Do Bed Bug Mattress Covers Work?

When you find that you have a bed bug infestation, you will need to take steps to eliminate the problem. This will include killing and trapping the bed bugs and their eggs as effectively as possible. The difficulty with bed bugs is that they can live for six months to a year without feeding. This means that they can survive while tucked away in a hiding spot. One aspect of bed bug treatment is using a mattress encasement. This can effectively trap bed bugs and prevent them from biting you.

What Is a Bed Bug Mattress Cover?

A bed bug mattress cover is also called a bed bug mattress encasement, and it is made of a material such as cotton and covers the entire mattress. People use them in several different ways, including the following:

• Current infestations: they can trap and kill bed bugs that are living inside your mattress
• Protect your mattress so that bed bugs can’t get inside it
• Protect a mattress in a furnished rental or hotel

You can get mattress covers that are made specifically for bed bugs, and they are somewhat expensive at around $100. People often wonder if they can use a standard mattress cover, but this method will not protect your mattress. They usually just cover the top of the mattress, which does little to trap and starve the bed bugs until they die.

Another question people have is whether a plastic mattress cover will protect the mattress from bed bugs. The answer is no because, again, the entire mattress is not covered. These coverings are designed to prevent mattresses from being damaged by liquids.

Mattress covers that are made for bed bugs will encase the entire mattress, and bed bugs will not be able to get in or out. We reviewed the best Bed Bug Mattress cover.

Do Mattress Covers Kill Bed Bugs?

Mattress covers that are designed for bed bugs will cover the entire mattress and seal any bed bugs inside. They will not be able to get in or out to feed on human blood. Bed bugs eat one meal a day, and they spend the rest of their time in hiding.

The mattress encasement will not deprive the bed bugs of oxygen because they are usually made of a cotton-like material. However, the bed bugs will not be able to get out, so they will starve to death. The problem is that they can survive for anywhere from six months to a year without eating, so it is critical that you never open the encasement.

Once you put the mattress cover on, you should not take it off for at least two years. If you take it off to place it on a different mattress, you should wash it in hot water and make sure that you put it in the dryer on high heat for at least two hours. This will ensure that you kill any living eggs or bed bugs that may be trapped inside.

Can Bed Bugs Bite Through the Mattress Cover?

When you trap bed bugs inside of the mattress cover, there will not be any outlet where the bed bugs can leave to bite you. These pests do not have any teeth, so they have no ability to chew their way out of the mattress cover. They won’t be able to bite you through it either.

While bed bugs that are trapped inside of the mattress covering cannot bite you, if you have other bed bugs still in your house, they can. If you have bed bugs in your home, they are likely hiding in many places, including other furniture crevices, cracks in the floor, behind the baseboard, or behind wall coverings.

You can use a mattress cover to protect your mattress or to trap these pests inside until they die, but you will need to have further treatment done if they are living in your home.

How to Choose a Mattress Cover for Your Bed

You will want to start by reading reviews of the best bed bug mattress covers so that you understand all that each one has to offer. In addition, look for the following:

• Make sure that the covering fully encloses the mattress
• Look on the label for the words “bed bug proof”
• Find one that is certified by a reputable pest control company
• Research the brand online and check reviews and testimonials

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Will a Bed Bug Mattress Cover Get Rid of a Bed Bug Problem?

Unfortunately, a bed bug mattress cover can only protect your mattress from bed bugs or prevent bed bugs that are living in the mattress from coming out and biting you. They are able to live anywhere, which distinguishes them from certain other types of pests. They only need to feed once in a day, and they spend the rest of their time hiding, sleeping, and digesting their meals.

Bed bugs don’t have any needs beyond that meal, and they can go for long periods of time without eating. In fact, they have been known to survive anywhere from six months to a year, and in some cases 18 months without any food.

Hiding in your bed makes life easy for these pests because they need to feed on you at night. However, they are just as happy to hide in any number of spots, including the following:

• Curtains
• Toys and stuffed animals
• Upholstered furniture
• Electrical outlets
• Behind baseboards and wall coverings
• Cracks in the wall
• Carpets or rugs
• Closets
• Cupboards, drawers, bookcases

Final Words

If you have bed bugs in your home, you will want to get a mattress cover in addition to treating your home. This will ensure that the bed bugs that are likely living inside of your mattress are unable to bite you any longer. Although it will take a long time, they will eventually starve to death. The good thing is that they will be unable to spread throughout your home and reproduce. This mattress covering offers an effective strategy for preventing bed bugs from taking over your home.