used furniture from street trash

[GregNYC]

Have you ever picked up used furniture from the street that has been discarded as trash?  It is a great way to get used furniture for free. I picked up a computer table, wooden cart, wooden chairs, wooden table, and drawer.  I use Lysol disinfectant spray to clean them first.

[cybgrand]

Be aware that this neighborhood has a bed bug problem. Lysol won't kill them.
Free furniture probably isn't worth the risk.

[GregNYC]

I don't pick up mattresses or sofas or anything like that.  I only pick up hard wood tables, or metallic carts.  I am using a metallic cart as a shoe rack.

[cybgrand]

Just to clarify, this CITY has a huge problem with them.
In regards to what type of furniture you pick up:
They can hide anywhere a business card can fit, so
you won't necessarily see them. And they can be
on any type furniture.

[Shelby2]

Actually, every major city and many smaller cities are now having problems with them as well.  Add to that some dormitories at colleges, hotels, public schools, nursing homes, etc.  In NYC I believe there has not been a major education campaign because of the issue of the number of tourist dollars potentially being lost if people think they will have to deal with them if they visit here.

But one of the top things that should be in an education campaign (if there ever is one) would be not to trash-pick furniture.  Those days are over, at least until a better pesticide can be found.  Of course it's still possible to pick things from the trash and not get bedbugs, but I agree with cybgrand - it isn't worth the risk to you or to your neighbors.

[Chuckster]

Bedbugs hide in all types of furniture, not just beds, so I too would avoid picking up any furniture off the street no matter how nice it is.  It's a sad state of things, but oh so true and a problem that is best avoided.

[spaceboy]

My friend had a new mattress delivered from Sleepys that was infested with bed bugs when it arrived. They refused to admit it, but I bet it's from them taking away old mattresses in the same truck they deliver new ones.

[toddg]

Our humble discussion on the dangers of bed bugs has made the leap to New York's "Daily Intelligencer":

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/12/love_and_herpes_in_greenpoint.html

[GregNYC]

I never heard of bed bugs except for an episode of The People's Court with Judge Milian.

[cybgrand]

Here is a link to a series of articles from the New York Times on them:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/b/bedbugs/index.html?8qa
Under the multi-media section you will see an interactive map of complaints in NYC.
Our area has a high concentration of complaints.