Furniture - metal v. wood « Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums

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Furniture - metal v. wood

(8 posts)

nyjammin

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Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 664

Posted 2 years ago
Mon May 21 2007 16:40:48
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I was thinking about throwing away my wood furniture. I have a wall unit and a nice dresser with a mirror on top. I was thinking of getting metal furniture instead. Does anyone here think that's a good idea and it'll help or will I just be wasting my money. I found a dead bug but it was a blood spot in one of my drawers this morning. It's only about 5 ft. from my bed. My bedroom is small so it really has to be that close. I was thinking of getting maybe some plastic shelving from Home Depot or a metal storage closet. I've had pcos come and treat these. Maybe I could just dust them with DE but I would have to go underneath the drawers as well as in them and then dust de all around the furniture. Any suggestions would be helpful.
parakeets

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Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 866

Posted 2 years ago
Mon May 21 2007 17:09:28
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Since you would have to pay, by the pound, to move this furniture to your new house--if you are ever going to get rid of it, get rid of it now. You might not trust it in the new house, so don't wait until you've paid to move it to throw it out.

You might want to think of "temporary furniture" and since you're moving, that's a good idea anyway. Once you've settled in, and realized the bedbugs are gone, you can celebrate and buy nice things. Until you really feel they are gone, you won't trust things you buy and will be afraid they will be infested (and if they are, are you going to throw them out?)

Some good temporary furniture is available at Home Depot. Besides the plastic shelves, they have nicer standing shelves, all metal (available in black or chrome-like finish), that aren't too bad looking and inexpensive. You could buy sets of them and use them to hold bags of ziplocs. (Until you are sure you don't have bedbugs, I bet you will still be using ziplocs). Once the threat of BB is gone, these shelves can be moved to a basement or a garage and you'll be happy you bought them.

Other temporary furniture is always available in student neighborhoods and stores--blow up beds, blow up chairs, simple folding chairs and tables, etc. If you "camp out" in your house for a few weeks, until you feel more confident, you won't have the danger of buying new stuff that might be infested and you'd probably want to throw out.

I personally wouldn't bring any furniture from your bedroom to the new house if you are still seeing bedbugs. There are so many nooks and crannies in wood for them to hide. If you don't want to pay to move it to storage, pay to store it for 18 months, and pay to move it back (with the fear of bedbugs), I'd toss it now.

Hint: Throw the drawers away separately so someone won't pick up the furniture.
nyjammin

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Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 664

Posted 2 years ago
Mon May 21 2007 17:52:34
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Hey parakeets. Thanks for the info. But I don't know where you got the impression that I was moving. If I do move, then I definitely will buy new furniture, but, for right now, do you think it's ok to throw away the wood furniture? I'll keep some of your ideas in mind though, thanks!
BBsBlow

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Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 432

Posted 2 years ago
Tue May 22 2007 9:15:51
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NYJ- I ended up throwing out all of my wood furniture when I moved (I know you're not). I am scared of wood to this day, and just have one wood piece in my house, which I have yet to put together. It's obviously a choice to make, but I personally didn't want to give the BBs material they enjoy. But unfortunately, I have yet to find a dresser made out of a material that's not derrived from wood. I mean they make plastic rolling carts that I've used as a semi-dresser, but it's only like 3 feet high with three drawers, and I've got waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more stuff that could ever fit into one of those.

Conversely, I have read posts in the past that say you don't have to get rid of everything you own, though now I'm wondering if that only referred to your mattress. Can't remember if it was about furniture, too.
wantmyskinback

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Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 344

Posted 2 years ago
Tue May 22 2007 9:16:58
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If you keep wood...always clean the outside of it with Murphy's from time to time. Keep items inside of it stored in ziplocks. Sprinkle a little DE in the cracks.
parakeets

oldtimer
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 866

Posted 2 years ago
Tue May 22 2007 10:06:58
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Nyjammin, sorry I thought you were moving. I get people confused on the Internet, without the clues of faces and voices and we're all posting on the same exact issue here--BEDBUGS (I hate them). Yes, you have enough to deal with in your life without a move on top of it. And where could we move that there might not be bedbugs? The moon? I can only say that I threw out my wooden bed and felt better. But when I went to the bedbug conference, Dr. Potter categorically felt people did not have to throw out furniture if they had bedbugs, and he's an expert.
jkim

newbite
Joined: Apr '09
Posts: 14

Posted 2 months ago
Sun Aug 30 2009 13:09:51
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Out of my paranoia and advice from some of my neighbors I plan to discard everything and even had a good cry over it. It'is enlightening to see that this advice may be a myth. I don't see any BB now and have not since 8/5. Today is 8/30. Should I just take the advice on spraying murphy's oil on the wood panel side and salvage some of my hard earned furniture? I am also hesitant on rubbing alcohol on all my stuff. Isn't this really dangerous? I don't have money for thermal nor viakne, but I want to save at least something for myself. What to do.....
mangycur

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Joined: Sep '07
Posts: 275

Posted 2 months ago
Sun Aug 30 2009 17:12:08
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there are photos posted on the photos section of this site of bed bugs residing in screwholes on metal furniture. I saw a video of a bed bug being found in the joint of a metal bed frame. overall, bed bugs definitely prefer wood. but they will find a way to live in most materials, so maybe you should keep your stuff. maybe you could steam it and caulk the cracks with clear caulk.