One question you might ask when you’re in pest control and dealing with bed bugs all day long is: How to get rid of bed bugs in wooden furniture? Why do bed bugs prefer to settle in the nooks and crannies of wood cracks? Some also wonder if these insects prefer to hide in certain materials over others. Indeed, they like to nest in the cracks and crevices of wooden furniture, including bed frames.

In this article, we will check the link between bed bugs and wooden furniture, exploring their ability to infest and the importance of vigilance in keeping our homes bed bug-free.

About Wooden Furniture

To equip and decorate your interior, you need aesthetic and functional furniture. Depending on the style of decoration and your requirements, you have the choice between different materials. However, of all the materials available on the market, wood is the one commonly found in homes. And for good reason! This noble and natural material offers many advantages. In addition, if you are a DIY ace, you can decide to make some of your furniture on your own.

A material that has made up our homes and our furniture for centuries, wood is a noble material. It indeed combines several qualities, starting with its ecological aspect. Indeed, wood is a renewable resource.

Wood is a material that professionals today handle with great dexterity. Expert craftsmen in the field are more likely to have a real sense of art and design to create magnificent furniture carved with unique patterns.

In addition, wooden furniture has the advantage of being simply aesthetic, because to obtain a more vintage or classic style, this furniture will not need to be painted. All it takes is a little coat of varnish to give them more shine.

Why do Bed bugs hide in Wooden Furniture?

Wooden furniture has characteristics that bugs like because it is initially a warm material unlike metal. Then, they need to hide to rest during their digestion phases. Due to its nature, wood often has cracks and crevices because it is a natural material that can undergo transformations such as expansion and contraction under the effect of humidity and temperature. All this will give a rough surface to the wood but above all hundreds of hiding places in this wood. Due to their design and assembly, wooden furniture also offers lots of tiny holes to hide in for bed bugs. Of course, this does not mean that you should throw away your wooden furniture and replace it with metal or plastic furniture.

We very often hear that the source of infestation is caused by the purchase of second-hand wooden furniture. If you bought them from a consignment store or because they were abandoned by their owner, there is a good chance that they are infested and that you are bringing back bed bugs without your knowledge.

We will see in this article if having wooden furniture is a problem when dealing with an infestation.

You can also get bed bugs in different kinds of mattress such as a waterbed. If you want to know more about this topic you can have a look at our Bed bugs and Waterbed article.

Can bed bugs live on a Wooden Bed frame?

Yes, bed bugs can live on a wooden bed frame. They are small, reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals. These insects are adept at hiding in various cracks and crevices, including the joints, screw holes, and gaps in wooden furniture, including bed frames.

They are not limited to infesting mattresses and bedding; they can easily move to nearby furniture, such as wooden bed frames, nightstands, and dressers. They are excellent hitchhikers and can be transported from one location to another through infested furniture or other items.

Signs of bed bugs in Wood Furniture

They can be difficult to detect, but there are several signs you can look for to determine if they are present in wood furniture. Here are some common indicators of bed bugs in wood furniture:

• Visible Bugs or Exoskeletons: Look closely at the crevices, joints, and seams of the wood furniture for live bed bugs. You may also find discarded exoskeletons as nymphs grow and shed their skin.
• Fecal Stains: They leave behind dark, rusty-colored stains on the surface of furniture, which are their excrement. These stains may be visible on the wood or other materials surrounding the infested furniture.
• Blood Stains: If you have been bitten by bed bugs while sitting or sleeping on the furniture, you may notice small bloodstains on the wood.
• Eggs and Eggshells: Their eggs are tiny, about 1mm in size, and are whitish or translucent. They may be found in cracks, crevices, or hidden areas of the furniture.
• Musty Odor: They release pheromones that have a distinct, musty odor. If the infestation is severe, you may notice this smell coming from the wood furniture.
• Dark Spots or Smears: As they move around, they may leave behind dark spots or smears on the wood. These can be a combination of fecal matter and crushed bugs.
• Shed Skins: As they grow, they shed their outer skins, leaving behind translucent, empty shells. Look for these shells in the crevices and seams of the wood furniture.

Can Bed Bugs lay Eggs in Wood?

No, bed bugs do not lay their eggs directly inside wood. They prefer to lay their eggs in protected areas close to their hosts, such as in cracks and crevices near beds, furniture, or along the seams of mattresses. They typically choose locations where the eggs are more likely to stay undisturbed until they hatch.

While they do not lay eggs in wood, they can still infest wooden furniture. They often hide in the crevices, joints, and seams of wood furniture during the daytime and emerge at night to feed on human blood. They can also hide in the cracks and gaps between wooden floorboards or behind wooden paneling.

If bed bugs infest wooden furniture, they may lay their eggs in the nearby cracks and crevices of the furniture or in other hidden areas. However, they do not lay eggs directly inside the wood itself.

How to get rid of Bed bugs in Wooden Furniture?

Getting rid of bed bugs in wooden furniture can be a challenging task, but here are some steps you can take to help eliminate the infestation:

• Identify Infested Furniture: Inspect all wooden furniture in the infested area to determine the extent of the problem. Identify the furniture that is heavily infested or has irreparable damage. Consider discarding heavily infested items to prevent the spread of these pests.
• Vacuum Thoroughly: Use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to vacuum all surfaces of the wooden furniture, paying close attention to cracks, crevices, joints, and seams where they and their eggs may be hiding. Once you have finished vacuuming, transfer the contents of the vacuum bag or canister into a securely sealed plastic bag and promptly dispose of it.
• Steam Treatment: They are sensitive to high temperatures, so using a steam cleaner on wooden furniture can be an effective method. Steam the infested areas of the furniture, including cracks and crevices, to kill the bed bugs and their eggs. Ensure that the steam penetrates into the wood.
• Treat with Insecticides: Apply an appropriate insecticide labeled for bed bug treatment to the infested wooden furniture. Be sure to follow the instructions on the product carefully and consider using an insecticide specifically formulated for use on furniture.
• Encase Furniture: Consider encasing infested wooden furniture with special bed bug-proof encasements or covers. These encasements can trap any remaining bugs inside and prevent them from feeding or escaping, eventually leading to their demise.
• Use Diatomaceous Earth (DE): Diatomaceous earth is a natural, fine powder made from the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms. Sprinkle a light layer of food-grade DE on and around the infested furniture. The sharp particles in DE can penetrate the bed bugs’ exoskeletons and cause them to dehydrate and die.

How to prevent Bed bugs from hiding in Wooden Furniture?

Just as you do to keep pests out of your home, you need to block hiding spots in the surface from your furniture. In this case, caulk all possible entrances and narrow spaces where bed bugs could hide and breed.

How to get rid of bed bugs on wooden furniture?

You should follow these steps to ensure eradication of bed bugs in your wooden furniture:

1.   Dismantling the furniture, will allow you to highlight hiding places
2.   Thoroughly vacuum infested furniture
3.   Heat Steam the furniture with a steam cleaner
4.   Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in cracks and crevices and at each leg of the furniture
5.   Spray appropriate insecticide where you believe they could hide

How did Bed bugs come in the first place?

Bed bugs can hitchhike anywhere and at any time. Here a short list of where you can get bed bugs:

• If you spend the night in a hotel, motel or resort, no matter how clean and clean it is, be sure to do a pest inspection.
• If you use public transportation, be sure to watch for these parasites and the signs they leave behind, such as feces or bites on your skin.
• When your children visit friends, they can also bring those parasites back home. Knowing how to recognize bed bugs at all stages of life and their eggs can be handy and prevent an infestation. Examine all items that you bring into your home, especially if they are second handed.
• If you pick up used wooden furniture from the side of the road or buy second-hand items, it’s important to examine it carefully for bed bug feces (black marks), and blood stains. Indeed, they don’t hide only in beds and mattresses. Pay extra attention to wooden furniture if you have bought it from a second-hand shop. Or if it was previously used.

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question: How to get rid of bed bugs in wooden furniture?
They like to nest in wooden furniture, because there are a lot of cracks and crevices in those types of furniture due to the nature of wood. However, the level of infestation of bed bugs does not only depend on the material of your furniture in your home.

They hide wherever they can, as long as they’re within range of a warm-blooded source like you. As long as bedbugs can reach you with the slightest effort, they will hide in any tight space and stay there to feed on you on a regular basis.

Wood or other materials are the same for bed bugs in that their surface offers gaps for them to lodge in. If you want to prevent these insects from nesting in your bed, the best solution is to have a bed bug mattress cover at your disposal. If you want to know the best bed bugs mattress cover on the market. You can have a look at our Best Bed Bugs Mattress Covers Buying Guide.