The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is a small, nocturnal insect – feeding on blood and causing itchy bites on humans. The pests are reddish or brown in color, with a flat, oval shape body and an adult may grow to be the size of 4-7mm (about the size of Abraham Lincoln’s head on a penny). Young bed bugs are smaller and lighter in color. Bed bugs are primarily active at night and will feed on humans when they are sleeping. Adult bed bug after feeding. Bed bugs can come from a variety of locations. Most commonly, they are transported to people’s homes via clothing and/or luggage from hotels, motels and resorts, as well as many other high traffic sources including movie theaters, apartments, dormitories, parks and cabins. Bed bugs are very successful hitchhikers, moving from an infested site to bedding, baggage, boxes, and clothing with ease. Although they typically feed on blood every five to ten days, bed bugs are very resilient and are capable of surviving over a year without feeding.
Bites from bed bugs can be painless, but may become itchy later and can look like small reddish welts. They do not have nests, but tend to live in hiding places that provide them easier access to people that they can feed from. Common hiding places in the home can be in mattresses, box springs, headboards, nightstands, baseboards and even in cracks in walls. Baby bed bug feeding on a human. While bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, they generally only appear in dark conditions. You may have been bitten by bed bugs if you wake up with itchy areas on your skin that you didn't have before falling asleep. You can spot a possible bed bug infestation by looking for the following indicators: Bed bugs on a mattress. Although they are a nuisance, bed bugs have not been found to transmit any human diseases. Consider encasing both the mattress and box spring in a protective cover like those used for allergy relief to eliminate access to your mattress by bed bugs.
Mattress encasements will seal the mattress and box spring, keeping bugs in the mattress trapped (where they will eventually die) while also keeping new bugs out. While an encasement will not keep bed bugs from crawling onto a bed and biting a sleeping person, it will be easier to spot and destroy any bugs residing on the outer surface during examination. Without an encasement, once a mattress becomes infested, you should consider replacing it since treating your bed and pillows with pesticides can be harmful. Encasements for both mattresses and pillows specifically designed to help protect against bed bugs are available for purchase at any Sleep Train location. New mattresses are placed in a tightly sealed mattress bag immediately after being manufactured, creating an inhospitable environment for any living organism. New mattresses are not removed from this bag until they have reached the customer's home. Here are a few simple precautions that can help prevent bed bug infestation in your home:
Consult a professional pest control company. For more information on bed bugs please consult the following Websites.Question from a desperate reader: Is a new mattress considered a used mattress if it gets returned? I'm wondering because I have been sleeping on my new Simmons Beautyrest Allegheny Extra Firm mattress for two months. I sleep ok but it is super hard and I think I would feel more comfortable if it were a bit softer. I paid $1,400 which was more than I expected to pay but I thought I would be helping my health. I only have a few days left to return it but they want a 15% restocking fee plus $60 pick-up fees and I do not want to spend more money but I hate this mattress. Sorry to ask you all this but I am desperate to make aKay G., March 7, 2015 Your dilemma is one that is common and frustrating to countless numbers of mattress buyers. You've purchased a mattress that just isn't right for you and now you are stuck facing more fees to get the darn
out a new, best-priced luxury mattress in your home for 75 days and never worrySee the link below that says discover these amazing mattresses. It's unbelievable to me that mattress sellers would take back a mattress, repackage it, restock it, and then sell this used mattressThe big problem I have with this is when some of these hucksters try to pass these mattresses off as new. It really fries me because…It's one of those "dirty little secrets" of the mattress industry. I for one would not want to buy a used mattress that I thought was new. Sure, I’ve slept on my share of used mattresses—short-term house rentals, hotels, and visiting family or friends.But nowadays, with the threat of bed bugs or other little critters that can crawl inside a hole in a mattress, we have to be careful bringing a used mattress into our homes. I realize mattresses can beI realize mattresses get dumped in landfills. I realize some people can't afford a nice, new mattress.
But those are issues for another time. you ever buy any mattress, make certain you understand those return fees. My point is clear: If a mattress store is charging a restocking fee, that means they intend to restock it, as in, resell it. So yes to your question: If your new mattress, that you slept on for two months, gets returned, it becomes a used mattress. And if the store isn't restocking it, then why are they charging a restocking fee? See what I mean? It's a bunch of monkey business if That's why it’s vital to know the return policies of anyRead all return information carefully. Warranties too, by theGood companies will say up front what the deal is on returns. Some companies will state they don’t take back usedThey have no trial period for you to sleep on it at home. know and can decide if you want their mattress bad enough from that company. The key is, what do you want and what do you need?I’ve purchased some great stuff from companies that have
But I knew exactly what I wanted, and I knew I would never return what I bought from them. Now let’s look at what I would suggest you do. others in your situation if they’re stuck with a mattress they don’t want. keep this Simmons mattress. The benefit of keeping the mattress is you don’t have to pay $210 in restocking fees and $60 pick-up fees. You could use that money to go out and get a brand new memory foam topper to make this concrete slab of a mattress you have more comfortable. I think that option stinks. I think option 2 is better. this brick and pay the price. The benefits of doing this are, in my opinion, better than the benefits of keeping the mattress. It is unlikely you will ever be able to sleep on this mattress without the aid of an excellent memory foam topper. It’s hard enough to get a good night’s sleep. start thinking before you go to bed that you hate your mattress, this really can lead to insomnia.
You become almost afraid to go to bed at night. From a financial standpoint, if you send the mattress back, you will have $1,130 cash back in your purse ($1,400 purchase - $270 cost ofYes, you are out $270 and you’re bummed out that you lostHowever, you have cut your losses and now: By the way, in general, yes, I do think thinner people will find an extra firm mattress less comfortable than a firm or medium firm. Everyone is different however so there is no set-in-stone rule on this. warns people that buying used mattresses increases the chance of bringing bed Most states in the U.S. have strict laws for selling used mattresses or mattresses with used materials. I selected three at random to see what I could find: Texas, California, and Massachusetts. It’s clear from my reading each of these state’s literature that any company must have a license to resell used bedding. California calls mattresses that have used materials,
These mattresses will have a red tag. A yellow tag is for a used mattress that has been sanitized. California’s Department of Consumer Affairs warns people that buying used mattresses from companies that are not certified increases the chance of bringing bed bugs home. Massachusetts also makes a big deal out of mattress sanitizers being properly licensed. Of course, the chances of a name-brand mattress maker stuffing their new mattresses with used materials is non-existent. Look for a white “Under Penalty of Law” tag on the mattress. This tag will say something like “this mattress contains all-new material Then it goes on to say where and when it was manufactured and have a bunch of numbers on it. It is illegal for a mattress retailer to sell you a mattress without that white tag. The bottom line is, if you want new, buy from retailers who only sell new mattresses. And always look for that white “all-new-mattress”
If you see a colored tag—or no tag at all—run the other way! Ask the people at the mattress store if what you are buying As to your question about restocking fees, this all comes down to how a company wants to do business. Different companies have differentSome have a mattress trial period. A company has every right to charge a restocking fee if theyMaybe they feel they’ll lose a fortune if they don’t because they’re afraid of too many returns. As for your memory foam topper questions, I’ve received several similar questions recently. Check out some of the topper articles on myI’ll be posting more soon too.Okay, let’s wrap this up. The good news is, if you don’t want to worry about return fees and restocking fees, you won’t have to pay them You may be surprised to know you can get a finely crafted queen mattress for only $899. A luxury twin is only $599. These are American made mattresses. This is the future of mattress buying in America.