When it comes to defending your home, nothing but the best will do. Take a look at the best mattress covers for bed bugs and keep those pesky pests at bay.
Bed Bug Mattress Covers
Sleeping without a bed bug mattress cover is like leaving your front door wide open. You wouldn’t allow intruders to enter your home at night and harm your family, so why let pests do the same? A bed bug mattress protector prevents bed bugs from using the mattress — one of their favorite places — as a harborage area and locks existing pests inside, causing them to starve and die.
Up to 90 percent of bed bugs in an infested home occur on or near mattresses and box springs. Bed bug covers can prevent the infestation of your mattress and destroy existing bed bugs that may be hiding deep within it. Here’s everything you should know about how to find the best bed bug mattress protectors for your home.
What is a Bed Bug Mattress Protector?
A bed bug mattress protector is a large, removable sheet of fabric that fits tightly around your mattress, fully encasing the mattress. Each protector includes a zipper that locks particles — and pests — inside. Once locked inside, bed bugs have no way of escaping from the encasement to reach their blood supply host. As so, mattress protectors can cause bed bugs to starve and die. According to the University of Minnesota, bed bugs can die within just two weeks when trapped inside. Likewise, bed bug encasements are key in keeping additional bed bugs from infesting the mattress, as new bed bugs have no way of penetrating the mattress protector.
How to pick mattress covers for bed bugs
So, what should you look for in a bed bug mattress cover? Consider the questions below:
Is it a full encasement?
An effective mattress cover should cover the entire mattress. Some covers market themselves as "bed bug proof", but only target certain areas of a mattress. Look for covers that fully encase your mattress and the box spring too.
Is it properly sealed?
A mattress cover can kill existing bed bugs by sealing them within and keeping them from feeding on you at night. But bed bugs are very small. With their flat shapes, they can easily sneak through crevices. Purchase a mattress cover with a zipper and reinforced seams. Higher quality covers also contain strip seals that protect the zipper and ensure a tight seal.
Has it been tested?
Bed bug covers sold by trusted pest control experts often undergo additional testing to ensure a quality product. Check to see if the mattress cover you are considering has been lab certified or tested by qualified entomologists.
Is it toxin-free?
Some covers for bed bugs contain pesticides within that assist in killing existing bed bugs. However, harsh chemicals can be dangerous and unnecessary.
Do Bed Bug Mattress Encasements Work?
While bed bug mattress encasements can be helpful, they can be faulty if improperly placed on the bed. Not to mention, any holes or tears can give trapped bed bugs an easy escape. It’s important to remember that there may be other bed bugs lurking nearby, too. Only trapping those on your mattress may not help to eliminate the entire infestation. With the help of a pest management professional,multiple solutions can be applied to help increase the likelihood of treatment success.
Want to be proactive against these nocturnal attackers? It may be time to invest in a bed bug mattress protector.
Purchasing mattress covers for bed bugs can be a safe and effective way to protect your family. While these covers won't completely eliminate the risk of a bed bug outbreak, using them can prevent major infestations and make identifying bed bugs far simpler. If you’re looking for a whole-home, effective solution,schedule an appointment with Terminix®. This means less time sleeping with the enemy and more time sleeping soundly.
