How do bed bugs or dust mites get into mattresses?
Question:
Answers:
We usually bring them in from hotel rooms and out-of-town destinations. Once they get in there, its hard to get rid of them. I read steam is effective at killing them, and used a steamer on my mattress to kill the bugs and their eggs.
Bed bugs are transferred from elsewhere and more often then not, come in with your suitcase when you are traveling. Dust mites are everywhere. If you have carpeting, it provides a bigger breeding place for them so you will likely have more in the mattress. Reportedly, those new micropore mattresses (I'm thinking like Tempurpedic but by Serta) eliminate much of the dust mite problem. My brother and SIL just got one (he is allergic to dust mites), so I don't know if that will completely eliminate that as a problem yet.
Bed bugs come from unclean places. You can pick them up from hotels and motels that have them and bring them home to your bed. Dust mites are very common. Use a mattress protector and make your bed daily to keep them out of the mattress. If you end up with bed bugs the mattress needs to be tossed and the area thoroughly cleaned to prevent re -infestation.
i often wondered that, if you move into a brand new home and you have brand new stuff then how do they get into your mattress??
i suppose when you have been in someone else's home you will bring a few of them into your home with you and they will quickly multiply
don't believe the myth that only dirty homes have them, there in everyones houses but you can take steps to prevent an investation like vaccuming your matress every time you change your sheets (aboyt once evet 1-2 weeks!) and you can get sprays for your matress and carpeting that kill them.
good luck!
Hello Emma Deem,
Bed bugs and dust mites are two different critters. Bed bugs, back in the '70's were nearly 100% eradicated in the U.S. due to the use of DDT which was soon afterwards, banned in the U.S. Blame globalization for the re-introduction of bed bugs which are making a serious comeback in the U.S., most notably on the Eastern Seaboard (most likely port of entry for travelers coming from or through Europe). Unfortunately, bed bugs are likely to spread throughout the U.S. once again.
Dust mites are everywhere, even in space, as noted correctly above, by both Jennifer and david m...and the presence of dust mites is not an indicator of a dirty home. NASA has just reported finding dust mites onboard the Russian space station, Mir, in 1998. (visit this link: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/...
Dust mites found the ideal living conditions when man began sleeping on mattresses 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. Just the moisture from your breath as you exhale provides the water requirement they need and they just LOVE eating shed human skin cells.
Some of the answers above are incorrect. Never, ever, use steam on a mattress...it will actually cause an explosive growth of allergen producing microbials. Makers of dust-mite proof mattress pads make a lot of money but the money spent is unwarranted and does very little to solve the problem. Yes, they will claim that pore size is "such and such" and does not allow an adult dust mite (+/- 300 microns in size) to pass through the pores. But dust mites themselves are not the problem, its the guanine they produce found in fecal pellets, molts (6 stages of life), exoskeletons, and dead dust mite body parts that present the danger. Fecal pellets (15 microns in size) dry up and turn powdery and become even smaller as do the molts, exoskeletons, and body parts. The particulates become so small that by simply fluffing your pillow or turning over in bed (average # is 50-60 times per night) the particulates become airborne and remain airborne for up to 2 hours circulating throughout the entire home and landing on top of everything...including your bed linens and dust-mite proof mattress pad. Mite-proof mattress pads will still allow dust mites to thrive in your mattress. Dust mites have no respiratory system, absorb both air and moisture though their bodies, and practice cophragia...meaning they will simply eat their own feces to survive.
Leaving a bed unmade will help a little as it allows the moisture (from your perspiration and breath the previous night) to evaporate. Dust mites need moisture and they require very little moisture to survive.
Vacuuming a mattress is a good practice, however, nearly all vacuums including the top-ranked HEPA vacuums per Consumer Reports, spewed microscopic particulates into the environment as tested by a 3rd party organization using a scientifically calibrated Air Particle Counter. It would be better to tote the mattress outdoors and then literally beat the crap out of it.
Your very best option is to hire professional mattress cleaners to clean all your mattresses at regularly scheduled intervals. Equipped with specialized equipment, including HEPA-rated vacuum cleaners (not just vacuums that use HEPA filters), UVC Light Wands with UVGI (UltraViolet Germicidal Irradiation) capabilities, and applications of all natural Enzyme Cleaners, professional mattress cleaners are the best choice for contending with dust mites, mold, mildew, fungi, spores, bacteria, viruses and insects such as bed bugs, lice, scabies, fleas, silverfish, and others.
Six month intervals are fine for families who have no suffering from allergies or asthma, 4 month intervals if a family member suffers from allergies or there are a lot of fur-bearing pets in the house. Every 3 months if a family member suffers from asthma, eczema, or other types of respiratory illnesses.
What is most unfortunate is that those who are most effected by the presence of dust mites and indoor allergens are the same who spend most of their time indoors. Infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses spend as much as 95% of their lives indoors and subject to the ill-health effects of indoor allergens.
Tempur-pedic mattresses may minimize the presence of dust mites but they have an uncanny means of surviving for 300 million years. Still, the Tempur-pedic mattress needs cleaning to remove the 1.5 million skin cells that humans shed daily as well as the other microbial allergens.
Unless you live in Europe, Australia, the Pacific Rim, or SE Asia, availability of professional mattress cleaners is very limited. Knowledge, attacking the source of indoor allergens (source control) and ventilation are the three best means of improving the indoor air that you breathe. Don't "buy into" the many products presently being aggresively marketed as soultions to poor indoor air quality, the new #1 concern of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (see their new website at: http://www.noattacks.org
For more information as to what you can do, visit:
http://www.sterilmattress.com/ebook_dust...
We have bed bugs in our building. The consensus is that the Indian immigrants that lived in unit 1 last year brought them in. Evidently, nobody had had any problems until they moved in. Hooray for immigration!
Living with them has been a nightmare. Crawling up through the groundwork, flooring, carpet, baseboards, etc. they get down in your box springs, covers, pillows--anywhere. Their method of attack in all but really severe infestations is to hide out in their crevices during the day. At night, when you are sleeping, they emerge from their holes and suck your blood. You don't feel it as they paralyze the part the suck from. They usually proceed to another part on your body near the initial sight from which they sucked your blood. After that, they crawl back in their holes, all under the cloak of darkness.
Full-grown bed bugs are easily visible to the naked eye. However, the nymphs are really small. Basically, the more they eat, the bigger they get. You won't see any during the day unless you have them pretty bad. Sometimes you'll find dead ones in your bed. Be sure to save them if you do for legal purposes.
Another sign of a BB infestation is allergic-like sneezing in the morning. Sadly, the more they bite you the more you get sensitized to their venom, hence the early-morning sneezing fits will get worse.
what can you do to deal with the problem? Well, the first thing is to hire a professional exterminator. after that, cover your mattress and box springs in vinyl mattress covering. Inspect the covering for any tears and promptly seal them. Make sure your bed is elevated off the floor. The legs of your bed frame, if possible, should be set in dishes whose exterior is coated with vaseline and whose interior is filled with mineral oil. within the bounds of safety, wear tight-fitting clothing to bed. Tights and a long-sleeve shift of the type Under Armour should be helpful. Keep the clothes you wear in your bed seperate from the clothes you wear out. Dry the clothes you've worn in your bed on high heat.
There is so much more to tell. that should get you started.
More Related Questions & Answers...