation if you are noticing bed bugs bites or small blood stains on your couch. These are common signs of bed bugs.

One way to identify bed bugs is to shine a light directly on your couch cushions while looking through a magnifying glass. The enhanced vision helps you to identify bed bugs residing on your sofa.

Run a credit card along a cushion seam to check for bed bugs, too. This technique helps you see if bed bug eggs or fecal matter are stuck in the crevices.

Couches are commonplace for bed bugs because they feed off of human and animal blood. If you have bed bugs, you do not need to purchase new furniture.

You can successfully avoid bed bugs or kill off a bed bug infestation using products like couch covers and bed bug traps. Knowing the familiar hiding places bed bugs prefer helps you understand how to successfully get rid of a bedbug population.

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