Bed bugs are resilient insects that need frequent blood meals for survival. Contrary to belief, the small 7-mm length does not have an impact on the insect’s resiliency. Like all parasitic insect species, such as the tick and flea, the
bed bug needs to ingest human or animal blood at least every few days. While the bed bug has reportedly survived 200 days without feeding, the species prefer to feed at least weekly.
It is easy to see why some people tend to discredit the species because of its small size. This is a major mistake that will only lead to an infestation of bed bugs in many cases. Knowing the physical and mental damagecaused by the species will play a major role in keeping you and your family safe when traveling. The species has contributed to the permanent damage of bed linen, upholstery furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpet, and other accessories. The species has also contributed to the mental breakdown of victims across the globe.
Bed Bug Home Infiltration
If the encounter takes place without your knowledge, the insects will infiltrate your home without your knowledge. While the frequent traveler’s goal is to avoid all bed bug encounters, it is not always possible. With a visual assessment of every travel accommodation, there is always a risk. Following the encounter, the insects will travel to your home in a suitcase, overnight bag, purse, clothes, and other accessories. Before you know it, the culprits are in the fibers of your mattress and box springs.
Home infiltration of bed bugs is not a rare incident in Davenport, Iowa. In fact, thousands of new cases are reported each year in the city. Unfortunately, many of these cases are related to travel accommodations nationwide.
Protecting Your Mattress
A high-quality mattress costs between $500 and $1,500, more for some well-known brands. Mattresses are great investments for property owners. Without a mattress, you could find yourself sleeping on a hard, cold floor. Once a mattress is infiltrated with bed bugs, its value plummets. The $1,500-mattress becomes of zero value, making it even more important to protect your mattress.
Protecting this investment is a simple as utilizing a mattress cover. There are several mattress protectors designs to choose from – encasement, cover, and topper. This may appear to be a simple task, determining which design will offer your mattress maximum protection. However, it is far from it.
Mattress Cover
The mattress cover offers partial or full protection against bed bug infiltration. However, if the design is lacking in any way, it will be rendered ineffective. Depending on the level of protection you are looking for, a full mattress cover may be your best option. For consumers who are only interested in maximum protection, an encasement is a necessity.
There are several designs, one of which covers the top half of the mattress, while the other covers the top and bottom. Both these designs are effective in protecting the mattress from bed bugs. However, they fail in comparison to the mattress encasement.
Mattress Encasement
The mattress encasement engulfs the entire mattress – top, bottom, and sides. The benefit of the mattress encasement is full protection from bed bug infiltration. Like benefits, the mattress encasement has some downsides as well. The most notable downside is linked to the fastener or closure utilized by the manufacturer to keep the encasement intact.
Manufacturers generally utilize several types of fasteners to secure their encasements to the mattress. Ties, buttons, zippers, Velcro, and snaps are just to name a few examples. Out of these fasteners, only one is designed to create a full seal around the mattress. This fastener is no other than the zipper. When fully secure, the zipper fastener cannot be infiltrated by bed bugs or mites.
Chemical-Free Designs
A variety of materials – cotton, polyester, silk, linen, vinyl – are utilized in mattress cover production. All the aforementioned materials are quality, offering unique benefits for mattress protectors. Polyester, for example, is flexible, durable, and eye appealing. Cotton, on the other hand, is durable, soft next to the skin, lightweight, and breathable.
Are Mattress Covers Tested For Quality And Safety?
Most brands are known to put their mattress covers through third-party testing. These tests are necessary to determine the durability, flexibility, and safety of mattress covers.
