Bed Bugs Mattress
Bed Bug Mattress Covers - Do They Really Work at Preventing Bed Bugs?
Author: William Tribble
If you travel or are planning to, then bed bugs might be on your mind. If that's the case, you may be interested in bed bug mattress covers. Properly used, these are a very good way to prevent yourself from either getting bitten or having a new bloodsucking pet to share your bed with.
For a long time, bed bugs were a largely forgotten problem. In large part because people didn't travel all that much, it was possible to wipe out the bed bug colonies through good hygiene and improved living conditions.
Lately though, people have forgotten about bed bugs and started to travel much more, so these nasty critters have found themselves a lot of nice new places to live. And because we don't expect them, they are getting into our homes.
The upside of this, if you can call it that, is that people have come up with bed bug mattress covers to control the problem, and they can be highly useful. You do need to remember that this requires both the right kind and the right use.
Regular mattress covers don't fully encompass the bed, as a rule, which makes them less than effective for bed bug problems. If they aren't fully sealed in, the bed bugs will simply move around the mattress cover and come at you from on top of it. This type of mattress cover can keep you reasonably safe from bites at a hotel, assuming you only stay one night.
Another problem is what kind of fabric they're made of. Bed bugs have strong sharp jaws, and they have absolutely no difficulty biting through skin. Because of this, you're going to need a mattress cover from a very thick fabric. The fabric also needs to be tightly knit. If it isn't both of these, the bedbugs will just bite through the fabric and bite you anyway.
Proper bed bug mattress covers are specially designed to work around both of these problems. First, they're designed so that they completely cover the mattress and, usually, the box springs as well. They zipper shut and create a sealed environment. No bed bugs getting, no humans being made into a tasty cocktail.
They are also made of extreme sturdy materials that are strong enough to resist being bitten through. As a result, they will eventually kill all the bed bugs encased in them, resolving your bed bug problem.
The other great use for them is when you travel. You take them with you, then put them on the bed to keep the bed bugs away from you. This will also allow you to prevent them from getting into luggage and coming home without. You need to make sure you keep the mattress cover sealed and have them cleaned thoroughly with hot water between each use.
Bed bugs are a problem, but you don't have to be a victim. Just make sure you take care and get the right kind of mattress covers. You'll need to look specifically for bed bug mattress covers to keep the little beasts away.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/bed-bug-mattress-covers-do-they-really-work-at-preventing-bed-bugs-868442.html
About the Author
Learn how to get rid of bed bugs quickly and easily by visiting http://www.howtopreventbedbugs.com a popular website that provides tips, advice and resources on getting rid of bed bugs so you can avoid having house infested with bedbugs.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am
Try vacuuming your mattress thoroughly on both sides, & end for end. Remove the sweeper bag immediately & put it in a garbage bag & toss it outside into your trash receptacle. Next, spray the mattress well with Lysol spray & let it dry completely. Invest in a zippable mattress cover as well as zippable pillow covers. (put pillow cases on the pillows as you normally do)
November 30, -0001
12:00 am
Not sure if they are bed bugs because i looked it up and it said they are good at hiding but this is what i found:
Once an infestation has occurred, patience and persistence is the key to ridding the area of bed bugs. It isn’t enough to clean the mattresses and launder the sheets. Furniture should be overturned and cleaned. Carpeting, wood molding, door jambs, picture frames, and closets should be inspected as well. Bed bugs can hide behind loose wallpaper, in the crevices between carpets and walls, behind outlet covers, and inside light fixtures, smoke detectors, and even clocks. Removable, washable items can be laundered in very hot water. For those areas or items which can not be laundered, smaller items can be wrapped in plastic and set in a hot place or in direct sunlight. The key is to raise the temperature to at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours to kill the eggs and the bugs. Vacuuming and steam cleaning may also be done, but any bags or canisters should be thrown away or emptied outside of the area immediately to prevent another infestation. The best method of removing bed bugs, however, is through a professionally handled treatment.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am
I got Bed bugs and had to move.I left all in apt and washed every thing.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am
Throw it out. The only type of chemical that controls them is pyrethrin, but it may not penetrate the fouton deeply enough to kill the bedbugs. Meanwhile, the bugs may get into your sofa or chairs. A few years ago my next door neighbor bought an infested mattress and the little critters got into my apartment. I had an exterminator come several times to spray my apartment and my mattress, but these bugs are very tough and the pyrethrin did not kill them. I had to throw out the mattress. I also didn’t want to sleep on a mattress that was covered with insecticide. My neighbor threw out her mattress too. She was bitten so badly that she had to go to the doctor several times. The whole incident was so disgusting that I can barely write about it without feeling sick! Throw it out.
April 3, 2008
8:33 am
How do I get rid of bed bugs out of a futon mattress?
My fiance’s old roommate gave him a futon and the mattress has bed bugs. How can we get rid of them without just having to throw the mattress away?
April 16, 2008
5:35 pm
How do I get rid of bed bugs off my mattress?
I found these bed bugs on my mattress and I wanna know how to get rid of them
March 16, 2009
4:17 pm
How do you get rid of bed bugs in mattress without exterminator or chemicals?
i recently just found out that i have bed bugs. it is soo frustrating and itchy. i am very stressed about the situation because i do not want to use chemicals on a place i sleep on. i also do not want to pay for an exterminator. i need help please. i have sleep deprived. thank you!
September 4, 2009
1:19 pm
I just recently realized that I have bed bugs – How do I dispose of the mattress and box spring safely?
Disposable mattress bed bug bags (covers) can cost anywhere from $30 to $60 each here in Canada (just for a Twin bed). Any alternatives? I’m in an apartment building.
August 27, 2010
4:39 pm
Does a dust mite mattress protector also protect from bed bugs?
I am looking to buy a bed bug mattress protector for a twin XL bed. All I seem to find is dust mite protectors. Is this compatible? And do you know of a cheap bed bug mattress protector that i can buy (please share link if possible)?
August 30, 2010
7:31 pm
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF MODERN BED BUG CONTROLS
Here’s something for environmentalists to consider. When a home or other building is infested with bed bugs, items that can’t be treated, such as computers, televisions, radios and other electronic and electric devices must be discarded, clothes must be laundered in hot water or dry-cleaned. In many cases mattresses must be thrown away. So must upholstered furniture and other belongings. When you get right down to it, as the infestation reaches pandemic proportions throughout the country we will be spending billions of dollars, wasting huge amounts of resources and massively increasing our waste stream. What effect is all of this going to have on our environment? How much demand will be placed on our natural resources because of the need to replace lost household belongings? How much more electricity and gas will be required to super heat homes when that method is used to eradicate the bugs and what impact will it have? Think about it. This infestation will have an impact on our environment. For all of you who are convinced that climate change is an issue, do you think all of this will impact the levels of CO2 in our atmosphere? Perhaps we would be better off just bringing some of the more effective extermination methods back. But then again, environmentalists may be more comfortable with the idea of humans just going back their normal and natural state of being pest infested. After all, this would be the most environmentally sound approach.