7 Tiny Bugs On Couch That Are Not Bed Bugs

Soft cushions and furnishings, including your couch, are breeding and hiding grounds for many bugs. 

Some of these bugs resemble bed bugs, but they’re not.

The worst part? A few bugs from the list can bite you too.

This guide reveals the seven bugs on the couch that are not bed bugs. You’ll learn to identify these bugs and how to get rid of these couch bugs like a pro.

Let’s dive in.

Bugs On Couch That Are Not Bed Bugs

1. Carpet beetles
2. Ants
3. Fleas
4. Dust mites
5. Clover mites
6. Worms
7. Tiny spiders

So, how do these bugs infest your sofa? Let’s have a look.

Carpet Beetles On The Couch

Carpet beetles are the most common couch bugs. And they’ve got a particular liking for leather sofas.

These beetles enter homes during the spring months to lay eggs. And they lay eggs in products made of animal matter.

So, leather sofas, woolen carpets, taxidermies, leather shoes, clothes made of wool and silk are their primary targets to lay eggs.

The larvae from the carpet beetle eggs feed on products made of animal matter, causing extensive damages that look like chewed-up holes on the sofa.

The carpet beetle larvae do not limit themselves to leather couches. They can also damage sofas made of other textiles and fabric.

And carpet beetles in the bed are also common if the adult beetles have laid too many eggs in your home.

The adult carpet beetles will sneak inside the gaps between the cushioning of the sofa to lay eggs. They can also lay eggs on the edges, seams, and on the undersides of your couch too.

Carpet beetles can also target your stored food in the kitchen pantry to lay their eggs. And they’re also a food-damaging pantry pest.

But the adult carpet beetles don’t remain inside your home. They’ll exit your home after laying the eggs. 

Carpet beetles come in three primary colors. They’re black, brown, and greyish brown with white dots.

Carpet beetles with white dots are also known as variegated carpet beetles.

The brown carpet beetle can look like a bed bug to an inexperienced eye. Carpet beetles are oval like the bed bugs are. 

But carpet beetles are bigger than bed bugs, and they’re not flat like the bed bugs. Carpet beetles don’t bite humans and pets.

Ants On The Couch

Ants can hide anywhere inside your home, including your furniture, if they find a food source.

So, if you’ve got a dirty couch with food stains and food crumbs stuck in it, ants will infest your couch too.

Ants will also sneak inside the couch from the openings on the rear side and underside of the sofa.

In case of a severe ant infestation, the couch’s interiors can be a good nesting place for the ants.

Most of the time, you’ll find sugar ants on the couch. Sugar ants are a collective name for different ants, except red fire ants, which invade homes. And that includes black carpenter ants too.

The carpenter ants are black and bigger than most of these sugar ants.

These ants feed on sugary stuff, protein-rich food, and the food wastes in your home. 

So, food crumbs and food stains on places like beds can even draw these ants to your bedroom and bed. Not to mention, your kitchen is a go-to place for these ants.

Sugar ants aren’t aggressive. But they can bite you when they’re pressed against your skin while you’re sitting on your couch.

Fleas In The Couch

Fleas are the worst couch bugs. They not only bite but also feed on human blood.

Your pet, and even you, can transfer fleas to your couch and in other places like carpets and beds.

Fleas in bed will bite you while you’re asleep. That’s why flea bites can make you think there are bed bugs in your bed.

When your pet dog or cat with fleas sits on your couch, then the flea eggs on their skin drop off. 

A few adult fleas and flea pupae can also drop off.

These fleas wait there for their host, which is your pet, to sit on their couch to latch onto. And if you sit on the couch with fleas in it, you might get a flea bite. 

However, you can also bring fleas home. If you’ve been in places with fleas, then fleas can hook onto your clothing. 

Dust Mites On The Couch

Dust mites are allergy-causing microscopic bugs that are active from May to October. That’s the time when they breed, and their numbers outdoors increase exponentially.

And if there are dust mites are in your yard, then for sure, they’ll sneak inside your home. 

Inside your home, dust mites can live on any furniture, not just in couches. They can even be in your bed too. 

It’s hard to spot dust mites because they’re too tiny. When too many are inside the home, they’re visible in clusters of little white dot-like bugs. 

Dust mites feed on dry human skin, which is known as dander. And they remain in places where they get the most access to your skin. 

Hence, places like couch and bed for them to live. 

You can feel the bite of dust mite bite when they’re feeding on your skin. And it’s one of those bugs that bite you, but you can’t see what’s biting you.

The thin bristles on their bodies are the main reason for allergic reactions like itchy red welts on your skin, difficulty breathing, sneezing, and running noses.

If you’ve got asthma, you certainly don’t want dust mites in your home. 

Clover Mites On The Couch

Clover mites are tiny red mites that are active during the spring and fall. In the peak of summer and winter months, they’re not.

Clover mites infest grass lawns. These mites breed during the spring and fall.

When their numbers increase in your yard, they’ll enter your home looking for sources for food and a place to hide. 

Clover mites will sneak inside your home through the thin gaps and cracks on the walls, windowsills, and door frames. 

While looking for places to hide, clover mites can accidentally land in your bed, couches, and even on wooden furniture. 

You can confuse clover mites in bed and couch with bed bugs because they’re tiny and red.

Clover mites don’t bite humans and pets. 

However, they can cause allergic reactions to sensitive people, like the elderly, children, and asthmatic patients.

Tiny Worms On The Couch

The tiny worms on the couch fall in the category of bed worms, the larvae of moths, and carpet beetles. 

These worms hatch out of the adult moths and beetles’ eggs on the couch.

The larvae or the worms in the couch can damage the couch’s fabric. And on a leather couch, they’re more damaging.

The worms chew on the sofa’s fabric. That leads to tiny holes on the couch. 

The worms on the couch are harmless. They don’t bite. But carpet beetle larvae, which can be the most damaging worm for the sofa, have hairy bristles on them.

If they crawl on your skin, those hairy bristles can cause itching and skin irritation. 

Tiny White Spiders In The Couch

Adult spiders in homes can hide inside the couch by crawling from the couch’s undersides. 

These spiders can also deposit their egg sacs inside the couch. 

When the egg sacs hatch, tiny white clear spiders come out of the eggs, and you see them crawling on the couch.

Certain species of tiny brown spiders can also accidentally get onto your couch.

But those little brown spiders are harmless, and they don’t bite humans. Their fangs are too weak to chew and cannot penetrate the human skin. 

How To Get Rid Of Bugs In The Couch Naturally?

As these bugs on the couch are not bed bugs, you can skip using pesticide sprays. You can get rid of these bugs naturally.

Here’s how you can do it in seven steps.

Step#1 – Pull The Couch A Few Inches Off The Wall

People make two big mistakes when getting rid of bugs on the couch.

The first mistake is that they don’t pull the couch away from the wall. To get rid of couch bugs, you’ll need to treat the rear side of the sofa too.

Step#2 – Remove The Throw Pillows

The seams on the throw pillow covers are the prime egg-laying grounds for bugs on the couch. 

Some bugs can also sneak inside the throw pillow through the open zipper of the throw pillow cover and lay eggs inside.

So, remove the throw pillows from the couch. Wash the throw pillow cover in warm water to kill any bugs, their eggs, and larvae sticking to the surface.

Step#3 – Steam Clean Your Clean To Kill Bugs In The Couch

Take a steam cleaner and clean the couch. Begin with the seams, folds, and stitching work on the couch.

These places are where most of these tiny bugs hide, especially fleas. 

Make sure that you clean the back of the couch too. And it’ll be best not to skip the labels and felt clothing behind the couch.

Be slow while steam cleaning the couch. Ensure that you cover every inch of it. 

Many experts recommend vacuum cleaning the couch. It works, but only partially. 

It’s because vacuum cleaners are not effective in removing the tiny eggs and pupae sticking with the couch. 

The steam cleaners produce heat. And none of the bugs on the couch, including bed bugs, can survive the heat from the steam cleaner.

And heat also kills the pupae and destroys the bugs’ eggs.

Scatter diatomaceous earth on the couch if you don’t have a steam cleaner.

Scrub a good amount of diatomaceous earth on the couch’s seams, edges, folds, and gaps.

Wait for half an hour. Then slowly vacuum clean the couch. 

Diatomaceous earth is a natural bug killer. Its sharp particles penetrate the bug’s exoskeleton and absorb the wax and the oils of the bugs that keep them alive.

Step#4 – Roll Over The Couch To Bring It’s Underside Up

The second mistake people make while getting rid of bugs in the couch is that they don’t treat the couch’s underside.

Many bugs like spiders, ants, and even mice can sneak inside the couch from there. 

So, toss over the couch and steam clean its underside. Check for any openings at the bottom of the sofa. 

Bugs and spiders enter through these gaps and can nest or lay eggs inside the couch.

If you see any openings then close or fix them. 

Remove the cover and check the couch’s interiors. If you find an ant nest or a live spider, use a vacuum cleaner to remove them. 

Step#5 – Use Peppermint Spray On The Couch

This is a preventive step to keep bugs away from your couch. 

Use peppermint spray on the couch. Ensure that you spray it both behind and underneath the couch.

Bugs hate the strong smell of peppermint. It repels them.

You can also use a mixture of white vinegar with water as a spray. But many people don’t like the acidic smell of white vinegar. 

Step#6 – Wipe Of Your Couch With A Disinfectant

This step prevents ants and is more applicable to leather couches. 

Wiping off the couch with a disinfectant will remove the pheromone trails that the ants leave behind for the other ants to follow. 

These trails typically lead to a food source or a nesting place. 

The disinfectant will also repel any random ant that might target your couch to make your couch a nesting place. 

Step#7 – Seal Gaps And Cracks To Prevent Beetles And Moths To Fly Inside

When the walls and ceilings soak excessive moisture, they get damaged. The damage on walls show up in the form of cracks and crevices.

Plus, damaged and damp walls attract many tiny bugs. These bugs will hide in these cracks and feed on the molds and fungi that form on the walls.

These gaps and cracks on the home’s walls, windowsills, and door frames are also entry points for couch bugs.

The bugs will fly in or crawl through these crevices and hide or lay eggs in the soft furnishings of your home.

So, seal those gaps and cracks with a quality sealant to prevent them from entering.

Summary

The seven bugs on the couch that are not bed bugs are –

1. Carpet beetles
2. Ants
3. Fleas
4. Dust mites
5. Clover mites
6. Worms
7. Tiny spiders

Carpet beetles, fleas, and clover mites can resemble bed bugs at first look. But they’re not.

This guide revealed the risks that each bug brings and why they infest your couch.

There’s also a seven-step guide to getting rid of couch bugs.

Remember, bugs love soft furnishings. And biting bugs like fleas, ants, and dust mites will live and hide in your furniture.