The thought of bed bugs in your bed or where you children sleep is enough nightmare. Bed bugs live in furniture cracks, or any type of fabric.
They are most commonly found in beds, bed frames and even the box springs, and can be a nuisance in your home.
We cannot escape the reality that bed bug infestation is bound to happen and we have to find means of treating that.
In case for any reason you suspect that bedbugs could be infesting your home, the first smart step to take is to choose a mattress cover that can keep the bugs away from your mattress and bed topper.
How to keep bed bugs from getting to my mattress
Each mattress cover is designed differently from the other, and its critical to look for what will solve the bugs problem.
What is needed in a bed bug infested environment is not a chemically treated bed cover.
Instead, a mattress encasement is the ideal solution because it keeps the bugs from infiltrating the mattress. The encasement protects the mattress on all sides.
The mattress encasement holds well like a Velcro flap because of the zipper on it that helps to zip all the way round it.
However, ensure the zipper is small, the smaller the better, because bugs can go through the zipper teeth.
To get the best results, ensure that the encasement is well installed before using your mattress. This is how the encasement works.
It locks the bugs in the mattress by completely enveloping and sealing the mattress or the spring box.
It leaves the bed bugs hungry and starving. It also ensures bed bugs from the outside do not access the mattress.
When they get on the surface of the encasement, they become easy to spot and deal with, and within no time, the bugs will be completely gone.
Advantages of mattress encasements:
- 100% Waterproof - Six-sided premium mattress protector blocks perspiration, bed...
- Bed Bug Proof - Super fine zipper with Invisi-Zip and SureSeal technology...
- Keeps Your Mattress Clean & Fresh - Blocks dust, dirt and dander on all sides.
- The encasements offer a preventive protection for the mattress, by locking the bed bugs in the mattress and keeping them from growing, while at the same time it prevents the bugs outside of the mattress to get into it.
- You may be moving in a new mattress and box springs into an infested room to replace the infested beds. To protect the new mattresses from bed bug attacks, use the mattress encasements.
- Since one may not always be in a financial position to discard the infested beds, the encasements allow one to keep the beds, while keeping the mattress free from the bed bugs.
- When you use the encasements to manage and control the bed bugs, your bed bug control gets easier. You will save the much time you would have otherwise spent on investigating and treating the bugs.
When investing in an encasement, ensure you are buying the right product.
Check to confirm that the encasement has a label that specifically shows that it is bed bug proof.
Do the bed bug mattress covers work?
Sleeping on a mattress without a bed bug proof cover is like leaving the gate to your home wide open.
The thought of the open gate is an enough scare, and you would not want to endanger your life or that of your loved ones.
In the same way, protect yourself and your loved ones from bed bug attacks by investing in a cover that keeps them safe as they sleep.
But do the bed bug mattress covers really work?
Yes! They work and they are efficient enough to be trusted. When you install the cover, you automatically lock the bugs in the mattress, and that is how they stop living. They starve to death.
However, in as much as the covers work, it critical to note a few things. One is that you will need to ensure the bed bug mattress cover is properly placed.
If it is not, the bugs will still find their way to the mattress, grow and multiply in your sleeping space.
Check for any holes and tears on the cover. Such gaps will allow the bugs to thrive and continue infesting your mattress. Ensure you pick the right mattress cover when you go to do your purchase.
What should you consider when choosing the appropriate bed bug mattress cover?
- Whether it is a full encasement: For an encasement to effectively protect the mattress, ensure it covers the entire mattress. If you are getting the cover for your spring box, confirm it covers it entirely as well.
- Check the cover sealing: The appropriate bed bug cover would be one that is fully sealed. Bed bugs are very tiny in size and they flatten themselves to sneak through tiny openings. Check that your cover has a zipper and that the seams are reinforced. That is the only way you will be sure that the bugs will not feed on you or your loved ones as you sleep. Quality covers will also many times come with a strip seal to protect the zipper.
- Testing: Check whether the bed bug mattress cover you are buying has undergone proper testing. When you buy from trusted pest control experts, you will get a cover that has undergone extra testing measures, giving you a quality product.
- Toxic-free cover: Take precaution on what chemicals are on the bed bug cover you intend to purchase. Most covers come treated with chemicals to kill the existing bed bugs. Be careful not buy covers that are treated with harmful chemicals.
How much is a bed bug cover?
Turning over your mattress several times, or even burning it under the sun to hopefully kill any pests, does not fully protect you.
Some opt to vacuum their mattresses, which is a good step, but not good enough to keep you safe from pests such as bugs. That is why you need a mattress cover that is bed bug proof.
It is also possible for many people to hardly ever think on investing in a bed bug cover, because as soon as they step out of their beds, the next time they think of their bed is when they are going back to sleep.
However, considering that you will spend most your lifetime sleeping – research shows that we sleep a third of our lifetime-it is critical to ensure your sleeping place is totally safe for you.
How much then do you need to set aside to invest in your bed bug mattress cover?
The price will depend on the quality and the size of the bed you are buying the cover for.
If you need a twin mattress cover, then you need to budget within the range of $10.99 and up to $549.00 for a good product.
A full mattress bed bug cover will cost you between $11.99 to a maximum of $500.00. A queen bed bug protector will cost between $15.99 and up to $420.00. If you need a king mattress cover, budget with $17.99 and $495.00
You can also find mattress covers that are bed bug free, and are much cheaper, within the range of $10.99 and $17.99.
The covers will still keep you safe from alleges, mites and dust mites. Many will also come with zipper seals, to keep you protected and healthy.
You will also find covers within this range which are chemical free, machine washable and can either be tumble dried or hung in the sun to dry.
The market also provides you with more expensive bed bug covers which added benefits to them. Such covers range between $537.00 and $ 549.00.
They keep you free from dust mines, allergens and pesky pests. Such covers are also water proof and will keep the mattress safe from spills and bed wetting.
They are also breathable, machine washable and some come with three zippers for better protection.
How long do bed bug covers last?
You will need to use the bed bug cover for at least one to two years before removing it.
That is the sure way to be certain that all the bugs and the eggs they produce are dead before you can remove the encasement.
Any bedding that is not in the encasement should be washed in hot water to destroy he harmful bugs.
This practice should happen every two weeks until the bugs are completely gone.
Starving the bugs to death
Bed bugs rely 100% on human blood to survive. They get both nutrients and water from the blood and without it they do not live.
Their feeding rate is highest during summer and they feed less frequently during winter.
The bugs feed at least once a week, but the juveniles may need to feed a little more than that.
However, if a bed bug lacks food for a while, its body has a survival mechanism that allows it to go into a hibernation state, and can live for a very long time without a meal.
The bug goes into a dormant state, which could last even up to 18 months without food. Some studies show bed bugs that lived four to six months in that state of survival.
That explains why once you put the encasement, you should never remove it, at least for about two years.
If you need to transfer the bed bug cover, then wash and dry it at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Last update on 2023-06-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
