If you want to know if you have a bed bug infestation, you must first learn how to identify them. First, you must know what bed bug shells look like to eliminate these pests. Bed bugs are small insects the size of an apple seed and are light brown to reddish-brown.
Signs of bed bug infestation can be identified by feces, guts, eggs, blood, live bed bugs, and eggshells. Below you can find all the information you need about these pesky pests.
What Do Bed Bug Shells And Casing Look Like?
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Empty eggshells and eggs are the main symptoms that you have bed bugs in your home. They are small and about 1 mm long, but you can see them with the naked eye.
They are generally white and opaque; you will not see them alone; they will always be in the place of refuge. You can see them in the mattress seams, and if you have other signs, you will know that you have a bigger problem than you need to attack as soon as possible.
Bed bug Casing and housings are the same. Bed bugs have a skeleton on the outside of their body, and like insects, they must shed their skin to grow. A common bed bug exoskeleton or skeleton is known as a carcass or carapace when it has detached.
Some shells or Casing are not damaged and give the impression that the nymph has magically disappeared from its exoskeleton.
The Lifecycle of Bed Bugs
Before continuing to talk about bed bug shells, you should know the life cycle of bed bugs. After mating, the life cycle of these insects begins.
Eggs
After the adult female bed bugs mate, they lay their eggs; they are oval, white, and translucent. The eggs are laid in tiny places and can be 1/16 “long.
These eggs can hatch in 6 to 10 days; a female bed bug can lay between 200 to 250 eggs in her entire life. When these eggs hatch, they leave empty guts or shells.
Nymphs
In the nymph stage, there are two stages bed bugs must go through before they become adults. Nymphs in the first stage can measure 1.5 mm in length. When they hatch from the eggs, they will start looking for their first meal.
Nymphs, in their second stage, undergo a molt when they have their first blood meal. When it is detached from its exoskeleton, the nymphs will be approximately 2 mm long.
In the third stage, the nymphs will continue feeding and will have a new molt already. At this stage, they will measure about 2.5 mm long. In the fourth stage of the nymphs, the bed bugs will already measure about 3 mm in length.
In the fifth and last stage of nymphs, they will undergo the last molt, and from there will emerge adult bedbugs with a size of 4.5 mm long.
Adult
It must take five weeks for the bed bugs to become adults; the adults will not grow more or molt. This is where bed bugs can breed, and the bed bug life cycle begins again.
A common adult bed bug can live between 2 to 4 months; there are times when they can live up to a year.
Where To Find Bed Bug Casing?
When the infestation is very large, you can find more Casing or guts. These bed bug Casing can usually be found in places where they gather in groups.
Since bed bugs like to be around their hosts, you will always see the bed bug shells near your bed, the mattress seams, and at the headboard. You can also find bed bug Casing in places where the wall and ceiling meet.
Also, you can find them in baseboards, furniture, and air conditioners. You can see this cover attached to certain belongings like luggage, clothing, etc. You will always see the Casing in places where bed bugs like to take refuge.
Also Read: Can Bed Bugs Live In Carpet?
How Long Do Bed Bugs Shed The Skin?
As mentioned, bed bugs begin to shed their skin after ingesting blood in their first nymph stage. If the blood has a good temperature and is abundant, each stage can take a week. If the temperature is cold and they do not have enough blood, these pests will remain in their nymph stage for a longer time.
Bed bugs change their skin every time they feed in the nymph stage. By feeding and using the nutrients in the blood, they will become larger for their carcass; they will make a hole to get out.
They first have to develop a new layer of skin or carcass under the old one without the layer that protects them.
When bed bugs reach their adult stage, they can grow up to 4.5 mm long and shed more skin.
What To Do If You Find Bed Bug Casing?
If you see signs of bed bug infestation, you should remove them immediately because these pests are very annoying. If you do not treat them in time, the Bed Bugs will reproduce quickly. If you find exoskeletons or Casing in or near your home, you may already have an infestation.
Here are some tips to help you deal with these pests quickly:
Check very carefully
The first step in identifying a bed bug infestation is by looking for bed bug shells. You need to flip the mattress and check all areas like box springs, seams, etc. you should also check for brown or red stains on your bedding; this will give you an idea if they have bed bugs.
If you look carefully, you can see a live bed bug in one of the corners of your bed.
Get rid of bed bugs
Try to control the problem before calling a pest technician. Do the following:
1. Remove bedding and wash sheets and clothing in hot water. If there are fabrics that are not suitable for washing with hot water, you should put them in the dryer after washing.
2. Use a brush with stiff bristles to remove bed bug droppings and Casing.
3. You should vacuum your mattress so that you can remove as many dead insects and eggs as possible. Then you need to vacuum the sofas, rugs, curtains, and everything else around. Be sure to use a vacuum cleaner with a filter or bag so bed bugs cannot get out.
You should quickly remove the bag and cover it and take it out of your home to prevent these pests from escaping.
4. You should cover the pillows and mattresses with Casing that are sturdy and thick.
5. Clean your entire home to avoid clutter, and don’t leave your clothes on the floor.
6. You can use diatomaceous earth to eliminate these insects and get them out of hiding.
7. In the market, you can find insecticides for bed bugs that can eliminate the problem.
If you do all of these steps and still see bed bug Casing around your home, you should seek expert help.
