Bed bugs are everyone’s worst nightmare and no one wants them in their home. These tiny insects feed only on the blood of humans and animals and are most active at night. They exist in all parts of the world and are easily transferred from one location to another. Although bed bugs have existed all along, the prevalence of bed bug infestations has been growing over the past several decades.
It’s bad enough to have bed bugs, but it’s even worse if bed bugs end up laying eggs in your home. Getting rid of bed bugs is one thing, but if they begin to reproduce, you will want to know how to kill bed bug eggs immediately. If you just rid your home of the living, mature bed bugs, then soon after your home will again be infested with a whole new generation of their offspring.
How Do You Know If You Have Bed Bugs?
People usually find out that they have bed bugs in their home because they begin to notice bug bites on their bodies when they wake up in the morning. These bites may appear as a rash or as individual bites, depending on the skin of the individual and on the species of bed bug. Often, when there are bites visible, there are three bites in a row.
Further, even though bed bugs are very small, people can often see them crawling around on the mattress when the sheet is pulled back. They are very reclusive and love to hide. They will usually run for cover when exposed.
Having bed bugs in your home does not mean you are a bad housekeeper. Bed bugs and a bed bug infestation can happen to anyone. It’s important, though, that this problem is dealt with quickly, or it will just get worse and worse.
Where to Look for Bed Bug Eggs
A female bed bug can lay as many as five hundred eggs in her lifetime. Mature female bed bugs lay eggs at a rate of one to five eggs per day. Each egg hatch within six to ten days. The warmer the room is, the sooner the eggs will hatch.
The immature bed bug then goes through several stages over the course of a month before it is an adult, but it can feed on a blood source immediately. Once it becomes an adult, it can lay more eggs and the whole cycle continues.
Bed bugs like to lay their eggs in places they will not be disturbed, so there is a good chance you won’t even see the eggs. That does not mean they are not there.
If you are looking for bed bug eggs, look in places out of human sight and in dark, enclosed places. There may be bed bug eggs inside your mattress or inside your box spring or bed frame. Bed bugs often lay eggs inside luggage or suitcases or in cracks and crevices around your bedroom.
Also look for bed bug eggs in other bedroom furniture, inside appliances and in outlets and light switches. Eggs could be between your wallpaper and your wall, or behind pictures, mirrors or shelving.
If you see bed bug eggs out in the open, like in your carpet, you already have a very major and serious bed bug problem. You should call a pest control professional immediately.
Identifying Bed Bug Eggs
If you have found something you believe to be bed bug eggs, they are pretty easy to identify. Bed bug eggs are often described as looking like miniature grains of rice. They are white in color and are a little transparent, too.
One single egg is so tiny that you probably could not see it without a magnifying glass, but usually there are many bed bug eggs laid in a group. These make them easier to spot even though they are only 1.5-2.5 millimeters in size.
You also may see eggshells. The shells are evidence that there were, in fact, bed bug eggs laid, but they have already hatched. These can disintegrate fast due to how small they are, so if you see them, the young bed bug inside has likely hatched recently.
Bed bugs lay their eggs near where they feed and congregate, so if you find what you think are bed bugs near your bed, your hunch is probably correct.
How to Kill Bed Bug Eggs
If you have found bed bugs and bed bug eggs in your home, you will want to get them out of there right away. The first thing you should do when you discover bed bugs is to clean up the area where you found them. Gather up all sheets, towels, curtains, rugs, and clothing and wash them.
Once they are washed, put them in the dryer on the highest heat setting. Be sure to run the cycle for at least thirty minutes. This may need to be done more than once, but it is effective and will kill the bugs and their eggs on those items.
While washing everything, you should scrub and vacuum your bedroom or any room where there is evidence of bed bugs. Once you are done with this, be sure to remove the vacuum cleaner bags from the house. Otherwise, they will escape from the vacuum cleaner and the problem will begin all over again.
If you find eggs in a place that you cannot wash or vacuum, there are a few things to try, but unfortunately, they are not very effective. First, you can try using a stuff brush on the eggs. This method will damage the surface of the eggs and will destroy them. However, you will probably miss some eggs that are hidden or that are deep within crevices.
You can also try vacuuming up the eggs you find. This can also work in the short term, but the chances that you will get each and every one of these tiny capsules are very unlikely. Bed bugs love to nest in places that cannot be disturbed, so there are probably more eggs hidden that you cannot see.
Call Professional Pest Control
Your best bet for ridding your home of bed bugs and bed bugs once and for all is by calling a pest control professional. They are experienced in removing bed bugs and will be most successful in doing so.
Your pest control professional will use a heat treatment to eradicate these insects. By raising the temperature of the room to 120° F and maintaining that temperature for a full hour, bed bugs in all life stages will perish. Eggs, nymphs, and adult bed bugs will all die.
If this method on its own does not appeal to you, or if your bed bug problem is extensive, your pest control expert can also spray eco-friendly bug treatment to help combat these pests. The technician will choose from Temprid, Cimexa, Zenprox or Phantom brands dependent on your home’s specific needs.
Either way, it is best to call a professional when dealing with a bed bug infestation. Professionals know how to kill bed bug eggs in the most effective way. Once he or she comes and does the job, you can get back to sleeping comfortably, soundly in a bed and bedroom that is bed bug-free.