Do you live in an apartment complex? Bed bugs can easily travel between apartments via HVAC systems, under doors, around windows, or through cracks. You can also accidentally pick up the creatures on your clothing anywhere! A good preventative method is to use a mattress cover or encasement.
Reasons to Consider Purchasing a Mattress Cover
Mattress covers replace all the hiding places on your mattress where bed bugs typically nest with one, smooth, impenetrable surface. This makes it harder for bed bugs to hide in or on your mattress and makes them easy to spot. If you already have bed bugs, a mattress cover will allow you to only have to treat your mattress once. After the initial treatment, putting a mattress cover on will ensure there are no bed bugs inside. If you spot any bed bugs on the surface of the cover afterwards, you can simply take the cover off and put it through the laundry on high heat.
Will a Mattress Cover Really Help?
A mattress encasement must fit very snugly over your mattress to be effective, so it’s important to know the exact size of your bed when you buy or order the cover. The snug fit deters the pests from getting into or on your mattress. Depending on the encasement, the zipper system, breathability, vinyl-free, and noise canceling qualities should all be considered. In addition to preventing bed bug, the mattress cover will also stop issues caused by dust mites, irritants, or allergens.
Staying Visually Alert
Placing a mattress cover on your bed is not the only way to protect yourself against bed bugs. You will also want to stay visually alert to infestations. Watch for signs of reddish bed bug excrement or blood spots on your sheets and bedding as well as shed exoskeletons. Check the crevices of your bed and bed frame, walls, behind pictures, in electrical devices, along baseboards, along carpet seams, behind wallpaper, in your clothing, and within your dresser. Bed bugs tend to reside within 20 feet of your bed, so it is advisable to start there and work your way out. Remember, bed bugs are small, only about the size of an apple seed.
Install Interceptor Devices
Interceptor devices are another good way to detect bed bugs early on. They are placed under the legs of the bed and trap the bugs with either a pitfall or a surface that is difficult for bed bugs to maneuver. They are a great way to monitor if bed bugs are present and stop them from reaching your mattress. They are not a solution, but when combined with a mattress cover, they are a great way to monitor for bed bugs and offer protection until you can treat or have your home treated for the pests.
Mattress Cover Features
If you have decided to purchase a mattress cover encasement to protect yourself, here are a few useful features to look out for:
- Hypoallergenic – Constructed of fibers that are allergen free.
- 360 degrees protection – The mattress is 100% protected from top, bottom, and sides by the encasement.
- Zipper closure – Encasement seals with a zipper closure to keep out bed bugs.
- Breathable fabric – The fabric is light and breathes so you don’t overheat.
- Machine washable – You can wash the encasement any time it gets dirty or encounters bed bugs.
- Velcro zip guard – The zipper is enclosed by Velcro to block all points of access for bed bugs and to avoid the zipper snagging on your bedding.
- Softness – Comfortable to the touch.
- Waterproof – The cover is waterproof, protecting your mattress from spills.
Currently, there are numerous bed bug mattress covers available that protect your mattress from bed bugs and provide a comfortable sleeping experience. They are available online or in most department stores. Each one is designed to stand up against bed bugs, so you have a good nights sleep.
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What do you do when you have them in the box spring of your adjustable bed? I live in an apartment building…a historical ex-hotel,currently under an extensive renovation. We hadn’t had a bed bug problem for very long,at all,not in the whole building! They’ve emptied the majority of tenants out,which pushed the pests to occupied rooms,of which I will soon be the last on this floor,& I’m terrified! A man,several floors up,recommended Proof,as his savior! PROOF DEALT WITH THE PROBLEM,LIKE NO OTHER,says he!! So, I’m so IN!! Wish me luck!