No, bed bugs do not lay eggs on humans. They are not like ticks or lice that have to be in physical contact with their host at all times in order to survive.
Bed bugs only need physical contact with their host when they are feeding, which is around five to ten minutes. After feeding they will go back to their hiding spot, or harborage, where they will spend most of the time digesting the blood meal and laying their eggs. The underside of the mattress and the furniture close to your bed are the preferred places for egg-laying for bed bugs. These places are hidden and safer for their future offspring.
What do bed bug eggs look like?
Knowing how to properly identify bed bug eggs is the first step in eradicating them. But before anything, you should know that they are quite difficult to spot due to several reasons.
First, they are very small. Bed bug eggs measure only around 1mm long. They are shaped like a grain or rice.
Bed bug eggs can be translucent to pearl white in color. If you have a white mattress, bed sheets, and pillow cases, the eggs can blend into the surroundings easily and become even harder to spot.
When female bed bugs lay their eggs, they also come with a glue-like substance that hardens when it dries. This is to keep the eggs from moving from where they are laid.
How can I find bed bug eggs?
Bed bug eggs are less likely to be found in open surfaces and areas as these places are not secure and unsafe for the eggs. The more visible the surface is to passing humans, the less likely bed bugs are going to be on it. Your best bet is going to be in the crack and crevices on the walls, floors, furniture, and the underside of your mattress and bed.
A simple trick to remember is if you find a gap or crack in your bedroom that you figure a credit card might be able to fit into, a bed bug is going to squeeze into that quite easily.
When looking for bed bugs, equip yourself with a magnifying glass and a flashlight.
Start your search in the most likely place, which is your bed. Check all the seams, edges, and fold of the mattress and box springs. Do not forget to check your bed frame, especially if it is made of wood.
Check the carpet or rugs close to your bed, as well as the curtains, wallpaper, and floorboards. If there is a spot that a bed bug can squeeze through, chances are there are bed bug eggs in it.
Check the furniture that are within six feet of your bed because bed bugs like to lay their eggs underneath them.
Make sure you have checked your bedroom thoroughly before moving on to the other rooms in your house.
Do not forget to check other places where you like to nap or lounge on, such as couches and day beds.
Can bed bugs lay eggs on your skin?
No, bed bugs may bite your skin, but they will not lay eggs on it. Bed bugs are known to lay eggs on clothes that have been left on the floor and have not been moved for days or weeks. A scrunched up shirt on the floor has plenty of folds bed bugs can crawl into and deposit several eggs in.
Bed bugs also prefer an uneven surface as opposed to a smooth one. Our skin would not hold eggs quite as well as the underside of a wooden bedside table.
Bed bugs want to lay their eggs in places where their eggs will be safe from harm, so a peaceful spot with minimal human traffic is the most ideal.
Can bed bugs get under your skin to lay eggs?
No, bed bugs do not lay eggs under your skin. As mentioned above, human skin is too smooth and unsecure for bed bugs to be laying eggs on or in it. Humans move around so much that they will probably crush the eggs on their skin.
Bed bugs spend very little time on a person’s body. They spend, at most, ten minutes feeding on their host and then they make their way back to their hiding spot to hide and to lay their eggs. These hiding spots are tiny cracks and crevices where the eggs will not be disturbed.
Can bed bugs cause skin infection?
No, directly they do not cause skin infections. Most bed bugs, if kept relatively clean, cannot cause skin infections. But if you scratch on the bite a little too vigorously, to the point that it becomes an open wound, then it is definitely possible for it to turn into an infected wound. That is why it is advisable to not scratch on the bed bug bite no matter how itchy it is. Buy an over the counter itch cream from the pharmacy to help alleviate the itch. This will also help discourage you from scratching on the bite.
Conclusion
No, bed bugs do not lay eggs on human skin. Bed bugs live outside of the human body during all stages of their life cycle. They only require physical contact with a human body if they need to feed. Our skin is too smooth and unsecure to be an ideal place to attach their eggs onto.
Bed bugs lay their eggs in the folds and crevices of your mattress as well as any wooden furniture within six feet of your bed.
Image: istockphoto.com / triocean