Foam products supplier FXI previewed its Bed Bug Defense Shield at the winter Las Vegas Market. The patent-pending product from the Media, Pa.-based company is a set of flexible mats that help protect mattresses, furniture and luggage from bedbug infestations. It begins shipping in June.
The mats do not contain pesticides but are impregnated with a natural substance, diatomaceous earth, which coats and suffocates pests that crawl through it. To protect a bed set, the mats are laid edge to edge beneath the mattress or foundation.
The product is the result of months of testing and research and was found to prevent bedbugs from spreading or reproducing within sleep environments and other parts of the home, the company said.
“The only thing worse than having bedbugs is trying to get rid of them,” said Diane Adams, FXI senior vice president of consumer products. “Prior to now, the process of getting rid of bedbugs could take as long as a year and cost thousands of dollars. The Bed Bug Defense Shield offers permanent protection and is an effective part of a bedbug remediation program.”
Travelers can avoid transporting bedbugs home by placing their luggage on a mat when they arrive at their hotel. Students heading off to college are another target market for the new product, which is sold in sets of varying sizes.
