You get rid of the couch!

I second that opinion!!!! Could they be ticks?

=/ ickk, i googled ticks to see what they looked like. Nasty image. No, they're not ticks....

Sounds like fleas. Take off the cover (assume it's a slipcover) spray with a good insecticide,then put in a big plastic bag for at least 3-4 days. When you take it out, shake well and the cdritters should be gone. Fleas don't have antennae, but they are round.

These aren't round, they're more oval and they deffinetly have antennae. I don't know where they could have come from, there are no animals in that house, the only thing was that the room where it came from was a little dusty. The part where you sit on, the backrest cushion, and the two other decorative cushions are slipcover, but the rest of the couch isn't.

Sounds like cockroaches to me....small ones...which grow upo to be big.
If you don't want to ditch the couch, wrap it in plastic and but a bug bomb inside the plastic, set the bomb off and let it sit for a week, then let it air out for another month.
Considering the cost of the sofa...I would ditch it before the rest of your stuff becomes infested.
Linda C

Could they be bed bugs? See the link. If it is, I would ditch the couch and watch your other furniture and your body for signs of infestation. They are nasty creatures and are making a reappearance in the states.

My advice, honestly and truly, is to trash the couch. I know its expensive to buy a piece of furniture, but its more expensive to replace all your furniture, get the whole house professionally de-bugged (as recommended for bed bugs) and get your bites treated because of a bug problem.

Im sorry, but just the thought of bugs in my house makes me itch. I say its not worth it!

Here is a link that might be useful: bed bugs

Bed bugs was my first thought when I read your description Marie. Oddly enough, I did some research on the methods of getting rid of them (a rather off-the-wall school project) and you're probably best off getting rid of the couch. The treatment methods and costs can be significant, especially if the bugs have migrated to the rest of your house. Once a home has been infested with bed bugs, it's very difficult to get rid of them.

My first thought was actually silverfish- harmless but icky. Do you recognize it from any of the pictures at the link below? (You may need to scroll down to the 'Select a Pest' bar at right.)

In the meantime you should consider at least storing the couch outside if you have a shed or similar place, since bugs of any kind will quickly spread to the rest of your house. (We once had a house guest with a bag that had been in storage and turned out to have stow-away fleas. It was three apartments later when we finally got rid of them completely. One couch isn't worth it!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Bugs' Mugs

it sounds like bed bugs and I would get rid of the couch- really how well can you sleep on that thing just knowing bugs have been crawling on it.

I'd ditch the couch too. I would freak out every time I sat on it waiting for a bug. Ugh!

My Grandpa picked up a bed at a rummage sale - found out it was infested with bed bugs - he had to burn it.

Yes - DO get rid of it, and make sure they haven't spread to other areas in your home!

Hotels/motels are notorious for bed bugs. If you see black spots on the mattress at a hotel, get another room. They will make their way to your luggage and travel home with you.

What a misleading name for this thread. I thought it was going to help me deal with guests who had over stayed their welcome.

Half an inch long! I don't think bedbugs get that big! My guess is roly-poly bugs (sowbugs) -- the things that roll into a defensive ball when you touch them. Count their legs -- sowbugs have more than 6.
If that's the case, they're harmless outdoor bugs who eat decaying wood. Check the wooden frame of the couch. Then just shake/brush the bugs off outdoors. No need to spray -- then you'd just have *dead* bugs in your couch.

Beyond digusting. Take it to the curb! God knows what has nested in that thing!