Watch for bed bugs in curbside furniture

The Capital Times  —  8/14/2008 11:38 pm

As move-out day ramps up Thursday and thousands of renters bug out of their abodes, don't make it move-in day for bed bugs and cockroaches.

The Tenant Resources Center is urging apartment dwellers switching living spaces Thursday and Friday to use caution when eyeballing that lovely plaid sofa somebody threw out, because the sofa could already be occupied by creepy crawly things.

"Cockroaches and bed bugs love to stow away in the dark, tight spaces of upholstered furniture and cardboard boxes," the center said in a release Thursday.

Inspect all items closely for signs of pests, and no matter how "nice" something looks, leave upholstered furniture where it sits, on the curb.

If you are disposing of items that you think might be home to bed bugs or worse, let the dumpster divers know.

"Consider spray painting the items with the words 'bed bugs' to deter others from picking up the item and spreading the infestation further," the caution states.

Move-out day commenced Thursday as leases expire for most downtown and campus apartment houses and buildings. Move-in day is Friday, when new leases start.

While downtown workers probably already know, traffic in residential areas near downtown and on campus will be awful for the next few days, so it's not a bad idea to avoid driving in the area if you can.

And with the mass of humanity darting in and out of buildings and in and out of trucks and vans and around mounds of discarded stuff, people are urged to use caution when attempting to motor through the mess.

The Capital Times  —  8/14/2008 11:38 pm