Moving on July 1st? Don't bring bed bugs home

Inspect used furniture before it comes inside

Second-hand furniture — bought on Marketplace, taken from a friend, found on the sidewalk — is the number-one infestation source we encounter. An adult bed bug survives months without feeding, waiting quietly in a seam until you offer it a bedroom.

Before bringing any piece inside, inspect it outdoors, in daylight, with a flashlight:

• Sofas and armchairs: flip them over. Check seams, buttons, the underside, fabric folds and inside removable cushions. Look for minuscule black spots, translucent skins or flat reddish-brown insects.
• Dressers and nightstands: empty the drawers and look at joints, slides and bottoms. Bed bugs love dark wood corners.
• Bed frames: take them apart if you can and inspect every joint, every screw hole.

When in doubt, the rule is simple: don't bring it in. A free piece of furniture that costs you a full apartment treatment is no saving. And if you really want a piece, have it inspected by a professional first — it's $75, waived if you proceed with treatment.

Move your mattress without moving bed bugs

The mattress is hotspot number one. Hauling it uncovered on a car roof or in a shared rental truck exposes it to whatever was in that truck before you — and whatever can latch on during the ride.

• Wrap the mattress in a thick plastic moving bag (mattress moving bags from the hardware store) before it leaves the bedroom. Tape it shut.
• Never set the mattress directly on the sidewalk while waiting for the truck. On sawhorses or standing against the wall, wrapped.
• If you rent a truck, quickly inspect the cargo area: a mattress or furniture abandoned by the previous renter is a red flag.

Once you're in, it's the perfect moment to fit your mattress with a certified bed bug encasement: on a healthy mattress in a new place, it protects you for years and makes every future inspection far simpler. See our encasement guide.

Moving day: inspect the new place before you sleep there

You don't know who lived there before you, or what state they left it in. Before unpacking anything, do a round with a flashlight:

• Bedroom first: baseboards, plaster cracks, outlets, under the windowsill. Look for the telltale black spots.
• Don't put boxes on the bed or against bedroom walls the first night. Keep luggage in the middle of the room, on a hard surface.
• Wash bedding in hot water and run it through the dryer on high before the first night — even if it came out of a clean bag.

If the unit sat vacant for a while, be doubly careful: hungry bed bugs come out as soon as they detect CO2 and warmth. And if you find signs, call us before you unpack — treating early in Montreal is always cheaper than treating late.