The garage sale season is here, but those finds you buy could give you more than you bargained for if you’re not careful. Department of Public Health medical director, Patricia Quinlisk says bed bugs are now a concern for some used items.

Quinlisk says used mattresses or other things people have slept on, like sofa beds are the highest risk. She says chairs are not as much a risk, especially if it is something like a wooden kitchen chair. Quinlisk says purchasing something with bed bugs could lead to an infestation throughout your home.

She says you should be sure to check out the item thoroughly and be sure there is no sign of bed bugs anywhere, because once you get bed bugs in your home, they are hard to deal with. Quinlisk says the bed bugs don’t spread disease, but are a nuisance, and the best plan my be to buy a new mattress from a reputable dealer. Quinlisk says while bed bugs are more of a nuisance than safety issue, there are more serious dangers if you buy used cribs or other items for children.

Quinlisk says some of the older items may’ve been recalled due to safety concerns, drop-down cribs for example are called dangerous for babies because they could get trapped on injured in them. She says you should research any product on safety websites. Quinklisk says it’s better to pass up a good buy than it is to get something that doesn’t work properly.

Quinlisk says for example, make sure a carseat fits properly and works in your care before you buy it. You can look for on-line product updates at the Consumer Product Safety Commission website: www.saferproducts.gov.