Bedbugs on Mattress? Why It is Better to Get Rid of It!
Written by Nectarsleep editorial team
Last Updated on Feb 22, 2023
Bedbugs on Mattress: Getting ahead of a bed bug infestation is one way to prevent it from taking root in your home. Also, addressing the issue early is considerably cheaper compared to treating a full-blown infestation. The problem, however, is that getting ahead of an infestation is harder than you think.
This is because you will need to identify whether you do, in fact, have bed bugs and not other types of insects, such as carpet beetles, in your home. And even if you see signs of bedbug bites on your skin, it is not a good indication that you have this pest in your home as the bite on your skin can be similar to that of chiggers or mosquitoes. Also, there are some people who do not have any reaction to bed bug bites at all.
How To Find Bedbugs on Mattress?
Bed bugs are roughly the size of an apple seed, which means that, although hard to spot, they are visible to the human eye. As a matter of fact, just like it was indicated above, they do leave signs of their presence on your mattress, bed, and bedding which you should check. If you suspect that there are bed bugs in your home, use these tips below to check your mattress.
- Strip the mattress – Remove all the bedding from your mattress so that you can easily see the creases, as well as the seams of the bed. You will have to pull the bed away from the wall so you can also inspect the back of the headboard. Inspect the back sections of the fabric (or paper that covers the wooden frame) of your box spring and check the joints between the wood pieces.
- Use a magnifying glass – In order to tell if there is a bug on your mattress, you might need to use a magnifying glass as you go over the entire mattress. Like it was mentioned before, bedbugs are about the size of an apple seed, but you also have to keep an eye out for the smaller, translucent bugs. These bed bugs are in the early stages of the life cycle. The bed bug eggs are about the size of a pinhead and are usually white in color. But five days after, red spots will appear on the eggs.
- Look for exoskeletons – Double-check the mattress seams as well as behind the headboard to see if there are any exoskeletons that have been cast off by bed bugs. They may look like tiny bugs that are translucent. They may also resemble thick dust. Double-check with a magnifying lens to determine if it’s more than just white dust.
- Check for fecal spots – Like it was mentioned before, bed bugs leave fecal matter behind, which appears as dark spots, usually in clusters, when there is an infestation. The fecal matter tends to bleed on the fabric.
How to Remove Bedbugs on Mattress?
You’re probably wondering how to remove bedbugs on a mattress so that you will be able to get a good night’s sleep. After all, waking up to itchy bites on your skin is not a good sign, plus it can even affect your sleep too. That said, there are a few tips and tricks that may help keep you from being a blood meal for these bugs.
- Heat treatment – To get rid of bed bugs on your mattress, start by washing your bedding, linens, pillowcases, blankets, and the like, using the highest possible setting. Bed bugs don’t like heat, and this will kill them off.
- Vacuuming your mattress – Vacuuming your mattress, especially the seams, can help remove the bed bugs.
Why it’s Better to Toss Your Mattress?
Although you may not be too keen on disposing of your mattress, especially when you can use a steam cleaner and vacuum to get rid of the bugs, it’s safer to get rid of the mattress. Why? Well, by throwing away your infested mattress, you will be eliminating a large percent of the bed bugs in your home. This makes a lot of sense if the majority if bedbugs are already living in your mattress and box spring, if your bed is old and deteriorating, or you just can’t handle having to wait for months for the bed bugs disappear.
Disposing of Your Bed Bug Infested Mattress
Before you drag your mattress outside and leave it on the curb, there are a few things that you should do first, to prevent the bed bugs from spreading.
- Time your disposal – Leaving your infested mattress on the curb for too long is not really a good idea as it can give the bugs time to crawl to a new place. Schedule a pick-up time for the garbage disposal and then place your mattress on the curb.
- Vacuum – If you have decided to remove your mattress from your bedroom, first remove as much bed bugs as you possibly can. Use the hose attachment on your vacuum to pick up all the live bugs, their exoskeletons, eggs, and the like. Dispose of bag afterward. Go over the entire mattress and seams, as well as box spring with your vacuum. Cleanse your vacuum afterward to ensure that no bed bugs have been left behind.
- Wrap your mattress in shrink-wrap or plastic – Once you have done everything to remove any visible signs of bed bugs, wrap the mattress in shrinkwrap or plastic bag to prevent any bed bugs that have been left behind from getting out.
- Remove the mattress carefully – You should remove the mattress from your home carefully, so you don’t nudge loose the bugs that are still living in it. This way, you will be minimizing the spread of bed bugs in other parts of your home. Instead of dragging it outside the curb, have someone help you lift the mattress instead.
- Spray paint it – To prevent others from taking your infested mattress home, it would be a good idea to spray paint it with a warning sign. This will discourage others from bringing home your bed bug-infested mattress.
How to Protect Your New Mattress?
You’re probably thinking about how you will be able to protect your new mattress from bed bugs. One of the easiest ways to ensure that your bed will not be infested is by using a mattress encasement for the mattress, as well as the box spring as soon as soon as the new bed is delivered. You should also consider having your home professionally exterminated so that bed bugs do not make a blood meal out of you again.
Why is this necessary? You may have removed the bed bugs that were living in your old mattress, but this doesn’t mean that you’ve gotten rid of all the bugs in your home. Keep in mind that bed bugs can crawl into cracks and crevices. Here, they will wait patiently for night to arrive before venturing out to feed on humans or animals.
