There are parasites in the mattress - how to treat it?

If you have even the slightest suspicion that someone unwanted is “sleeping” in your bed with you, immediately begin to act: check the mattress, pillowcase, joints of the mattress and the bed frame. If bed bugs are not visually noticeable, this does not mean that they are not there; they prefer to hide well. Examine your body in front of the mirror for bites; if they are present, most likely you have bedbugs in your bed.

In this article, we will explore in detail why bedbugs appear in a mattress and whether they can live inside a mattress, as well as how to get rid of bedbugs in a mattress yourself without the help of an exterminator.

Where did bedbugs come from in the mattress?

The appearance of parasites in your bed can come as a complete surprise if you keep your apartment clean. So where do bedbugs come from and can they settle in a completely new mattress from the store?

In the photo: bedbugs in a mattress, old and new. Traces of their vital activity are visible; dark spots are bedbug excrement.

We list the main ways a bedbug can enter a house:

• ventilation system - through it insects move freely from one apartment to another;
• windows - in the warm season, bedbugs can move from the basement or neighboring apartment directly along the walls and enter your home through the window;
• guests - they can, without knowing it, bring parasites with them;
• hotels, hostels - by staying in unverified places on a trip, you risk bringing bedbugs home in a suitcase with clothes;
• workers - if they are doing repairs at your place, they may have brought bloodsuckers from the previous repair site;
• shops - from a furniture store you can bring new furniture or a mattress already infested with bedbugs into your apartment, because the warehouses in which goods are stored are not sparklingly clean.

Why do bed bugs only seem to live in the mattress?

Bedbugs bite mainly only at night. During the day and in the light, they decide to do this only when they are very hungry. In rooms where people live, this happens extremely rarely. Every night, bedbugs have the opportunity to sneak out of their hiding places undetected and bite someone who is sleeping. Because of this, residents get the impression that parasites live in the mattress, because they only bite them while they sleep. At other times, sitting on armchairs or chairs, they do not notice the parasites. This is explained by the fact that in the light they simply do not leave their hiding places and, accordingly, do not catch anyone’s eye. However, this does not mean that they live only in a mattress or on a sofa.

It is also safe to say that bed bugs cannot be inside a new mattress you just bought from Ikea, Ascona or anywhere else. If it seems that after purchasing it, bedbugs began to bite you, then most likely the moment they entered the apartment simply coincided with the purchase. And certainly, bedbugs cannot live in an air latex mattress. This is obvious, since even air does not escape from it; therefore, parasites will not be able to get out, nor will they be able to penetrate inside it. Suggestions that insects live in mattresses arise due to the fact that they bite people at night, but not during the day.

In general, bedbugs can live anywhere, and it is not at all a problem for them to get out from under the baseboard or from household appliances at night and get to the bed where you sleep. Wherever you find traces of pests, if they are already present in the room, then most likely they are hiding in many different places. In addition, they create their colonies where it is difficult for humans to reach them. Finding such places can be very difficult. In addition, if it is very difficult to get to a place, then there is a high probability that this is where the parasites live during the day.

There are bedbugs in the mattress - how to find them?

In fact, finding bedbugs in a bed or mattress is not such an easy task, because they are very small in size and crawl into a variety of crevices and inside the mattress through the seams. But there are many signs by which you can recognize the presence of uninvited guests. For example, smell. If you sniff the mattress, you can smell an unpleasant, pungent odor, similar to the smell of cognac or fermented raspberries.

Carefully examine the surface, in particular the seams. And if you find translucent or light-colored husks there, it will most likely turn out to be scales of parasites that fell off during molting. When yellowish spots are found on a white mattress, this is also a reason to believe that bedbugs live in the mattress. If someone is crawling on you at night, and in the morning reddish spots are found on your skin, this is a clear sign of their presence. Bedbugs can also be detected using their own waste; dark-colored feces are easily visible on white bedding.

Let's summarize: what are the signs of bedbugs in a mattress?

• bite marks;
• unpleasant odor;
• brown spots on bed linen from crushed bedbugs;
• bedbug feces - small “poppy” brown or black grains in the bed;
• chitinous shells shed by larvae.

Folk recipes

Methods of struggle that are gentle for household members are folk remedies. This often involves the use of herbs or chemical-based home solutions. Folk remedies are especially useful if the problem has appeared in the children's room, and you do not know what to do if there are bedbugs in the child's bed mattress. This mattress can be taken out into the cold, or vice versa, into the heat above 30 degrees.

Using ammonia:

• benzene – 45 g;
• denatured alcohol – 155 g;
• ammonia – 15 g.

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Pour the finished mixture into small saucers.
3. Place where insects gather.

Naphthalene solution:

• naphthalene – 15 g;
• cresol – 110 ml;
• kerosene – 220 ml.

1. Dissolve naphthalene and cresol with kerosene.
2. Take a clean small brush, dip it in the solution and treat the areas where insects were noticed.

Turpentine solution:

• kerosene – 20 g;
• turpentine – 15 ml;
• liquid soap – 335 g;
• water – 110 g.

1. Dissolve all ingredients, mix well.
2. Take a brush and rub the mixture into the parasites’ habitats.

The above recipes are only suitable for dealing with the problem at home, where there are no small children or pets. If there are parasites inside the bed, you need to pay careful attention to the treatment means, since treating the mattress against bedbugs is quite problematic due to the toxicity of the aerosols. Therefore, first of all, you need to protect yourself, work according to the instructions.

Ready-made products

Nowadays there are many ready-made products that can be used to treat a mattress against bedbugs quickly and effectively. The result becomes noticeable almost immediately after treatment.

"Executioner".

Used as a solution for treating areas where insects live. Pros:

• budget;
• effective and fast action;
• non-toxic to people and pets;
• convenient to use.

Minuses:

• not practical packaging.

"Delta Zone".

A product used to remove many insects.

Pros:

• completely eliminates various insects;
• has no smell;
• has economical consumption;
• convenient packaging;
• easy to use.

Minuses:

• not a cheap price.

"Sinuzan."

The product is an emulsion that effectively fights any outbreaks of bedbugs. Pros:

• affordable price;
• high efficiency;
• suitable for prevention;
• long lasting effect;
• quickly disappears from the treatment site.

Minuses:

• prohibited use in children's rooms;
• Not for use on bedding or clothing.

The table contains information on how and how to remove bedbugs from a mattress at home, where and at what price you can buy the drugs.

Name of shop	Address	Product name	Price
Dez	Moscow, Derbenevskaya street, building 20	Sinuzan	2250 rub. for 10 ml
Clean house	St. Petersburg, Shkapina street, building 2/a, office 18	Executioner	400 rub. - 1 package
Trading	Rostov, Siversa Avenue, building 23	Delta Zone	900 rub.
"BetoHim"	Novosibirsk, m/k Gorsky street, house 74, office 2	GET	840 rub.
"Green Rus'"	Minsk, Mashinostroiteley street, building 7a	Medilis - superpower	28 BYR
Gardener's House	Kyiv, Kyiv street, building 1b	Karbofos	7 UAH – 2 ampoules

What is not recommended to use

Proper treatment of mattresses against bedbugs guarantees good results and safety for all household members. For example, if there are children in the apartment, then the following products cannot be used:

• caustic substances containing poisons;
• wormwood and tansy (tansy has toxic substances that are harmful to people and pets);
• special crayons (easily accessible to children and animals).

How to get rid of the problem without a trace on your own - just throw away the mattress. If insects have settled inside the baseboard, it would be better to call a competent service or use sprays.

How to get rid of traces of life activity?

Almost always, bedbugs on a mattress leave behind marks, black dots, which are traces of their vital activity; they are easy to see even on dark material. These marks are accurate indicators of how to tell if there are live bedbugs in a mattress. Since these are organic contaminants, they are easy to destroy. First you need to wet these stains with cold water. Warm or hot water should not be used; on the contrary, it will cause stains to eat into the fabric.

1. A good cleaning product is a 5% hydrogen peroxide solution. Use a cotton pad or cloth to wipe the surface with the solution; this method is suitable for sheets, mattresses, blankets and pillowcases.
2. Washing – wash soiled bed linen with cold water. The powder will help deal with the problem in a 30-minute cycle.

Would a mattress cover help?

If parasites still remain after chemical treatments, a bedbug mattress cover can help. Before installing it, you need to vacuum the bed well, treat it with special products, then put a cover on top and fasten the zipper tightly. It should remain like this for more than a year, this is exactly the period needed for all the insects to die. Thus, they will not have access to the victim, and there will be nothing to eat. But can there be bedbugs in a new, clean mattress? When buying a new mattress, it is quite possible that you can bring these parasites home with it. In the warehouses where they are stored, proper sanitary measures are not always observed, and parasites settle there in large quantities. Therefore, the sooner you find parasites, the faster you can get rid of them.

Return to description

How and with what to treat a mattress against bedbugs?

First of all, you need to remove the bed linen from the mattress and wash it well at high temperature and steam or iron it.

The next step is to remove the mattress from the bed frame. To prevent the spread of parasites, carpets or other things located near the bed must be removed.

After the area is cleared, we begin to examine the mattress. We pull it out from the base, turn it over on its edge and examine it from all sides. Most likely, signs of bedbugs will be detected instantly. If they are not visible on the outside, look inside the mattress; perhaps this is where bedbugs live and breed.

If the covering is removable, then remove and wash it, then steam it thoroughly with a home steamer or hang it to dry in the sun. Treat the insides of the mattress with an insecticide against bedbugs; Xulat Micro or any other effective preparation is suitable for this. If the casing cannot be removed, begin processing immediately, but be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and take safety precautions! Treat the entire area of ​​the room, especially furniture located next to the bed, baseboards, corners and hard-to-reach places.

At the next stage, you need to disassemble the sleeping area and provide access to all hard-to-reach areas in order to destroy the parasites that have settled in them with a bedbug repellent. If the mattress is more than 5 years old, it would be better to throw it out and buy a new one, this way you will get rid of bed dust mites and allergies to them.

How to kill bedbugs in and around a mattress

To remove bed bugs from a mattress, follow the step-by-step instructions below:

• Remove sheets, pillowcases, and any other removable covers. Be sure to immediately place them in garbage bags to avoid contaminating your apartment on the way to the washing machine. Wash them in hot water.
• Throw away your pillow.

• Then vacuum the mattress thoroughly, paying special attention to seams, crevices and dents where bed bugs like to hide. Empty the vacuum cleaner bag outside, away from your home. Clean out the vacuum container to make sure there are no bed bugs hiding in the vacuum cleaner.
• Place the mattress and box spring in a protective cover made from a special material that prevents bed bugs from biting you. The zippers in these cases are made so tight that even the smallest bed bug will not be able to get through it. This cover should not be removed until a full year has passed to be absolutely sure that all bed bugs and their eggs on the mattress have died. Remember that a bed bug can survive for several months without feeding.
• Kill bed bugs from bed frames and headboards, paying special attention to joints and cracks. If you use pesticide sprays for this, be very careful to read the entire label first and apply it as directed. Insecticides can be dangerous and even fatal if used incorrectly.
• Isolate your bed from nearby objects. Move it away from the wall and place interceptor cups under each leg of the bed. These cups contain an insecticide that traps and kills any bed bugs that may try to climb up the legs of the bed. Make sure nothing on your bed touches the floor except the legs in the interceptor cups. Avoid using bed valances, wide blankets, or any other bedding that reaches the floor.
• Vacuum the floor thoroughly. Carefully examine all areas in the bedroom and the rest of the house for bed bugs. Repeat this periodically. Remember that any newly laid eggs will hatch into nymphs, so you need to remain vigilant.
• In addition to, or instead of, all of these steps, consider calling a pest control professional who has extensive experience in bed bug removal.

As you can see, removing bed bugs from a mattress is necessary, but very labor intensive. Best Option: Removable and Washable Mattress Cover

• Of course, if you have an infestation, you should still take careful steps to eliminate existing bed bugs from your bedroom and your home before purchasing your new mattress or mattress cover. Bed bugs can quickly spread to other parts of the house, and you should definitely remove existing bed bugs and dispose of the old mattress before installing a new mattress.
• It's important to take sensible precautions for the future: never put luggage on your bed, remove and wash your clothes immediately when you return home from a trip, and avoid buying second-hand furniture.

How to treat a mattress to get rid of bedbugs?

We have already briefly described how to independently treat a room from bed bugs, now we will discuss what other ways there are to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress. There are four main ways:

• freezing;
• heat treatment;
• contacting a specialized company;
• self-removal of bedbugs using chemicals.

Let's consider the first method - cooling. In winter there is nothing complicated about it, since insects die from a temperature of -20C in about a day. Take your mattress out into the yard and leave it for two days. And when you bring it in, don’t forget to shake it off. This method is effective, but not 100%, since some of the bloodsuckers remain in the house, behind baseboards and in other secluded places.

Let's move on to the second method - exposure to hot air or steam. To do this, you need to thoroughly treat the mattress with a steamer or steam generator on all sides, without missing seams and joints. The method, like the previous one, has disadvantages.

You can seek help from a specialized company or city SES. They can be found in almost any city, all newspapers are full of such advertisements, and there are even more offers on the Internet. Do not be fooled by the low cost of the procedure; most likely, cheap treatment will be carried out with low-quality drugs that will not completely eliminate the problem. The average cost of services of a professional exterminator in Moscow is 2-3 thousand rubles.

Specialized chemicals, of which there are plenty on sale, will also help in getting rid of bloodsuckers. They differ in chemical composition and cost. It is better to buy new drugs rather than old ones that were used 10 years ago. Insects adapt to chemistry and become immune to it.

Modern insecticides have a complex composition and cost a lot - from 500 rubles. If there are children or pets in the house, be sure to take this into account when choosing a poison, choose a less toxic one, or take them away from the house during treatment.

There are also mechanical and manual methods of exterminating bedbugs, these are: crushing, destroying nests, sucking with a vacuum cleaner. These are very dubious methods that do not provide any guarantees.

Recommended methods for getting rid of bedbugs in a mattress

Self-sanitation of a mattress was briefly discussed. Now some tips on how to destroy parasitic clusters using other methods.

Basic approaches:

• freezing;
• thermal effects;
• seeking help from SES staff;
• removal of parasites using chemicals.

Freezing

In winter, this option is easy to implement. Since insects die when the temperature drops to 10-15 °C, they take the mattress out onto the balcony. In a day, the parasites will disappear forever. Before returning to the apartment, they thoroughly knock him out.

The method is effective, but not 100%. Some pests and their nests remain indoors. Therefore, additional disinfection of the living space will be required to eliminate residual effects.

Exposure to hot air, steam

The surface of the mattress is treated with a steam generator or a hair dryer on both sides. Do not ignore: seams, buttons, overlays and joints. Do the same with the bed frame, without ignoring every nook and cranny where bedbugs can hide.

Contacting the SES

Today, specialized services come to help citizens get rid of bedbugs. Specialists arriving at the site competently assess the situation and select the appropriate insecticidal preparations. One procedure is enough to completely destroy parasitic colonies.

Such a service is not cheap, on average – from 2 to 3 thousand. Do not be seduced by the low cost, as low-quality chemicals may be used.

Chemical insecticides

Of the diverse range of insecticidal products, the most productive are:

• Get.
• Cucaracha.
• Executioner.
• Hector
• Forsyth.
• Tetrix.
• Raptor.
• Battalion commander
• Dichlorvos.

They do not have an unpleasant pungent odor, so they are safe for children and pets. Available in different forms: aerosols, powders, liquid emulsions. To spray mattresses, it is more convenient to take sprays. Powders and liquids are first dissolved in water according to the instructions, then use a spray bottle.

Folk remedies that kill bedbugs

If there are few insects, folk remedies can help. In most cases, these methods help repel pests, but do not destroy them. Tansy and wormwood will help against bedbugs if you spread them throughout the apartment. Their smell is unpleasant to insects and they will try to leave such housing.

You can also help get rid of uninvited “guests”: solutions of turpentine, kerosene, naphthalene, salicylic acid, vinegar and many others. Their effectiveness is very low compared to chemical developments.

How to get bedbugs out of a mattress

How to remove bedbugs from a mattress if you don’t want to get rid of it? There are several common options for getting rid of blood-sucking parasites among the population:

1. Use of chemicals.
   An effective, well-chosen and correctly applied insecticide will destroy all bedbugs in the apartment. After 10-14 days, it is recommended to repeat the treatment to destroy the remaining larvae and individuals that emerged from the eggs after the first baiting procedure. To kill the buttons inside the mattress, you should put a mattress cover or cling film on it, which will not allow the parasites to get out.
2. Exposure to high temperature – roasting, warming up.
   This activity cannot be performed at home. The main condition is to keep the mattress with bedbugs for 1-2 hours in a room with a temperature above 50 degrees. Using an iron is ineffective. The device will only heat the surface of the filler, but will not be able to raise the temperature to critical.
3. Exposure to low temperature.
   In winter, when the frost reaches -20 degrees, you should take the mattress outside and leave it there for 48 hours. It is impossible to ensure such a temperature in the entire apartment, otherwise the water supply and heating system will suffer.

Frying and exposure to low temperatures are methods that will help destroy bedbugs inside a blanket, pillow, mattress, upholstered furniture and other interior items that can be transported. But the methods listed are not intended to get rid of blood-sucking parasites throughout the entire room. To destroy all individuals, a comprehensive treatment of the house is required, during which specialists spray insecticide on every square meter and pay special attention to hard-to-reach, hidden places - behind carpets and closets, under baseboards.

If there are bedbugs in your apartment, contact the professional pest control service Dez Group for help. The team will promptly treat the premises using professional equipment and an effective chemical. You can submit an application by phone or email.

Safety precautions for chemical processing

Due to the use of chemicals to remove insects, the following safety precautions must be followed:

1. Always wear rubber gloves and a gauze bandage before starting treatment.
2. Work in closed clothes. Be sure to cover your head with a thick scarf or other headdress.
3. After completing the treatment, be sure to wash your hands and face well with soap, change clothes and go outside for several hours so that the drug has time to take effect.
4. Ventilate the room.