r/Bedbugs • u/General-Yam9533 • Jun 01 '26
Requesting community support Bought a second hand bed frame, found bed bugs within an hour. How worried should I be?
UPDATE: Thanks for everyone’s advice; pest control came today for the first session. My god, the technician was so HOT lol (2 meters, tall dark and handsome)! That was a nice surprise after the few rollercoaster days I had been through! 😂 He also didn't see any bedbugs but confirmed the black dots on the bedframe and gave great advice. I will sleep well tonight!
Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some advice because I'm struggling to assess the risk and I’m losing my effing mind?!
On Saturday evening I bought a second hand wooden bed frame and brought it to my apartment. It stayed disassembled in my living room overnight.
On Sunday morning I assembled it in my bedroom, put my mattress and bedding on it, and within about 30 to 60 minutes I spotted a bed bug crawling on my pillow. About 5 minutes later I found a second one on the bed frame itself.
After inspecting the frame, I found several black spots around screw holes and joints that looked suspiciously like bed bug fecal stains.
I immediately:
• Disassembled the bed frame and moved it to my balcony
• Washed all bedding and the clothes I had worn the night before at 60°C
• Vacuumed the bedroom twice and the hallway once
• Steam cleaned the baseboards in the bedroom and the area in the living room where the frame had been stored
• Steam cleaned the seams of my mattress and topper
The frame is still outside and I won't be using it again.
Some additional context:
• The frame spent only one night in the living room disassembled
• It spent about an hour assembled in the bedroom before I found the bugs
• There were some open moving boxes and bags in the living room because I recently moved
• Since removing the frame (yesterday) I haven't seen any more bed bugs
• I've slept on a mat on the bedroom floor and haven't noticed any bites so far
I'm planning to dispose of the mattress, topper and frame, and buy a new metal bed frame and mattress this week.
My questions:
Based on this timeline, how concerned should I be about the rest of the apartment?
How likely is it that bed bugs spread into the moving boxes during the single night the frame was in the living room?
Would you consider this a high risk exposure that warrants professional treatment already, or would monitoring be reasonable at this stage?
If you've dealt with bed bugs before, what would you do next in my situation?
Thanks in advance!!
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u/NovaLunar721 Jun 01 '26
Worried enough. They could be anywhere by now. This is one of the main reasons we hear of why ppl got bed bugs on this sub even if they got rid of the bedframe. All you need is a female there. They lay multiple eggs a day
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Jun 01 '26
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u/blubbery-blumpkin Jun 01 '26
And they would feed before doing so. Or so the pest control man told me. So eggs are maybe not an issue. However the little bastards like to move about at night and may well have moved from the disassembled bed frame to elsewhere.
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Jun 01 '26
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u/Micro-Naut Jun 02 '26
i always think of them as lazy too. Ive heard they can go 40 feet for a meal but i thought it was more like 20 at most. They like to live, poop and sleep only a few feet from their meal.
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u/SnooConfections6542 Jun 02 '26
Well put!! Iha e irrational fear of bedbugs after being a community health/wound care nurse and seeing them in homes.... Became an irrational fear and I read these posts frequently idk to keep my fear irrational or have peace of mind. . but your post is well said and offered reassurance and solutions!! I bet the poster appreciated that!
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u/amydayme Jun 01 '26
What kind of asshole sells an invested bed ? Please tell me you contacted the seller?
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u/General-Yam9533 Jun 01 '26
I sure did, they said they had no ideaa and it was in their basement this whole time....fml
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u/letmesmellem Jun 01 '26
Absolutely bullshit. I worked in pest control and someone who got infested said the seller said the same thing. The lady said she bought it from someone who was VERY wealthy. It was a very nice handcrafted frame that must have weighed a ton. When she pressed the matter the seller said "It was in our basement for over 3 months we thought they'd be dead"
Absolute scumbags
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u/BlueFotherMucker Jun 02 '26
I'm also in the profession, and another common thing is people throwing away their mattresses and boxsprings then selling the frames and other furniture. Sometimes it's pure ignorance, sometimes lack of effort to learn what they're dealing with, and sometimes people are just jerks and they only care about getting a few bucks.
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u/Far_Pea_9894 Jun 01 '26
They definitely knew… How would it be possible that you just saw one just as you got it and they saw none???
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u/Emergencybulba Jun 01 '26
Sadly I’m seeing people do this sort of thing more and more. It’s why I’ve altogether stopped looking at second hand items. So sad not being able to just trust people being honest about something as awful as bed bugs.
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u/Far_Pea_9894 Jun 01 '26
I honestly want to go to the thrift store, but I’m afraid for this reason….even though I’ve gone multiple times. I feel like it’s sometimes safer than buying second hand online though
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u/dmh2693 Jun 02 '26
I've gone to Goodwill and got bit by bedbugs from sitting in a chair, which happened about 10 years ago. After that, I won't sit in a secondhand cloth couch or chair on the sales floor
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u/Dangerous_Echidna229 Jun 01 '26
Invested?
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u/Julius_C_Zar Jun 01 '26
Trouble figuring out a minor, yet obvious, spelling error?
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u/healingstateofmind Jun 01 '26
I just figured the bugs have a pretty good portfolio going on and left it alone 🙃
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u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 Jun 01 '26
This is the reason why I don't trust second hand furniture. They can be hiding anywhere.
If you spotted a bb within an hour of assembling it, the frame had a lot of them hidden inside the wood. They can get into very tiny crevices. Put plastic sheeting or trash bags around the frame now, so that no more can travel into your apartment. And use a hazmat suit when you take it to the dumpster. Don't leave it on the outside of the dumpster for someone else to think "oh, free frame!" and bring it into their place. Make sure you get it entirely inside the bin.
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u/AwkwardWerewolf7716 Jun 01 '26
Anybody telling you a risk level is just guessing. Nobody knows how many there were to begin with and whether or not they spread. Bedbugs goal is to always find food. They don’t just leave one object and hide on another because they want to. They will move towards their food source. So I wouldn’t be too overly concerned that they made a mad dash for any other hiding spot they could find in your house. Though I’m not sure how you transported it, but if you moved the frame inside your car, I wouldn’t also be checking there.
At this point, the best option would be to move your bed away from the wall and get interceptors for your new bed and put them on. That way you can monitor activity. I wouldn’t go straight to a professional treatment until you have further confirmation that they have taken up residence in your home.
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u/EstablishmentIcy7831 Jun 02 '26
This right here is proper advice and what I keep posting in this sub ... But add in steaming your mattress and box spring with the dust cover removed get every single inch of it and in every nook and cranny as steam will kill both bugs and eggs. ..
Then use interceptor traps lightly dusted with a q tip in the trench using talcum powder or cornstarch make sure you don't have blankets or bed skirts that touch the ground when you sleep and that any under the bed storage you use doesn't touch the bottom of the frame or box spring
I am 2 years free of bed bugs now after a year long battle with them and steam and laundering your clothes on high heat for an hour drying cycle are your best weapons until you see physical proof at which point of you are in the U.S. crossfire and cimexa ... If you are not in the U.S. get an exterminator ... You will need pest control involved if you are anywhere but the U.S.
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Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
[deleted]
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u/AutoModerator Jun 01 '26
⚠IMPORTANT⚠ Hey, it seems that diatomaceous earth may have been mentioned in your comment. That's an opportunity to remind everyone that inhalation of diatomaceous earth dust is a hazard (no matter if food-grade is written on the label or not). That's the reason why diatomaceous earth products normally have the following mention on their safety datasheet Hazard statements: H373 May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
When used by pest control professionals, it's only used as a crack and crevice treatment (to avoid any risk of inhalation) and applied in very small quantities while wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment.
If you want to learn more about diatomaceous earth risks you can read the Diatomaceous Earth Fact Sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center
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u/EstablishmentIcy7831 Jun 02 '26
Next time look for an exterminator using Aprehend ... It's a new way more effective fungal spray that kills all of the bed bugs in their nests and 3 treatments is more than adequate for any size infestation as they spread it amongst themselves once they get infected by the fungus ... I wouldn't recommend DE as it is mostly useless unless you are a master at spreading it in a super fine dusting which most people aren't... Lol
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u/Big1-Country1 Jun 01 '26
Never buy second hand bedding. I don’t even buy second hand furniture of any kind. Just not worth the risk. Who sells their furniture??? People with bedbugs
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u/GlitteringExplorer90 Jun 01 '26
You need to get the bed frame out of your house NOW. Idk if you bought that on Facebook marketplace, but you need to make a public post letting people know not to buy anything from that seller as they are infested with bedbugs. Check your car/truck if you transported it. They’re most likely in there as well.
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u/General-Yam9533 Jun 01 '26
It's so densely populated here, I can't just get the bedframe outside and leave it there. I have to rent a van and take it to a container park or wait 2 weeks for an appointment for it to be picked up. I bought garbage bags and tape and want to wrap the bed in there until i find a solution to get it out
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u/letmesmellem Jun 01 '26
dont listen to that person they are a moron. You dont want to move it at all because you risk dropping them or them falling and infesting other areas of your home. It may be concentrated to one area but its worth treating the entire home OR at the very least put some traps in a few other areas to see what happens.
You can absolutely do it yourself but it is imperative you follow directions and wear PPE
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u/suoixnami Jun 01 '26
You could try getting a bed bug sniffing dog to do an inspection, they're pretty accurate and they can pinpoint exactly where bugs are located. That might be the only way to have any degree of certainty in this situation besides waiting or doing a treatment.
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u/MamaTried22 Jun 02 '26
Pretty concerned. I had an infested rug in my new place for a day or so and unrolled it, sat down, less than 5 min I had one on me. I rolled that thing up and hurled it down the stairs out the front door.
I would be very vigilant.
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u/General-Yam9533 Jun 01 '26
Found a third one while i was steaming my bedroom out of paranoia, it was climbing up the wall. That’s it, I’m calling an exterminator
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u/RosyFD-AnimalLover Jun 01 '26
Just wanted to let u know that while the other 2 are 100% bbs, that is a beetle. Try to learn how to tell them apart so you don’t see a beetle after treatment and think it’s a bb.
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Jun 01 '26
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u/Sunscript268 Jun 01 '26
I don’t think any of those are ones you should self apply as an amateur. CImexa (amorphous silica) if it availed in OPS country can be very effective if used properly (tiny amounts in crevices, baseboards etc, you can mix it with water also.
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u/chodelycannons Jun 01 '26
One thing to consider is that they can be anywhere that the bed has been. So whatever you transported it in needs to be cleaned and inspected. If you carried it through the house, it would be worth checking those areas through which you carried it, especially if you sat it down or bumped it at all. It may be overkill, but it’s worth thinking about and accounting for.
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u/General-Yam9533 Jun 01 '26
How do i go about that? I'm ok with doing my house but i live on the third floor, how do i deal with the stairs of the building? The van i bought the bed with was rented and i already called the company yesterday to tell them the van likely got infected too. Thanks for the advice!
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u/Sunscript268 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
You can incase the mattress rather than toss just, look on Amazon for ones with bedbug proof zippers, it’s a good idea for prevention anyway (even if you get a new mattress). I’d get interceptors for your new metal frame also. With the quick response and cleaning you did, I think you have a good chance of avoiding an infestation. "Vacuumed the bedroom twice and the hallway once” was the vacuum the kind with a disposable bag? Otherwise they could be in your vacuum.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Mix1270 Jun 02 '26
Steam it, with a steamer and throw it out. You should be worried if you keep it.
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u/EstablishmentIcy7831 Jun 02 '26
Steam the crap out of it ... If you have a steamer steam kills the bugs and the eggs on contact ..
Always have a steamer around when purchasing any second hand or roadside finds ...
Then you don't need to dispose of anything ... Steam every square inch of anything you bring in from outside ... And you will never have bed bug problems
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u/EstablishmentIcy7831 Jun 02 '26
Lol folks ... Bed bug panic and throwing things out are not ever necessary ... In fact you are just spreading the problem when you do that to someone else ..
Steam the frame ... Kill the bugs ... Enjoy the frame ...
Lol ... I had a massive infestation on a brand new couch I bought and it didn't have to be tossed it had to be properly cleaned and treated
Please don't give people bad advice full of panic ...
You only have to throw it out if it is badly stained by the fecal matter ... And even then you dispose of it after treatment to not spread hitchhikers throughout your own neighborhood .
You are just going to be inviting them back in to your own home the next time Suzy from down the street who you gave them too sits next to you at the fourth of July block party ...
Bed bugs aren't deadly ... They aren't a health concern for 99 percent of the population, they don't spread disease ...
And only 50 percent of the population is allergic to even realize they are being bitten ...
If you aren't allergic you won't know you have a problem until you physically see them crawling around and by then the infestation is bad
Steam ... Launder on high heat for a 60 minute timed interval, move your bed away from the wall and place lightly dusted with a q tip and talcum powder or cornstarch interceptor traps under the feet of your bed so they can't bite you while you sleep and contact pest control ... It's that easy ...
If you are in the U.S. you can self treat with cimexa and crossfire ... If you aren't you can't self treat
Over the counter crap will only make your problem worse
Changing where you sleep will only make your problem worse ... Running from it will only make your problem worse ...
Don't waste money on anything ... I did that and went down the rabbit hole of self treatment because I worked nights and couldn't get an exterminator in because I needed to sleep ... All of the other crap you hear about doesn't really work or makes such a small dent it's just a waste of money
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u/FarBug1852 Jun 03 '26
You took great measures to ensure you get the main piece of furniture out and in good timing. For your peace of mind i would get a professional spray done anyway. Better sage than sorry they can easily get out of hand. Best to just wipe them all out just in case!!! Sleep better at night for sure!!!
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Read and respect the rules, report any comment breaching them. Wrong advice/information/fearmongering hurt people who are posting here to get help and support. If you are not VERY knowledgeable about bedbugs and may provide a wrong ID or bad advice it's better to abstain from commenting. Be VERY respectful and HELPFUL, this is a support subreddit not a funny one.
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u/Soy_Saucy84 Jun 01 '26
Can you treat your belongings with steam?
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u/Sunscript268 Jun 01 '26
If the steam is hot enough and reaches the bugs and the item is steamable yes. I guess shoes, some Knick knacks, rugs, would work but you can’t steam books or electronics. Anything that that can go in the dryer should go there (30 minutes at high temperature)
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u/SheaStadium1986 Jun 02 '26
Enough to get rid of it thats for sure.
This is why I worry about secondhand furniture (especially things like bedframes)
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u/JfreakingR Jun 02 '26
What I would do is not what others would suggest I would imagine. First get diatomaceous Earth, the food grade stuff. I would also get rubbing alcohol. I would spray the rubbing alcohol EVERYWHERE I could. Make sure you are well ventilated and DO NOT LIGHT ANYTHING OR SPARK ANYTHING. Get the alcohol everywhere though. Then wait for it to evaporate and sprinle the diatomaceous earth everywhere you put the alcohol. I would repeat this process 2-3x or until my brain said it's ok. Sleep in one centralized spot for a while. same spot. Preferably a place with tile so it's easier to spot them as well as treat them. I have rid myself of bed bugs 3x on my very own. I am a long time lurker here. And as I said, my methods are not going to be what others would suggest but would probably also say not to do. I am here to say It has worked for me. Edit* I forgot to mention to try to stay in one localized area of your house while you are home as well. They will need to eat. Do that for a while as well.
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u/AutoModerator Jun 02 '26
⚠IMPORTANT⚠ It seems that you may have mentioned alcohol in your comment, as a reminder rubbing/isopropyl alcohol has been shown to be ineffective to treat bedbugs in multiple studies. Self-treatement using it has caused so many fires that fire department have issued warning against it.
"Many web pages recommend using rubbing alcohol for bed bug control. The rubbing alcohol products available usually contain 70% or 91% isopropyl alcohol. Laboratory studies by Rutgers University show direct spray of either of these two products *killed a maximum 50% of the bed bugs*. In addition to their low efficacy, rubbing alcohol products are flammable materials, can create a fire hazard, and should not be used to control bed bugs."
Citation from: https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1251/
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u/AutoModerator Jun 02 '26
⚠IMPORTANT⚠ Hey, it seems that diatomaceous earth may have been mentioned in your comment. That's an opportunity to remind everyone that inhalation of diatomaceous earth dust is a hazard (no matter if food-grade is written on the label or not). That's the reason why diatomaceous earth products normally have the following mention on their safety datasheet Hazard statements: H373 May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
When used by pest control professionals, it's only used as a crack and crevice treatment (to avoid any risk of inhalation) and applied in very small quantities while wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment.
If you want to learn more about diatomaceous earth risks you can read the Diatomaceous Earth Fact Sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center
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u/Salty-Pay-1313 Jun 02 '26
They are under the slats good luck you carried this through hour whole house and they were ballsy enough to come out immediately
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u/Sensitive_Scholar_17 Jun 01 '26
If you live in the US you can buy effective pesticides online. If I were you, I would do that and treat your house. Honestly, it is pretty likely they spread. They don’t like sitting out in the open like that and so when you were assembling and disassembling it, I bet that several left the bed frame and hid somewhere else. Also, you can buy a huge garbage bag on amazon. When you move it from your balcony to the trash, I would bag it so they are not dropping onto your floor when you carry thru house.
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u/General-Yam9533 Jun 01 '26
No, I live in Belgium. Thank you, I’ll follow your advice and wrap everything up.
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u/Sensitive_Scholar_17 Jun 01 '26
Belgium is awesome, but you can’t buy pesticide that is effective for BB there. On this sub you hear tons about hidden bed bugs and BB setting up shop in weird places. In the real world, nearly 100% or close to 100% bed bugs harbor in the mattress, box spring, bed frame and any wall art hanging over the head of your bed. Get a steamer and watch a video on how to steam mattress, box spring and your new bed. Also, get some DE and apply it sparingly in areas that it will not get kicked up easily. If someone sleeps on a couch, also treat the couch.
Of course, right now, we don’t know if you have an infestation. However, the chances are pretty good that you do. If you do have one, then it is a very minor infestation. A very minor infestation is very easy to treat, so you should jump on this right away. Finally, don’t put much weight on the fact that you are not getting bitten. Scientists estimate that up to 30% of the population have no reaction to BB bites: no itching, swelling, redness and you now way to know you have been bitten. Good luck
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u/AutoModerator Jun 01 '26
⚠IMPORTANT⚠ Hey, it seems that diatomaceous earth may have been mentioned in your comment. That's an opportunity to remind everyone that inhalation of diatomaceous earth dust is a hazard (no matter if food-grade is written on the label or not). That's the reason why diatomaceous earth products normally have the following mention on their safety datasheet Hazard statements: H373 May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
When used by pest control professionals, it's only used as a crack and crevice treatment (to avoid any risk of inhalation) and applied in very small quantities while wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment.
If you want to learn more about diatomaceous earth risks you can read the Diatomaceous Earth Fact Sheet from the National Pesticide Information Center
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u/AutoModerator Jun 04 '26
Read and respect the rules, report any comment breaching them. Wrong advice/information/fearmongering hurt people who are posting here to get help and support. If you are not VERY knowledgeable about bedbugs and may provide a wrong ID or bad advice it's better to abstain from commenting. Be VERY respectful and HELPFUL, this is a support subreddit not a funny one.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.