Wormsign but for bedbugs
May 4, 2023 5:49 AM
Husband found this part of a bug in our laundry room, on the floor near the shelves he’s got clothes on. Does this look like a bedbug shell to you? Should we imminently panic?
Photo here
Husband is (rightfully) terrified of bedbugs and very paranoid about them but I can’t deny this looks pretty bedbug-ish.
If so… what should we do as a first step?
Photo here
Husband is (rightfully) terrified of bedbugs and very paranoid about them but I can’t deny this looks pretty bedbug-ish.
If so… what should we do as a first step?
I also agree that the photo does seem to indicate bed bugs. But fear not! You can defeat them.
First find a reputable exterminator who can do an inspection and make an accurate determination. A quality exterminator will make at least two visits as a standard practice. Sprays do not kill the eggs and it takes about 7-10 days for bed bug eggs to hatch, so they absolutely need to come back and spray again.
Look for someone who can offer heat treatment. Some places will allow you to put household items in a unit that is then heated up at a sufficient temp and for a sufficient time to kill bugs and eggs.
Look for someone who can spray diatomaceous earth (sometimes known as "drione dust") inside your walls. Diatomaceous earth is basically ground up sea shells. It's non-toxic and will cut the exoskeletons of the bugs so they dry up. A treatment is good for 6 months and this is what finally cleared my apartment building of an on again/off again infestation.
Don't get rid of your mattress, just get an allergy cover. That will keep bedbugs from setting up in your mattress or box spring.
Bed bugs can be in any crack or crevices (I found some in the pages of a book), so you'll want to check bedroom furniture thoroughly. You can put items in plastic bins. Run clothes through a hot dryer (you don't need to wash first). Vacuum frequently and thoroughly and immediately take the vacuum bag out (wrapped in plastic bag first) or empty canister into bag and thoroughly clean after each vacuum session.
Those measures will go a long way to getting rid of the nasties. Remember bed bugs don't carry disease (though some people are allergic to the bites). They are just gross and it's not fun to think of them crawling around when you're sleeping! Bed bugs are also not a reflection on your cleanliness or housekeeping; even the most spotless house can get infested.
posted by brookeb at 10:20 AM on May 4, 2023
First find a reputable exterminator who can do an inspection and make an accurate determination. A quality exterminator will make at least two visits as a standard practice. Sprays do not kill the eggs and it takes about 7-10 days for bed bug eggs to hatch, so they absolutely need to come back and spray again.
Look for someone who can offer heat treatment. Some places will allow you to put household items in a unit that is then heated up at a sufficient temp and for a sufficient time to kill bugs and eggs.
Look for someone who can spray diatomaceous earth (sometimes known as "drione dust") inside your walls. Diatomaceous earth is basically ground up sea shells. It's non-toxic and will cut the exoskeletons of the bugs so they dry up. A treatment is good for 6 months and this is what finally cleared my apartment building of an on again/off again infestation.
Don't get rid of your mattress, just get an allergy cover. That will keep bedbugs from setting up in your mattress or box spring.
Bed bugs can be in any crack or crevices (I found some in the pages of a book), so you'll want to check bedroom furniture thoroughly. You can put items in plastic bins. Run clothes through a hot dryer (you don't need to wash first). Vacuum frequently and thoroughly and immediately take the vacuum bag out (wrapped in plastic bag first) or empty canister into bag and thoroughly clean after each vacuum session.
Those measures will go a long way to getting rid of the nasties. Remember bed bugs don't carry disease (though some people are allergic to the bites). They are just gross and it's not fun to think of them crawling around when you're sleeping! Bed bugs are also not a reflection on your cleanliness or housekeeping; even the most spotless house can get infested.
posted by brookeb at 10:20 AM on May 4, 2023
Some research has found bedbugs are attracted to dirty laundry.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170928142058.htm
If you want to try out a DIY bedbug lure you can use a sugar yeast mix to generate carbon dioxide to attract them into a trap. If you do have some in your house this could be one way to confirm before contacting a pest control company.
https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-bedbug-dog-bowl-20130806-story.html
https://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/338bedbugtrap.pdf
posted by forkisbetter at 2:55 PM on May 4, 2023
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170928142058.htm
If you want to try out a DIY bedbug lure you can use a sugar yeast mix to generate carbon dioxide to attract them into a trap. If you do have some in your house this could be one way to confirm before contacting a pest control company.
https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-bedbug-dog-bowl-20130806-story.html
https://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/338bedbugtrap.pdf
posted by forkisbetter at 2:55 PM on May 4, 2023
This is an old question but follow-up, this was resolved ages ago and I just wanted to confirm for any frantic googlers that this WAS in fact a LADY BUG.
My husband stumbled on some reddit posts where this had turned out to be the case and we do have repeated sightings of lady bugs in our house. Turns out the thorax without the wings looks exactly like a bedbug, and we dismantled a dead one we found in the same area as the first and it was a perfect match. Had the bedbug sniffing dog out and everything just to be 100% sure.
posted by caitcadieux at 9:15 AM on July 25, 2023
My husband stumbled on some reddit posts where this had turned out to be the case and we do have repeated sightings of lady bugs in our house. Turns out the thorax without the wings looks exactly like a bedbug, and we dismantled a dead one we found in the same area as the first and it was a perfect match. Had the bedbug sniffing dog out and everything just to be 100% sure.
posted by caitcadieux at 9:15 AM on July 25, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
Check your bed(s) and furniture around the bed very carefully for signs of bedbugs (look up how to do it correctly first because they hide extremely well - I attempted this and couldn't find any, but was getting horrible bites and our infestation was eventually confirmed and treated).
It's possible that a dead bug part could have been tracked into the house somehow without being part of an infestation there. If you can't find any signs after a thorough inspection and nobody in the house is getting any unusual bites (but note that some people don't react to the bites and they can also be mistaken for other bug bites), I wouldn't panic too much unless that changes. Still, if you've recently travelled anywhere, had houseguests or something else that could potentially be a source, it's worth doing an extra thorough wash of any clothing, backpacks or other objects that could potentially have hitchhikers. I do this routinely anyway in the hopes of prevention.
posted by randomnity at 6:11 AM on May 4, 2023