5 things you should know about bed bug eggs

If you see bed bug eggs, it’s best to handle it as soon as possible. Once the bugs hatch and the infestation spreads, it can quickly become a big problem. Calling to schedule treatment as soon as possible is the first step to getting the situation under control. In the meantime, here are a few things you need to know when it comes to bed bugs and their eggs.

1. Signs of Bed Bugs

If you woke up with some itchy spots on your body and your skin is crawling just thinking about bedbugs, you have two options. One, call a pest control company and let them handle the inspection. Or two, begin checking your mattress and furniture yourself to confirm your suspicion.

Here are a few signs of bed bugs:

• Reddish-brown spots on your sheets or mattress. This happens when bed bugs or bed bug eggs are crushed.
• Dark spots on your sheets or mattress. These are most likely bug excrement.
• Bed bug eggs or shells. These are very small, about 1mm, and they have a pale-yellow coloring.
• Live bed bugs crawling around. If you see one bed bug, there’s most likely a lot more. It’s time to call for help to treat the area as soon as possible.

2. Where Do They Hide?

You can find most bed bugs and bed bug eggs in and around a mattress – in the seams, the piping, or around the box spring. However, they do hide in other places, including:

• Seams of couches, chairs, and between cushions
• Seams or flaps of your drapes or curtains
• Between the joints of drawers
• The crease where the ceiling and the wall meet
• In extreme cases of infestation, you can even find bed bugs in the head of a screw.

3. Identifying Bed Bugs and Other Pests

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine if you have bed bug eggs or something else living on your mattress or furniture. For the bed bug certified technician, bed bugs and bed bug eggs are easy to spot. However, to the untrained eye, a few other pests look very similar to bed bugs, including:

• Spider Beetles
• Cockroach Nymphs
• Carpet Beetles
• Bat Bugs
• Booklice

If you see something that remotely looks like a bed bug or bed bug eggs, it’s always best to call in the professionals rather than take the chance of a greater infestation.

4. What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Now that you know where to search for them, you might wonder exactly what bed bugs look like. Adult bed bugs tend to be a reddish-brown color and have an oval-shaped body. They are about the size of an apple seed. Bed bugs can either be flat or have a more balloon-like shape, depending if they have recently eaten. Like ticks and fleas, bed bugs need blood to survive.

If you’re one of those people that thinks they can identify a bed bug from the bite alone, you might be wrong. Some people have no reaction to bed bug bites. Others experience itching and redness. It’s nearly impossible to identify the type of bug by a bite alone, especially considering bed bug bites can look similar to flea bites, chigger bites, hives, and even eczema.

5. What Causes Bed Bugs?

People often associate a bed bug infestation with a dirty home. Unfortunately, keeping your house clean isn’t enough to keep bed bugs at bay. Bed bugs can live in almost any environment, as long as they have access to food. They aren’t picky house guests and don’t care if you changed your sheets last week or last year.

You can find these bugs and bed bug eggs on planes, trains, and taxis. They also hide in offices, hotels, movie theaters, and restaurants. In 2017, the Phoenix-area reported 16 public areas with bed bugs. Really, anywhere with people may also have bed bugs.

Unfortunately, bed bugs are hitchhikers. If you sit on an airplane seat or sleep in a hotel with bed bugs, you may be bringing your new creepy friends home with you. Before you relax, take a minute to inspect your surroundings. If you do happen to bring some home, know that you should call Budget Brothers at the first sign of bed bugs.