Bed bugs are a nuisance. They can quickly multiply and infest your home, leaving behind an unpleasant residue of bed bug eggs. Learning how to recognize why there are dried bed bug eggs around your home is essential for preventing future infestations.
It’s not always easy to spot bed bug eggs in dark, secluded areas, but even when they’re dried and no longer viable, they can still give you clues about recent or developing infestations if you suspect bed bugs in your home.
To keep bed bugs away effectively, you should know if there are old bed bug eggs in your home and how to inspect your home properly. Here we’ll look at what bed bug eggs look like and the best ways to search for them.
What Bed Bug Eggs Look Like
Bed bug eggs are small and white in color, ranging from 1mm-1.5mm in size. They have a spindle shape to them and often appear clustered together. Bed bug eggs look like tiny dots on walls, sheets, and furniture, but they can also be found tucked away in cracks and crevices that are difficult to spot.
In addition to the size and shape of these bed bug eggs, they may also have an unpleasant smell. For example, some people describe it as having a musty odor like mildew or stale sweat.
What Dried Bed Bug Eggs Look
Dried bed bug eggs look like more yellow or brown in color, making them difficult to distinguish from other dirt or debris found in your home. Since they are no longer viable, they will not move as live bed bug eggs do. However, they can still be identified by their size and spindle shape.
Live bed bug eggs are generally 1mm-1.5mm long, while dried eggs may appear slightly smaller due to being shrunken with age. Additionally, you may find shells of partially hatched bed bug eggs near low-lying areas that could give clues about the presence of recent infestations.
Are Old Bed Bug Eggs Hard or Soft?
Generally, are unhatched bed bugs eggs hard or soft? Old bed bug eggs are usually hard and difficult to remove because of the sticky substance that they come with. They can often look like other small particles like tiny grains, lint, or dust, making them even harder to detect without the help of a pest exterminator.
Due to their hardened state, it is often difficult for home cleaning methods such as vacuuming or steaming to remove them entirely. As a result, calling in a professional and attempting advanced techniques may be required if there is a persistent problem with removing them.
How to Inspect Areas Where Bed Bug Eggs are Hidden
Bed bug infestations can often be hard to spot since the bed bug eggs are typically hidden in cracks and crevices. To help you detect any potential bed bug infestation, here is a guide on how to inspect areas where bed bug eggs may be hiding.
- Inspect any areas where the bed bugs may have been residing near their food source such as mattresses, bed frames, headboards, and couches.
- Look for any signs of dead or live bed bugs and eggs in tight crevices or seams.
- If possible, use a flashlight to look at dark places like behind baseboards or picture frames.
- Check around electrical outlets and other objects that are attached to the wall for egg sacs.
- Look closely at any hollow spaces such as behind and underneath couches, beds, and dressers.
- If possible, use a magnifying glass to get a better view of these tight spaces.
- Inspect seams of mattresses and box springs for signs of eggs or live bed bugs.
- Pay close attention to carpeting and curtains near the bed for egg sacs that may have been laid in these areas.
By following these simple steps, you can easily identify any signs of bed bugs and their eggs and assess the degree of the problem. Doing so will help you take the right action and clean up your home quickly and effectively, ensuring that no further damage is done by these pesky pests.
Tips on Getting Rid of Dried Bed Bug Eggs
Bed bug eggs can be a hard problem to get rid of and can resist heat and cold. To help you eliminate these pesky pests, here are some tips on how to effectively remove dried bed bug eggs.
- Vacuum frequently, paying special attention to crevices and cracks in furniture and walls.
- Place items like clothes, linens, and stuffed animals in sealed plastic bags or containers for at least 3 days to kill bed bug eggs that may have been left behind.
- Use low temperatures between -17°C (-27°F) to -7°C (20°F) to freeze the eggs; just make sure they stay at that temperature for several hours.
- If all else fails, consider calling in a professional pest control service that can use more specialized chemicals that will effectively remove all traces of the eggs from your home.
By taking these steps, you can put an end to your bed bug egg infestation once and for all! With the right techniques and proper preventative measures taken afterward, you can ensure that bed bugs won’t be coming back anytime soon.
Spots Where Female Bed Bugs Lay Eggs
A female bed bug will typically lay eggs in areas where they will be safe from environmental elements and predators. Common spots include:
- Mattress Seam
- Box Spring
- Bed Frame
- Walls
- Furniture Cracks and Crevices
- Behind Baseboards
- Light Switches
You can find bed bug eggs hidden in tight cracks and crevice out of sight so it can be difficult to spot any potential infestation. Regardless of how many bed bugs you find, the fact that they are in your home means that an infestation is already going on and females will produce eggs continuously.
By staying vigilant and keeping an eye out for signs of bed bug eggs or even a single bed bug, you can identify potential infestations early and take action to remove them before they become a bigger issue.
How Many Eggs Can Female Bed Bugs Lay?
A female bed bug can lay up to five eggs in a single day, and up to 500 eggs during its lifetime. The eggs are usually laid in clusters of 10 to 50. Bed bug eggs hatch for approximately ten days before they become bed bug nymphs. Remember that bed bugs reproduce quickly and start laying eggs again, so it’s important to act fast if you notice any potential infestations.
Adult bed bugs can survive for several months without getting a blood meal, which is why you should take precautionary measures to prevent an infestation as soon as signs of an adult bed bug appear. The most common signs include blood spots on sheets or mattresses, tiny bed bug egg casings on furniture and walls, fecal matter that looks like small black dots scattered around areas where bed bugs hide, and musty odors.
Furthermore, keep in mind that bed bug harborage is not only in beds; there are also bed bug eggs found in other furniture such as sofas and chairs. To protect your home from bed bugs, regular cleaning and vacuuming can help reduce the chances of an infestation occurring.
Highly Recommended Option to Remove Bed Bug Eggs
The best way of killing bed bug eggs is to use a combination of high-temperature steam cleaning, vacuuming, and pesticides. High-temperature steam or heat treatment can kill bed bugs in all stages, including their eggs.
Vacuuming can also help pick up any bugs and more eggs that may be hiding in cracks or crevices in addition to heat treatments. Applying pesticides or bed bug sprays will help kill any remaining bugs and eggs that weren’t eliminated with the other methods in an infested area.
Additionally, a pest control expert can use specialized equipment to identify areas where bed bug eggs might be hiding so they can target them for removing bed bugs effectively and controlling the bed bug population.
What are the Risks of Having Dried Bed Bug Eggs Around Your Home?
Dried bed bug eggs can be a potential health hazard if they are left untreated in the home. The eggs can break open and release dangerous pathogens, spores, and allergens which can lead to respiratory illness, skin irritation, and other allergic reactions.
Additionally, having an active infestation of bed bugs can often indicate more serious pest problems such as cockroaches or rodents. For these reasons, it is important to take measures for preventing and removing the old bed bug eggs from around your home as soon as possible.
