Bed bug eggs start with a female bed bug that invades a home. The female feeds twice, about 2 weeks apart, then begins to lay eggs. This begins the bed bug lifecycle and the eggs hatch within 10 days. A single female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her 10 month lifetime.
You can easily see how quickly just a few bed bugs arriving in your home, can become a very serious problem in a very short period of time. Because of this, finding and killing bed bugs eggs should be one of your top priorities if you have a bed bug infestation. Killing bed bugs stops the lifecycle and prevents additional bed bugs in your home.
What do bed bug eggs look like
Bed bug eggs look very much like grains of rice but are about half the size (1mm in length). Their color can vary from being transparent to white. They are generally laid in clusters in hidden and dark areas of your home.
Bed bug eggs are very sticky, especially when they are freshly laid, making them difficult to remove and near impossible to vacuum up. The longer the eggs sit, the less sticky they become.
Bed bug eggs that haven't yet hatched and that are about 5 days old will have a very small orange dot on them. The dot resembles an eye.
Eggs that have hatched will have a visible hole in the top and will be only a shell. Seeing empty shells is a very strong indicator that you may have a bed bug infestation.
You'll frequently find bed bug eggs on fabric, wood, and other rough-textured surfaces, where they stick better. They are seldom laid on metal, plastic or other smooth surfaces.
What kills bed bug eggs
Bed bug eggs are unfortunately difficult to kill and get rid of. The best way is to hire a professional exterminator. A professional has both the tools, time, and experience to kill bed bugs and their eggs in your home.
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The reality is that most people cannot afford an exterminator, even though hiring one is the best and most efficient option.
If you cannot afford a professional, or just prefer to deal with bed bugs and their eggs yourself, you have a few options:
- Steamers - Steam is highly effective at killing bed bug eggs and bed bugs in general. Steamers are easy to use and are able to get into difficult to reach areas, where bed bugs eggs are usually found.
- Heat - Heat treatment is also highly effective but can be difficult to use on larger furniture items. Without engaging a professional, safely heat treating your home itself (walls, flooring, etc.) is not a feasible option.
- Sprays - Utilizing proven and tested bed bug sprays to kill bed bug eggs is also very effective, but only if the spray comes in contact with the bed bugs eggs.
The single most effective option is to use a bed bug steamer. Steamers are fairly inexpensive, easy to use, highly effective at killing bed bugs and bed bug eggs, and safe for most items in your home.
The most important tip to remember when killing bed bugs and their eggs is to continue treatment on a frequent basis for at least a month. Repeated treatment is critical to successfully getting rid of bed bugs and their eggs in your home. Many people fail to do this, and never get rid of bed bugs in their home as a result.
Using bed bug traps is a great way to determine if you have resolved your bed bug problem or not. Place bed bug traps on the legs of your bed frame, and furniture. When you no longer see bed bugs in the traps after a month, you'll know you resolved your bed bug problem.
