Bombing is generally a very bad idea when it comes to bed bugs. I would seriously recommend people do not do this. It can disperse them into your walls and they may return.

Of course, I hope that is not the case for you. It is very good that you are searching hotel rooms proactively now, also.

I personally think the painter’s tarp is a bad idea. It also costs almost twice as much as the National Allergy covers (click here for a discount) and nearly as much of the ones sold by Protect-a-bed. And anything sealed with tape is likely to develop gaps.

Unless you plan to seal your belongings on the balcony, undisturbed, for 18 months, I would not go that route. Laundry is a pain in the ass, but if you get good thorough treatment from a PCO, you won’t need to bag up everything you own.

I would look at some of the other FAQs. Your mattress MUST be encased in a sealed cover, but you do not need to fully isolate it. I would, however, move it away from the wall.

Sorry you have to deal with this too…

I’d just junk my bedding and buy an inflatable until my home was secure!
They go on ebay wholesalers for very reasonable prices!

Now, in reality for me, I have an old custom made $1700 Private label queen size bed for the last 12 years… and I just discovered the infestation about a week ago.
Mind you, I’m dirt poor (bed was an insurance settlement).

I don’t have a clue what to do, partly because I’m in a bachelor apartment of 16′x16′ and in order to isolate my bed I’d have to practically put it in the middle of the room!

To simplify life, I guess I’ll put most of my old laundry and VHS tapes, books, in garbage bags and boxes on the balcony–lol, too lazy to do too much washing–you know of the guy who owns one fork and spoon? Honestly, I haven’t read the part 1 and 2 completely but I have an idea what i’m in for… sigh.

garbo

The plus to this is that I can easily steam off the mattresses both top and bottom, or rub them down with 91% isopropyl alcohol, but there are negatives too:
a) the duct tape tends to come a bit loose in a few places, so there are risk and maintenance issues similar to a cover with a seam,
b) the plastic is not what you’d call comfortable,
c) it looks rather unsightly.
I did notice a few pin holes from where the plastic must have torn by my practice of taping the sheets and blankets to the plastic–so I stopped that practice.

Now I just sleep in the sterilized clothing I plan on wearing the next day, or I use something I keep tucked in-between the two mattresses.
Bohemian yes! With the blankets bundled up around me, I am getting better at not letting them drag on the floor. And that’s a serious issue. I tend to subconsciously bundle myself up now during wake-sleep-wake-sleep-wake-sleep periods ….
But this was only after having to throw all those sheets and blankets back into the drier, like 5 or 6 times because they’d draped and hit the floor.

Am I being bitten? I don’t react much to the bites, so, only time will tell.

(I doubt any mattress cover(s) would have fit my futon mattresses very well anyway. My understanding is that mattress covers are made for mattresses—not futon pillows-beds.)

I don’t think the solution to Nomo’s problem is a cheaper plastic cover (the ones I had–3 of them, from Target not only ripped easily, as WMSB says, but would surely have been as exposed at the seams and zip as the NA one.

But I am open to other suggestions and I really do want to hear from others about their experiences!