Sown in the image above are the results of using a protective cover on an infested mattress, you can see the bed bugs were trapped inside and died from starvation (bottom right); this works great, but only when done as part of the entire treatment process.
You’ll see a large number of manufactures selling specialized covers just for bed bugs, but did you know that dust mite covers work just as well and are a lot less expensive?
You can get a mattress protector from your local store, just look for allergy relief / dust mite barrier covers; these are effective enough to stop bugs from passing through the fabric.
Mattress & Box Spring Protective Cover Considerations
All protective covers are not the same and some are completely ineffective. Below are three important tips to consider when selecting a product.
1. Zipper Must Seal Completely
Make sure that there are no gaps when you zip up the mattress cover and that it seals completely at the zipper stop. Bugs will take advantage of the tiniest of gaps to escape and feed. Choose a zipper that will withstand the test of time after multiple washings.
- Upgraded end zipper Fabric Blocker patch.
- End stop zipper hook feature.
- Sided zipper for easy installation & removal.
2. Get the Right Fabric
You can have a cover that seals completely, but if the bug can wiggle its head enough to still bite you, its not going to help.
Skip the Vinyl protective covers which are noisy and hot, and focus on Polyurethane-Lined Protective Covers. This material is resistant to bed bugs, allows your skin to breath and helps prevent sweating.
- Waterproof backing on all sides of cover – Total barrier Fabric.
- Stretch knit jersey bottom fabric is 100% waterproof and also breathable like the human skin.
- Cool and totally quiet sleeping surface unlike plastic.
- Machine Washer & Dryer Safe.
3. Cover the Box Spring
The wood in that box spring is a great nesting ground so don’t forget to protect that from bed bugs as well! When selecting covers, make sure the manufacturer offers an encasement for both.
The right product will offer protection for the mattress, box spring, and pillows. Look for products that:
- Are hypoallergenic and offer a multi-layer microporous barrier with a multi seal zipper.
- Provides testing data to support protection.
- Buy a full encasement cover, not a fitted sheet style cover
- Covers are scented to help reduce the smell bed bugs can produce.
There is no use encasing your mattress if you are not going to seal your pillows – bugs love pillows.
What you can expect to pay for a quality bed bug mattress cover
- Twin Mattress Protective Cover
- 39″ X 75″
- $45
- Twin XL Mattress Protective Cover
- 39″ X 80″
- $50
- Full Mattress Protective Cover
- 54″ X 75″
- $55
- Queen Mattress Protective Cover
- 60″ X 80″
- $65
- King Mattress Protective Cover
- 76″ X 80″
- $75
What to Avoid
An Inexpensive Alternative
Kelli, a visitor, explains how she found a cheaper alternative:
We purchased mattress covers made specifically for bed bugs @ Walmart. Twin size was $30. They also sell a mattress cover under the house brand name for $20. We were going to use them to cover our box spring, but they didn’t fit. We used the one that we had already opened for the twin bed in the guest room. It is a day bed, therefore has no box spring.
Amazon.com carries covers made specifically for box springs. The size has to be extra long if you are using it for a box spring. We have a CA King premium mattress from Simmons Beautyrest. We were told that we had to have the mattress cover on it that we purchased at the same time as our mattress for our warranty to be valid. It is a 20 year warranty, so believe me, we have always used the cover. It is not a zippered one, but we had no “black specs” on our mattress. It was sprayed by the exterminator, who also felt it was “safe.” Last night was the 1st time in 5 days that we got to sleep on our own bed again! I never in my life knew the pure torture that comes from not getting a peaceful night’s rest!
I shopped around a bit & here are my results: Target didn’t have any, Bed, Bath & Beyond has vinyl covers from $15-$90 (the expensive ones had bells & whistles) and Walmart has covers including pillow case covers from $15-$45. I only paid $6 for my actual pillows, so I didn’t feel it necessary to pay $6 for a pillow cover. The King size pillow covers are $8. Walmart sells allergen pillows w/ a bonus zippered cover for $12 for standard, $14 for queen.
Note: Allergy protection is the same thing as bed bug protection, if it can protect you from allergies it can protect you from bed bugs. In fact, you can buy mattress labeled dust mite or allergy protection for a lot less.
I hope this helps those that can’t afford the high end encasement!
I’m in agreement with Kyle. That’s PLENTY of time to have the place treated, professionally cleaned and ready for inspection! I had to wait four DAYS to have a canine inspection here, due to the epidemic BB infestations throughout the area and the fact that my LLD was handling it and worked as “fast” as the State Guidelines dictated. It took in total, 21 days from date of reporting to date of heat treatment.
If I booked the treatment personally, I could have had it done within SIX days – a 2,100 sq ft. apartment with LOTS of clothing, etc. An hotel room should take NO time to prep and even lesser time to treat! Who are they kidding? They “Inspected rooms 112,114,115,198, 207,251,302,311,315,341, and 347” Why did they not check the ADJACENT rooms, above and below: RM#300, 304, 100, 102, 104, 200, 202 and 204? That is, IF this is a 3 floor hotel with odd/even divided hall rows. In any case, it does not appear any logically adjacent room were inspected. These bugs scatter, LOVE corners, crevices and gaps. If they were in one room, they were next door, upstairs and down! To me, THAT is more suspect than anything. As for her pets, it is my understanding that BB’s PREFER humans, but might, if the blood supply runs out, use the pet temporarily as a host. Roundworm? UTI 3 weeks later? That would have to do more with the cat’s litter box, it coming into contact with other cats’ feces or if the cat is a “mouser” (rodents carry these) OR possibly, their water source, and to my knowledge nothing to do with BB’s.
Now, there was something mentioned about a laundry sink failing inspection, but was remedied the same day. Who’s to say how this corporation runs their hotels? I would be concerned what chemicals were being dispersed and potentially contaminating a sink not intended for linens that might come in contact with guests, etc. (Sorry, I digress…)
Her claim is excessive unless she – and more importantly, the vet – can PROVE and provide documentation that the bites and the subsequent skin issues were a DIRECT RESULT of BB bites: i.e. skin cultures and blood work. I’m no expert (though, after these last few weeks of obsessive research, I feel like one!), but it would seem that the skin issues and roundworm may have been present before going to the hotel? Roundworm subsequent dermatitis problems take time to gestate and develop into noticeable, let alone distressing, symptoms – often lying dormant for months in their host. Hard to say, esp when she states: “…After we checked out, within 5 minutes the cats had diarrhea…” I realize she’s angry and upset, but to use inflammatory wording only serves to undermine her credibility – at least where her pets are concerned. That’s just my opinion. As for the infestation? Pictures speak louder than words, and apparently, she’s got plenty of them. ;)
I don’t understand why the woman who stayed at the hotel thinks that her cat having worms has anything to do with begbugs. Are they related somehow? I have been told that there is not any evidence of bedbugs carrying disease at this time. Also, the fact that she left on 7/5 and the room was not checked for bedbugs until 7/27. That would give the hotel plenty of time to have a professional eliminate the bedbugs and then have another do an inspection to confirm they are gone.
If the picture she took showed a bed bug by their no-smoking sign I think that would be proof enough that they had bed bugs at that time and she should be reimbursed for her stay but I don’t think they should pay for her animals. I don’t think that is related to the bed bugs and who brings animals into a nice hotel anyway. I certainly don’t want to stay at a hotel that lets people bring pets in to stay.
Also, to the person who is sprinkling DE around, I doubt that is going to do much for the bed bugs. You should probably have an exterminator do the treatments. And for the person who bought the mattress, was it a used mattress? How can you get bedbugs from a NEW mattress? NEVER EVER EVER buy a used mattress. I thought there were laws against that!
Call an exterminator and buy high quality mattress and boxspring bedbug covers ASAP before it gets any worse! I have seen too many people spend all kinds of time and money trying to fix the problem themselves just to have to pay a professional anyway, even more, when the problem gets worse.
oh PALEAAAASE! of course they will deny it, it’s a scam! Do not let these types of people get away with making our lives a living hell!!
I am moving officially moving!! I am getting the DE stuff and sprinkling everything I own before I move it into storage.
I am suing my apartment complex for allowing us to move into an infested apartment and I am 100% sure they will deny it too since we have no proof except the exterminators word and eyes when he came back and saw them coming out of the walls!
I swear I am putting DE by my front door if I have to and every crack and cranny I can find. UGH!! that annoys me!
An infestation of bed bugs in my RV led to the eventual surrender of it to the bank that financed it, no lawsuit, just surrender. I also lost the Bright Red Chevy Silverado 2500 HD extended cab 2wd.
Two of my four years of retirement have been spent in battle with bed bugs. All of my income and half of my retirement annuity are gone.
I am about to move into an apartment to escape for the second time.
I have become part of the bed bug debri that litters my environment. My observations have led to many discoveries and perhaps a way to freedom.
There have also been many, many encounters with bed bug nymphs in public places. I have no professional verification, but after 26 months of one night stands, there is no doubt who my bed partners have been.
I invite any comments from others who find any part of my story to be similar to their own.
Location:
Hilton Garden Inn
111 Carolina Crossroads Parkway
Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870
On July 6th, while talking to my mother on the phone trying to figure out how I was going to get out of NC bc my car had broke down I noticed this bed bug run from behind the hotels pillows. I was so disgusted to know that they had placed me in a room with a clearly MATURED bed bugs.
The Director of Operations Vincent Petraglia promised me that he would file a claim with their insurance company to replace the cost of my infested/damaged clothing & asked me not to tell anyone about the incident. When I followed up with him after exchanging information he refused to replace my items as he said he would and told me what I saw wasn’t a bed bug even though it CLEARLY was.
I am now in the process of filing a claim with the court on them. DO NOT EVER STAY AT THIS HOTEL! IT MAY LOOK APPEALING BUT THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE FIRST TIME FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T TAKE ANY PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES AND WAS VERY NONCHALANT ABOUT THE SITUATION. Spread the Word.
Ashleigh McGill
Public Health, Senior
Arnold School of Public Health
University of South Carolina
301-377-9686
That IS too much time between check out date and inspection. I’m sure there was a BB problem before and they had it treated before any inspections. What, did she go find a bed bug somewhere else and bring it BACK to the hotel to place it on the pillow next to a no smoking sign and take a picture? Right. I’m sure she would go through all that trouble just to have her medical bills paid (for bites she obviously had, and where DID they come from?), and to have her stay paid for.
We are currently staying in an extended stay (that I will not be naming), and after the first night sleeping in the bed, I woke up with 17 bites and my friend with 14. We immediately notified the management, and they have done nothing but help in any way possible (probably to avoid a lawsuit).
They removed the entire old bed and bedding, and put it in the dumpster, then put a BRAND NEW PILLOW TOP BED, unwrapped it from the plastic in front of us, and unwrapped all new bedding, including BB cover sheets. They did a pesticide spray and had Orkin come in a professionally treat the entire room. The management has said numerous times that they would be taking care of us, and have apologized many times. I have read and found that it does not take a dirty hotel to host BB, that even 5 start hotels can be infested.
I have to say, these bites are quite uncomfortable and I happen to be allergic to most bug bits (mosquito bites swell quarter size on me), so these BB bites have whelped and have a black center with a very wide spread redness all around it. They are extremely itchy, painful in a pressure way, and feels as if there are rocks under the skin.
Everyone had told me we should demand our stay free, however, as painful and embarrassing as these bites may be, I’m not looking for a freebie, as long as my medical bills are paid and they accommodate me to the fullest, I am not ASKING for a free stay. Now if its offered, I won’t decline! Good luck to all who may be suffering for BB bites! I know, they “suck”!!! :)
My husband cant sleep. Always feeling like something is crawling on him. We just bought new mattress, never had problems with any kind of insects. Having it for two week and changing the sheet to wash them. Small blood stops and as we moved the sheets notice very small bugs crawling on the sheets. Then calling the mattress place telling them of our situation. Their responds was have you traveled or stayed at a hotel. My responds was I don’t travel. I was so frustrated that they where blaming me. I didn’t know what to do or what I can do. I cant get rid of them now and still have the problem. They didn’t want to help or let use bring the mattress back. I lost out on lots of money which I didn’t have to replace. All it is for me and my husband is lots of stress. We tried everything but nothing. I cant trust to buy a new one anywhere know.