Buying from a secondhand store can fetch you a unique item at a significant discount, but it also carries more risk than buying brand new. For instance, thrift stores can be havens for a common household pest — bedbugs. Once the infestation is in your house, you’ll need professional pest control to eradicate the problem. Fortunately, by following these few simple tips, you can be confident your favorite new find is safe to bring home. 

How to Spot Bedbugs on Used Items

1. Check the Corners

Bed bugs like to live in small, dark, and warm spaces. When it comes to buying clothes or furniture, you can never be too careful. With clothing, check the seams and turn the garment inside out to look for signs of an infestation. With furniture, use the same diligence on every part of the item you’re buying. Open drawers, flip cushions, look behind headboards, and check the underside of any frames to spot evidence that bed bugs are hanging out. 

2. Bring a Flashlight

It may seem strange to bring a flashlight to the thrift store, but if you’re buying furniture, it can be your best friend. If you don’t have it with you at the store, use a flashlight when you go home. The light will help you see into small crevices that can be hiding evidence of bed bugs, such as clumps of sticky eggs or rusty smears from bed bug excrement. 

3. Use Heat

Even though bed bugs like it warm, heat will kill them and drive them away. Even professional pest control will use heat to treat your house for bed bugs. Throw anything you buy secondhand in the dryer for a full cycle. If it’s too big or bulky to put in the dryer, go over the item with a hair dryer set on high. 

4.Vacuum Thoroughly

Once you have heat-treated your new piece of furniture or clothing, vacuum it thoroughly with the small nozzle attachment. Be as detailed as you can to suck up any stray bed bugs or eggs that may be hiding from you. Immediately empty the vacuum bag when you’re done to prevent reinfestation. 

If you’re concerned about the presence of bed bugs, contact Acme Pest Control in Concord, NC. For more than 70 years, they’ve been providing residential and commercial customers with expert pest control services to keep their properties clean and insect-free. They’ll perform a bedbug inspection, and if they find evidence of the pests, will eradicate them quickly and efficiently. They also offer rodent removal, roach control, and radon testing to keep your property safe. Visit the website to learn more about their offerings or call (704) 786-4166 to schedule pest control today.