Exterminating and Preventing Bed Bugs in Your Mattress

Anyone could run away from their bed after learning what a bed bug looks like from a quick Google search. This is probably the last thing on your mind, but knowing how to remove bed bugs from a mattress is important if you suspect you have any hiding there. Even if you take meticulous care of your space and wash your sheets frequently, those pesky critters may find their way inside.  

Please don't feel alone if this has happened to you; if it has, we're here to help. However, we strongly advise that you get in touch with professional exterminators without delay if you think this is a large infestation or if your efforts aren't yielding any results.   

Bedbugs: What Are They?  

The first step is to become familiar with the various bed bug symptoms. Bed bugs are oval-shaped bugs roughly the size of an apple seed with a brownish-red coloring Even though they can't fly, these creatures can move very fast and survive on human blood. Females can produce a large number of offspring, making their early elimination all the more important.

Where Can I Find Out If I Have Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs can squeeze into spaces as narrow as a credit card because of their small size. Most commonly, they'll congregate in swarms on or around the soft surfaces of beds (mattresses, box springs, and bed frames) in order to attack sleeping humans.  

They can also be lurking in the folds of your bedside table, wallpaper, or even the walls themselves.  

How Can I Tell If Bed Bugs Are In My Mattress?

Concerned that you might be harboring bedbugs Maybe you are right. Here are a few indicators to keep an eye out for:

• Experiencing itchy spots on your body where there were none before bed
• Discoloration or stains of blood on your bedding
• Bed bug droppings, which appear as dark spots on your sheets and pillows, could be an indication of an infestation.
• Place eggshells or shreds of skin in possible hiding spots.
• Stale air near your mattress
• Bed bugs, whether alive or not

You wouldn't be the first person to have a possible sighting, Google "what do bed bugs look like on a mattress," and then quickly close the browser after seeing the images. Bed bugs are so tiny that they may have escaped your attention because they appeared to be nothing more than a tiny, dark dot on the mattress. Get a magnifying glass (the camera on your phone might do) and examine it more closely.  

Do I Need a New Mattress If I Discover Bed Bugs?

However, if you discover that your mattress is infested with bed bugs, you need not immediately replace it. Although it's the most convenient choice, it isn't always the most cost-effective (unless you were already planning to buy a brand new, plush bed mattress).  

Without professional help, there are a few things you can do yourself to eliminate bed bugs from a mattress. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate on your own, so you may want to hire professional exterminators if you want to get the job done quickly and effectively.   

How to Kill Bed Bugs in a Mattress in 6 Easy Steps

Keep in mind that you may need to repeat the extermination process more than once if you choose to do it yourself. Although bed bugs don't spread disease, you should still take precautions because of how quickly they can multiply. This can be time-consuming and ineffective for severe infestations; in such cases, professional exterminators should be contacted.  

Step One: Clean the Sheets

You should begin by washing as much as you can, including the mattress. Clean any hiding places you think your critters may have, including the pillows, pillowcases, sheets, and the mattress. Use rubber gloves to put these items in a trash bag for transporting to your laundry room or the laundromat

Don't transport your bed linens in the laundry basket. If you use a regular basket, bed bugs could potentially return to your room, or even spread to other parts of your home. Use a trash bag and dispose of the waste in the outdoor bin.   

The next best thing to using insecticide on your bedding and clothes is washing them in hot water. Even though some things shouldn't be washed in hot water, go ahead and do so if you can.  

Vaccuum and Reheat

Your bedroom can be vacuumed after you've washed the sheets and put them in the dryer. Keep in mind that the brush attachment is where the bugs are most likely to hide. Put the hose to use, instead. You should vacuum the room thoroughly, paying special attention to the small crevices in the mattress and elsewhere.  

Spend ample time on each iteration, and be meticulous. Get rid of the vacuum's waste in a trash can outside and disinfect the canister so the insects inside don't have a free ride back inside.  

Thirdly, disassemble your bed's frame.

If it can be done, disassemble your bed's frame and give it a thorough cleaning at every level. It is important to eliminate bed bugs because they can spread disease and can hide almost anywhere. You can get a better look by peering into cracks and crannies with the help of a magnifying glass and a flashlight. Bed bugs can be discouraged from using your wooden bed frame as a hiding place by filling in any cracks you may find.  

Use Bed-Safe Insecticides

Make sure the room has adequate ventilation and that you fully understand the aerosol spray's instructions before using it. Be sure you have mattress-safe insecticide rather than a generic aerosol as well. The infected area and any other nearby furniture can then be treated with the insecticide spray.  

Spraying an insecticide on live bed bugs is the most effective method for eliminating them quickly. Most of these sprays have an instantaneous effect on the pests. But there's no promise that any bugs that come into contact with the solution after it's dried will die. Similarly, some insecticides contain ingredients that permit bed bug eggs to hatch, but the chemicals quickly kill the insects once they emerge. When it comes to stopping the egg from hatching and killing the bug, almost everything else is completely ineffective. Find out ahead of time what can effectively eliminate bed bugs and their eggs by conducting the necessary research.  

Remember that insecticide is a chemical product and should be used with caution around any area where you intend to sleep. After applying an insecticide, many manufacturers advise waiting 15 minutes before reentering the treated room with the windows open.

In order to get a better night's sleep, you should...

The ideal temperature for steaming to kill bed bugs is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Getting rid of bed bugs with a steamer isn't the best method because most people don't have steamers with this kind of strength, but it can work if you do.   

6 Wrap your bed's box spring and mattress in a cover.

If you've decided that buying a new mattress is out of the question due to cost or safety concerns, you might want to look into getting a mattress cover and box spring cover instead. There is no way for bed bugs to get out from under these specialized covers. For best results, keep the cover on for a full year to starve any remaining bed bugs to death.  

While this may be effective if the bed bugs are confined to the mattress, it will be ineffective if they have spread to the bed frame, nightstand, or elsewhere in the room.

Avoiding Bed Bugs

Since you know what it's like to have bed bugs, you probably don't want them to come back into your home. It's one thing to learn how to exterminate bed bugs from a mattress; it's another to learn how to prevent them from returning. There are measures you can take beforehand to ward them off:

• Remove all the unnecessary items from your home.
• Clean and dust any hiding places on a regular basis.
• Always keep an eye on the affected areas
• Cover your mattress with a protector.
• Do not bring used mattresses or furniture into your home.

Sometimes, no matter how meticulously you clean, you'll still have a bug problem. It's not a sign of filth if you get them, and sometimes thrift store finds are just too good to pass up. If you insist on bringing any into your house, check it over carefully and clean it outside if possible.  

Bed bugs aren't harmful in and of themselves, but they can be a major pain if you don't get rid of them quickly. Calling an exterminator is your best bet if you're trying to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress, but it can't hurt to try a do-it-yourself approach first. You could also think about getting rid of your old mattress and replacing it with a new one.  

As a company, Casper is committed to ensuring that you get a good night's rest, and part of that is ensuring that you know how to properly maintain your mattress and other sleep gear. We are not, however, pest control specialists or bed bug eradicators. It is recommended that you seek the advice of experts if you suspect an infestation of bed bugs in your home.