Blood-sucking bed bugs are a mattress menace and if they infest your bed they can quickly spread to the rest of your house. While a dirty mattress might seem like the biggest lure, bed bugs thrive in any mattress that smells like their food source: you.
It's the lingering scent and warmth of their favorite food, combined with plenty of dark hiding spaces, that attracts bed bugs to your mattress. Prevention is the best cure, so regular cleaning can help keep these critters away.
In this guide, we'll explore the specific conditions bed bugs need to thrive in your mattress, and what steps you can take to prevent an infestation. If after reading you decide it's time to buy a new mattress then our guide to this year's best mattresses contains our top recommendations.
4 perfect conditions that allow bed bugs to thrive in your mattress
1. You don't wash your sheets
People often associate bed bugs with dirty mattresses and it's not an entirely unfair link... but it's also not the full story. Bed bugs aren't attracted to the grime of unwashed bedding or the mildew of an old mattresses — they're drawn to the scent of you.
The more you use your mattress, the more the bed becomes coated in your scent. And this smell is, unfortunately, the aroma of a bed bug's food source. Unwashed sheets are saturated in this scent, which is why bed bugs are likely to find your messy mattress more enticing than a clean one.
2. You leave laundry lying around
Unwashed bedding isn't the only bad habit that draws bed bugs to your mattress. Leaving your laundry lying around on the floor creates plenty of potential bed bug homes. Bed bugs like the dark, and the enticing folds of your abandoned laundry make an excellent hiding place (particularly if the sheets smell of you.)
3. You never air your mattress
While we don't recommend leaving your sheets on the floor that doesn't mean they have to be tightly tucked in at all times. In fact, an unaired mattress is a prime attraction for bed bugs. Stripping your bed allows scents and moisture to dissipate, as well as clearing carbon dioxide build-up (bed bugs are drawn to carbon dioxide because it smells like your breath.)
4. You're using dark sheets
The color of your sheets might also impact how attractive your mattress is to bed bugs. Research from 2016 found bed are drawn to darker colors (black and red) over lighter colors (yellow and green.) There are numerous theories as to why — from associations with safety to looking like fellow bed bugs — but whatever the reason, bed bugs are more likely to nestle down in black bedding over white sheets.
From your mattress to your whole house
Once bed bugs have made a home in your mattress, they can spread like wildfire throughout the house. Bed bugs multiply quickly — a single bed bug can lay over 100 eggs in her lifetime. It takes around six to 10 days for an egg to hatch and once hatched, a bed bug will be ready to reproduce in only six weeks.
And they can move fast. A bed bug can travel around four feet per minute at top speed, making it easy to get from your mattress to your carpet to your couch. These consummate survivors can live for several months without food, so even if it takes them a while to master the stairs, they'll get there. And despite what the name suggests, these pests don't exclusively occupy the bed. They're happy to settle down in all kinds of furniture.
3 ways to bed bug-proof your mattress
1. Invest in a mattress encasement
We recommend everybody uses a mattress protector to guard your mattress from spills and stains. But if you're worried about bed bugs, consider investing in the total protection of a mattress encasement.
While mattress protectors cover the top and sides of a mattress, a mattress encasement covers the entire bed. You simply zip the encasement closed, trapping bed bugs on the other side. A good mattress encasement for bed bugs is machine washable, so you can pop it off and give it a thorough clean.
If you're not sure which type of protector is right for you, our guide to mattress protectors vs encasements can provide a detailed break down of the pros and cons of both designs.
2. Regularly clean your mattress
Frequently cleaning your mattress can help limit the build-up of scent, making your mattress less attractive to bed bugs. We recommend stripping the bed once a week to clean the sheets and allow the mattress to air.
Vacuuming is one of the best home remedies for bed bugs (and a good way to keep your mattress in top condition.) This regular cleaning schedule has another advantage — it can help you spot bed bugs in the early days of infestation. When you clean your mattress take a moment to investigate the seams and corners for any signs of bed bugs.
3. Keep clutter away
Any piles of mess, particularly those that smell like you, can lure bed bugs. To prevent your bedroom from turning into a haven for creepy crawlies, keep clutter off the floor.
We mentioned above that bed bugs are typically drawn to dark colors but realistically, your yellow sheets are unlikely to act as a deterrent. However, keeping your sheets neat and tidy — rather than piled up on the floor — will give bed bugs fewer places to hide.
There's one place clutter definitely doesn't belong — on your bed. Bed bugs are typically bought into the house on clothes, furniture and luggage. Avoid sitting on your bed in outdoor clothing, in case any bed bugs have hitched a ride. And if you're returning from a holiday, don't put your suitcase on the bed. If you've brought bed bugs home as an accidental souvenir, they'll quickly make themselves at home in your mattress
