Bed Bug Mattress Covers: What You Should Know

If you are thinking of investing in a bed bug mattress cover make sure you have the facts before you make your final decision. If you don't already have bed bugs but think you might be at risk, an infestation can catch you off guard and cost you an expensive mattress. It's always best to be prepared for the worst, and believe it when it's said that these tiny bloodsuckers are the worst. A mattress cover provides the first line of defense against a nightmarish infestation. If you do have bed bugs in your mattress already then a mattress cover will give you immediate relief from bed bug bites.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are small, parasitic insects that have adapted better than any other to the environments humans create, especially bedrooms. At an average size of just under a fifth of an inch, these tiny insects are notorious household pests that are able to reproduce nearly 200 offspring in a single generation. These newly hatched bugs will seek out several meals before reaching adult size and reproducing to create a rapidly growing population.

Their behavior is what makes them such a nightmarish pest. They come out at night when things are quiet and you are presumably asleep, work their way towards the bed and gorge themselves on your blood. They have a natural aversion to light, which drives them to seek out dark, hard to see nooks and crannies and that in turn makes them hard to detect. They like to piggyback in backpacks, suitcases, purses, and articles of clothing. It is very easy to unwittingly carry the creatures home from a stay in a hotel or a visit to an infested friend's residence. It doesn't help that they're also very small and thus hard to see without magnification. It's only the itchy, red rashes that result from their bites and the spoor stains they leave behind that usually clue their victims in to their presence and by then the infestation is hard to stop.

How Do Mattress Covers Help?

A mattress cover is an easy to understand, highly recommended containment or prevention method against bed bug infestations. They work by keeping the bugs out of the folds and linings of the mattress or the interiors of boxsprings, places where they frequently hide and lay their eggs. This simple barrier against the bugs is enough to reduce the chances of an infestation ruining an expensive mattress to zero. For established infestations, the barrier can provide relief from nightly visits from the bugs by keeping them contained within the cover.

How Do I Choose A Good Bed Bug Mattress Cover?

Not every mattress cover is a good one. A good cover will be thick enough to resist the normal wear and tear from shifting around on the bed without ripping. The entire cover is useless to you if it does not completely seal, as the bugs will find their way out of even the smallest of openings. That includes the zipper's teeth and end stop: many available covers fail to prevent the escape of young bed bugs. Be sure that the cover you buy closes completely, as no cover can ensure protection with a broken or bent zipper.