There’s nothing quite as unsettling as the thought of sharing your bed with unwanted guests like bed bugs. These tiny vampire pests can wreak havoc on your sleep, causing itchy bites and leaving you feeling stressed in own home. While trying to find a solution to an infestation of bed bugs, you probably came across bed bug mattress protectors. These products claim to be ‘bed bug blockers’ or ‘bed bug proof’, but what does this actually mean, and moreover, will these products bring an end to your bed bug problem once and for all? We’ll answer these questions in this post:
What is a Bed Bug Mattress Protector?
Bed bug mattress protectors, also known as encasements or covers, are specially designed to wrap around your mattress and act as a barrier between you and any bed bugs that might be lurking within. These protectors are typically made of a durable, tightly-woven fabric that prevents bed bugs from entering or escaping the mattress. They are often designed to be breathable, waterproof, and hypoallergenic.
How do Bed Bug Mattress Protectors Work?
Bed bug mattress protectors can play a crucial role in preventing bed bugs from infesting your mattress in the first place. By encapsulating your mattress, with a bed bug mattress protector, before you ever have bed bugs, you are creating a physical barrier that bed bugs cannot penetrate. In case your mattress is already infested, these protectors can help contain the bugs, preventing them from coming out from the mattress to feed on you as you sleep.
How do Bed Bug Mattress Protectors Fail?
Bed bug mattress protectors can be a valuable tool in preventing and controlling bed bug infestations. However, it’s important to note that mattress protectors alone are not a comprehensive solution to bed bug infestations.
Why?
Because bed bugs don’t exclusively live on mattresses
Yes, they are called “bud bugs”. But the reality is that these pests can live pretty much anywhere indoors. They tend to live in bedrooms because they like to be close to their food source (you). Here’s a list of the common areas that bed bugs live:
- Mattresses
- Bedding/sheets
- Box Springs
- Bed frames
- Upholstered furniture
- Cracks and crevices in walls, skirting, flooring, furniture, and electrical outlets
- Luggage and bags
- Clothing and laundry
- Wall hangings and ornaments
- Curtains
While the favourite location for bed bugs to hide is the mattress, they could be anywhere in your home. So, by using a mattress protector, you won’t necessarily bring an end to your bed bug problem. Instead, you’ll just remove one of their most convenient habitats.
Will I Get Bitten by Bed Bugs if I Have a Bed Bug Mattress Protector?
Once you install a bed bug mattress protector, you will effectively stop any bed bugs in your mattress from attacking you at night. Any bed bugs who were not on the mattress at the time it was sealed with the protector will likely continue to visit you to feed.
Bed bugs who are not trapped inside the mattress protector will also likely continue to multiply. So, even if you trapped 99% of bed bugs in your home with the protector, the remaining 1% could grow into a major bed bug infestation over time, if not managed with the correct pest control.
Do Bed Bug Mattress Protectors Have Any Actual benefits?
Yes, there’s a small chance that by using a mattress protector you will trap all the bed bugs in your home. It might be worth taking this chance for the low price of a mattress protector.
Furthermore, a bed bug mattress protector can make it easier to see the bed bugs. The encasement creates a smooth crevice-free surface, making it easier to spot any signs of bed bugs such as faecal stains, shed exoskeletons, bed bug eggs, or even live bed bugs.
Aside from the bed bug benefits, bed bug mattress protectors act as a barrier against allergens such as dust, dust mites and hair, providing an allergen-free sleeping surface. Additionally, these covers can safeguard your mattress against spills, stains, and general wear and tear, keeping them in good clean condition for years.
What happens if I remove my bed bug mattress protector?
If you applied a bed bug mattress protector while you had an active bed bug infestation, then you may have trapped some bed bugs in with your mattress. By removing the protector, you risk releasing the bed bugs back into your room. Bed bugs can live for about a year without feeding. When there’s no food, they will hibernate and wait for an opportunity. It’s best to leave a bed bug mattress cover in place for at least two years just to be safe.
What Should I Do to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Properly?
Realistically, the only 100% effective way to get rid of bed bugs is with heat. The whole room should ideally be heated to over 50 degrees Celsius for at least 90 minutes. This will destroy all bed bugs in the room (and their eggs) regardless of where they are hiding. Any approach to tackling bed bugs that relies on finding them by human eyesight will be hit and miss due to their tiny size and excellent ability to hide. That’s why at Merlin, we use sniffer dogs to find bed bugs and heat treatment to destroy them. Get in touch if you’d like a 100% guaranteed end to your bed bug problem. We cover all of the UK and Ireland with commercial bed bug pest control services.
