The bed bug mattress cover and encasement also kills all dust mites, bed bugs and their eggs trapped inside this encasement by cutting off access to their food source and stopping allergens from becoming airborne and entering your respiratory system.
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.
Bed Bugs are resilient, and it can take time to properly eliminate them. They can live for 1 year once they are encased in a bed bug mattress cover.
Using a plastic mattress cover can prevent bed bugs from getting to you at night, and it's also effective in killing them. Trapping them within the plastic can deprive them of oxygen, but the main reason why this technique will kill bed bugs is because they'll be cut off from a blood supply and will starve to death.
Encase your mattress and box springs with a zippered cover
Moreover, having a cover to protect your mattress will stop them from spreading into other parts of your house and make it easier to remove them the next time you clean your mattress. The cover will also protect you from any further bed bug bites.
Steam – Bed bugs and their eggs die at 122°F (50°C). The high temperature of steam 212°F (100°C) immediately kills bed bugs. Apply steam slowly to the folds and tufts of mattresses, along with sofa seams, bed frames, and corners or edges where bed bugs may be hiding.
Lemon (Or Any Citrus)
Like many other animals, bed bugs hate the smell of citrus plants. Citrus, particularly oranges and lemons, will smell gross to them. As a result, most bed bugs will not want to stick around this aroma for too long. There are several ways to make this work for you if you want to repel insects.
Bed bugs are typically found hiding in cracks and crevices in bedrooms, and mattress covers are no exception. Infested mattresses, comforters, cushioned furniture and mattress covers may show bed bug fecal smears, which are the dried excrement of bed bugs.
Baby powder can be used to smother and suffocate bed bugs. A 70% isoprophyl solution will also kill bed bugs and their eggs on contact. Both of these methods, however, may require multiple applications to fully eliminate an infestation.
Steam Clean Often
Steamers are a great tool for maintaining a bed bug-free home. The heat of the steam can kill bed bugs and their eggs. Take your steamer and slowly spray each room with it. Pay extra attention to the baseboards, closet shelves, window trim, and even the carpet.
Spray on areas where bed bugs are hiding. These areas include box springs, mattress seams, dressers, closets, nightstands, carpet and rug edges, molding, and any place bed bugs would be hiding. Repeat in 2-4 weeks.
Those individuals who are not sensitive to bed bug bites may not know they have an infestation. Because bed bugs are nocturnally active, it's hard to see other signs of their presence—unless you're accustomed to waking up at 3 A.M. and taking a census.
Bed bugs can live for as long as 4.5 months or more in an empty house before completely dying off. The two primary factors that determine how quickly or slowly the bed bugs could die off are the existence of a blood meal host, and the temperature of the house.
A bed bug cannot fly, they can only crawl, so chemical treatment makes the most sense. The University of A&M has shown that chemical vs. heat when properly prepared for and carried out by a proficient certified applicator both have a 97% kill rate leaving 3% behind to proliferate.
Bed Bugs will try to live as close to their food source as possible. They can often be found directly on the mattress in the tufts and folds, along the seam, and even inside the mattress. They can also be found in the box-spring, bed frame, headboard and furniture near the bed.
Get a mattress and box spring cover
An effective way to keep bedbugs that are hiding inside your bed from biting you is to invest in a good-quality covering for your mattress and box spring. The best option is to use a cover with a good seal that zips around your mattress and box spring.
Myth: Bed bugs live in dirty places. Reality: Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and grime; they are attracted to warmth, blood and carbon dioxide. However, clutter offers more hiding spots.
FACT: Bed bug infestations have nothing to do with the cleanliness of the home or the people living there. While cleaning up excessive clutter and frequent vacuuming can prevent largescale infestations, the truth is that bed bugs don't discriminate.
Bed bugs are easy to kill using heat. Their thermal death point is reported to be 114-115° F. Putting infested clothing in a hot dryer is an excellent way of killing bed bugs and their eggs. Heat can also be used to kill bed bugs and their eggs in furniture and carpeting.
Travel – Bedbugs may find their way onto luggage in hotels and motels with a high number of occupants. If you have stayed at a hotel or other home recently, leave bags and clothes in the garage or somewhere far from upholstered surfaces, suggests Allan Bossel, to avoid unintentionally transporting them to your home.