The waterbed, also called flotation mattress, has been recognized for many years for its comfort. It is also used in the medical community to prevent the appearance of bedsores. A real ergonomic mattress, this kind of bedding allows excellent recovery and relieves back pain. But Can you get bed bugs on a water bed? We have listed the main advantages and disadvantages of the waterbed against Bed bugs in this article.
What is a Waterbed?
The waterbed consists of a vinyl pouch filled with plain water.
A waterbed is made up of a very resistant vinyl pocket that you fill with the amount of fluid you want. This same amount can be adjusted according to the user’s preferences for good sleep. The fuller the pocket, the more firm support the waterbed will provide. Note, however, that a thickness of 20 cm is ideal to optimize the comfort of this type of mattress.
This bedding is then covered with one or more layers of polyurethane foam. The higher the number of foam layers, the more the waterbed will ensure good sleeping stability and independence for sleepers. Ideally, we recommend that you choose a bed made up of 4 to 6 layers of foam, to ensure a soft and very comfortable welcome.
Water Bed gains stabilization by layers of fibers in the outer section: the greater the number of layers, the less you will feel the movements of the liquid.
The Advantages of a Waterbed
- It has a relaxation function: the body is not tense as on classic bedding.
- The pelvis is more sunken and the legs are slightly raised, with the effect of better blood circulation and a beneficial stretching of the spine.
- The support is personalized, easily modifiable, and long-lasting.
- The waterbed offers comfort that knows neither mechanical wear nor sagging.
- It is air-conditioned: its constant temperature thanks to a thermostat promotes sleep.
- It is also suitable for people with allergies, as it is the most hygienic bedding.
- You can change only the necessary parts: upholstery fabric, mattress, foam frame, heater.
- You can disassemble Beds and waterbeds into easily transportable parts (spiral staircase).
- For tall people: the lengths 210 and 220 cm are standard in wet bedding.
Another advantage is the fact that water is a temperature regulator :
In summer, you don’t sweat on a flotation mattress: the liquid is always cooler than the surrounding air.
In winter, the temperature of the waterbed makes it easier to fall asleep and provides a feeling of comfort that is much appreciated by users. With the constant maintenance of an optimal temperature in contact with the body, sleep is favored.
How do you know you have Bed bugs in your Water bed?
The fact that these small blood-sucking insects hide perfectly well in bedding makes it difficult to detect them. There is also the fact that bed bug bites are frequently confused with mosquito bites. However, there are a few tricks to find out if you have bed bugs in your mattress.
The first thing to do is to observe what is happening on your bed, preferably at night. If when you turn on your lamp, you notice the presence of small brown insects on your sheets, it is most likely those parasites. For better detection, install all-white or light-colored bedding. In this way, you will be able to more easily distinguish the parasites.
Push the investigations further by checking your bed base, your headboard, your pillows and of course your mattress. Pay particular attention to the seams of the mattress, where those pests love to congregate. These parasites are recognizable by their oval and flattened shape, it looks like a small apple pip. By the way, don’t forget to look at the bedside drawers.
You can identify Symptoms of a bedbug infestation by these clues:
- the presence of bed bug droppings (black spots) on the mattress, box spring, etc. ;
- the traces of blood on the sheets;
- stigmata of bug bites on the skin, redness and pimples with a red dot in the center;
- whitish eggs present on the mattress and on the bed.
How to get rid of Bed bugs in Water Bed ?
There are several treatments to get rid of those parasites that infest a waterbed. You can indeed fight these parasites with remarkable efficiency. To obtain satisfactory results, we advise you to apply an Multiple anti-bed bug methods.
Chemicals to disinfect the Water Bed
In supermarkets and in many pet stores, there are insecticides against bed bugs. These chemicals are only effective with a small infestation. Furthermore, you should note that these insecticides do not destroy the eggs of the parasites. Therefore, by using them, you are not immune to a new infestation.
Heat treatments for mattress bed bugs
There are cold heat treatments and heat treatments. They make it possible to exploit the destructive power of high or low temperatures to eliminate adult insects, nymphs and eggs. However as the waterbed is made of polyurethane you could risk melting the outer layer of the waterbed you purchased.
So, to drive bed bugs out of your flotation mattress, you should :
- Using a vacuum cleaner to remove those parasites
- Vacuum the entire surface of the mattress, taking care to make several passes, especially on the seams;
- Washing bed linen at 140°F (60°C)
- To remove any parasites that may be hiding in your bed linen, wash at 140°F (60°C) in the washing machine for at least 30 minutes.
Bed bug traps
While it’s easy to make a bed bug trap yourself, it’s best to get one directly from the store. Indeed, ready-to-use traps contain attractants (e.g. pheromones) which make it easy to capture a large number of harmful insects. You should place Traps at the foot of the bed and near bedside tables to capture those bloodsucking insects.
Anti-bed bug covers to effectively protect your Water bed
Many shops and other bedding specialists sell anti-bed bug covers. This protection envelops the mattress, forming an impermeable barrier, therefore impassable by biting insects. In many ways, the bedbug cover is effective since it prevents insects from feeding on your blood. Hungry, they will eventually starve to death. Likewise, this device strongly disturbs the reproduction of those pests.
In order for the parasite larvae to reach adulthood, they need to eat at least one meal. However, this is no longer possible for them after the installation of a protective cover. You will break the insect’s reproductive cycle and the pest population will eventually disappear. But beware, laying an anti-bed bug cover is not enough to get rid of them completely. Other pests could be hiding elsewhere in your bedroom or another room in your home.
Call a Pest control professional
In the event of a massive infestation of bed bugs, it is sometimes necessary to call in a pest control company. The latter will give you the benefit of high-performance treatments to fight against unwanted insects. If necessary, a professional can intervene with a bed bug detection dog to detect them before applying appropriate treatment.
Can Bed bugs live in Waterbeds ?
Bed bugs are parasitic insects that live in dark, dark spaces. They usually live in Bedrooms or living rooms with sofas.They can live in a wide diversity of environments. That includes the box spring of a waterbed and the seams of the water bed. Because those parasitic insects are not able to swim, and they would drown within a water bed as a result. As a result, it is unlikely for those insects to reside inside the waterbed.
Same thing applies for different types of mattresses such as Memory Foam Mattress. You can check our article about Memory Foam Mattress and Bed bugs if you want to know more about this topic.
Can you get Bed bugs on a Water bed?
There are little chances that Bed bugs choose a Water Bed to nest their colony. Even though they usually like to stay close to their food source. They usually prefer places with many tiny and dark spots where they can hide such as a regular mattress, or nearby furniture. So you have less chance of them nesting close to you if you have a waterbed. If you have a water Bed then there is more chance that those pesky insects are traveling from outside your bed to your water bed in order to feed on your blood at night. So the best solution might be to place bed bug traps on the pathway they could cross. That could be for instance beneath the legs of the bed.
Does water get rid of bed bugs?
Bed bugs will not die if they come in contact with water. There are only two ways to kill those parasites with water :
The first is to submerge them in water to drown them. You should let them in liquid for at least 15 minutes to ensure that you get rid of them. You cannot apply this method on a large scale in a room as it would be impossible to submerge a whole room in water. We do not advise to even try to drown those parasites.
The second method is using hot water to get rid of those parasites. Indeed those insects and their eggs will die above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49°C). So you should use this fact to your advantage and wash your clothes and bedding linens to high temperature mode. You should also use a clean steamer to project hot steam on furniture and in your bow spring or anywhere they could hide.
Can Bed bugs swim in water ?
The good news is that Bed bugs cannot swim in fluids. So, you should submerge them in a liquid solution so that they will eventually drown and die. Like ants, they could survive a few minutes by trying to crawl at the surface of the liquid but if you place them in a bucket of water they would not survive for long. They adapted to human conditions of living which are terrestrial environments.There is no chance that you catch them by swimming in the sea or in the pool.
Can bed bugs live in Soapy water?
Bed bugs cannot live in water as we previously mentioned. Soap will be an irritant and will dehydrate them. So if you throw them in a bucket of soapy water they will die even quicker than in a regular bucket of water. However do not hope that mopping your room with soapy liquid will get rid of your bed bugs trouble. Indeed soapy water will not kill those bloodsuckers on contact but only if they are submerged in it. Meaning that they will die by drowning. Soapy solution is not an efficient DIY method against those pests.
Conclusion
In this article we answered the question : Can you get bed bugs on a water bed? The answer is. The only way to fully protect your bed when dealing with them is having a bed bug mattress Cover. By encasing your bed with such items you will prevent those parasites from biting you at night and will stop the growth of the colony due to food deprivation. If you want to know about the best Bed bugs Mattress Cover, you can have a look at our Best Bed bugs Mattress Covers Buying Guide.