Bedbug eggs and empty egg shells are certainly symptoms of a growing multi-generational bedbug population. They are very small – about 1 mm in length – but visible to the naked eye – a magnifying glass helps. They are usually white in color, but can be opaque.
The molted skins of the bed bug look very similar to the bed bug itself. They are the same shape and generally translucent in color. However, you will notice that they look like an empty bed bug shell. They will be different sizes depending on the life stage of the bed bug that molted.
Bed bug eggs, in general, are: tiny, the size of a pinhead; pearl-white in color; and. marked by an eye spot if more than five days old.
When bed bugs molt to shed their skin as they grow and develop, they leave behind a discarded exoskeleton or shell. They are typically light brown or translucent and can be found near areas where bed bugs hide, such as the seams of mattresses, the backs of headboards, and cracks and crevices in walls and furniture.
Bed bug eggs resemble grains of rice, but much smaller. Most are pearly white-gray in color with an elongated oval shape that's only about 1 millimeter long. At the front end of each egg is a hinged cap, which opens up to create an opening that a newly hatched bed bug nymph comes out of.
The color of bed bug eggs ranges from pearly white to pale yellow. Unhatched eggs are somewhat translucent, while hatched eggs are hollow and almost entirely transparent.
Cast skins (casings) look like lighter colored empty bedbug shells – which is basically what they are. They can vary in size and in color. They get lighter in color over time. Shed bedbugs shells, or casings, left after the bedbugs molt after taking a blood meal.
Dust Mites
They thrive in warm and humid environments and are usually present in mattresses, upholstered furniture, carpets, and curtains. As scavengers, they don't directly feed on humans as bedbugs do. Instead, they feed on dead skin, pet dander, pollen, and bacteria.
However, if you already suspect bed bugs and you discover yellowish, translucent shells in common bed bug hiding places, then you should consider contacting your local pest control professional for an inspection.
Bed bug egg shells appear as white, husk-like specks, according to the NHS. They can sometimes be mottled and are produced when the bugs shed their skin as they grow.
Bed bugs, like any insect, have an exoskeleton, and they must shed their skin to grow. This is called molting. So, when you find a shell or casing around your home, this is the result of the bed bug shedding to grow.
Yellow flakes are actually moltings from juvenile bed bugs that have become adults–not dandruff from a previous guest. Bed bug eggs look like uncooked grains of white rice. They're somewhat sticky and are typically found in small clumps.
What is this? As you can see, bed bug shells look just like the little pests themselves, only a different color and crunchier. These cast skins are what remain after a bed bug has molted or shed its exoskeleton. Bed bugs must do this several times throughout their lifecycle to grow.
Bed bug poop appears as clusters of tiny spots on your bed. The droppings consist of digested blood, so they will no longer be red once they dry. The spots will be darker, rust colored or black, and are about the size of a dot from a marker.
They are visible to the naked eye. Adult bed bugs are usually brown in colour. When filled with blood, their colour ranges from red to dark brown. They are oval in shape and about the size of a flattened apple seed, 4 to 7 mm in length.
Bedbug Eggs: These look like tiny grains of salt or white poppy seeds. They are so small you may not be able to see them without a magnifying glass. Bloodstains: When bedbugs bite you, they deposit partially digested blood on your bed sheets, leaving small round stains that are either red or brown in color.
As mentioned above, bed bugs are often mistaken for crumbs, apple seeds, and other small seeds. Even if you aren't sure, if you think it may be bed bugs, clean it up and call the professionals for a thorough inspection.
It can be quite difficult to see bed bug eggs without a magnifying glass. They are typically the size of a grain of rice or a speck of dust, oval in shape and whitish in colour.
The Shell of a Bed Bug Egg
Bed bug eggs are soft and smooth. While they look like rice granules, they are not hard and can be difficult to pick up. The eggs are protected by an outer shell. Inside the shell is fluid that the bug will eventually grow from.
Cicadas are known to appear in large numbers and leave behind their old skin, or husks, they shed during their final molting process.
Pull back your sheets and inspect both your linens and mattress for tiny, 2.5 to 4.5mm bed bug shells. They'll look a bit like tiny, empty kernels of popcorn.
A more accurate way to identify a possible infestation is to look for physical signs of bed bugs. When cleaning, changing bedding, or staying away from home, look for: Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed.
However, there are more bugs that look like bed bugs than you might expect. While the complete list could be quite long, the short list is fleas, immature roaches, booklice, carpet beetles, bat bugs and ticks.
Besides bedbugs, numerous insects bite at night. These night biters can be mites, fleas, mosquitoes, lice, spiders, and ticks. Most of these insect bite marks look alike; hence, you should first look for bedbugs and investigate further. These insects certainly don't bite you when you're in bed.