Rentokil’s Easter Hunt – Identifying Insect Eggs

Spring is the time of year when flowers bloom and eggs signify new life (or even a visit from the Easter Bunny!)  However, not all eggs are ones that people may welcome in their homes, as some of them might be insect eggs.

Insect eggs in your home or business should be viewed as a warning sign to the types of pests that could be invading your home over the coming weeks and months. As your local pest control experts, we take pride in being able to correctly identify both pest species and their eggs.

If you think you have issues with insect eggs or other pest control problems, contact Rentokil for a survey of your property and to discuss pest treatment options.

Different Types of Insect Eggs

Fly Eggs

Flies in your home or business can be embarrassing. A fly-infested space gives off the impression that the place is dirty and unclean. The average lifespan of a fly is around 30 days, and they complete their full lifecycle within this time period. Wow, now that’s living fast!

Fly Egg Characteristics

• Eggs are laid in large batches ranging from 120 – 1000 depending on the species of fly
• Usually laid on a host specimen such as an animal carcass, rotting food or animal faeces
• Hatch into a maggot like form before making the change into a fly
• The eggs must remain moist or they will not hatch

Bed Bug Eggs

Blood thirsty and nocturnal, bed bugs can be silently laying batches of 10-50 eggs while you sleep. Correctly identifying bed bug eggs in your property is a good sign that you should be contacting a pest control professional as soon as possible. Bed bugs can spread quickly and are extremely difficult to completely eliminate without professional help.

Bed Bug Egg Characteristics

• 1mm long
• Pearly white colour
• Are laid after an adult has fed
• Can be found near where the adults hide during the day
• Are attached to items of furniture or fittings in clusters

Cockroach Eggs

To say the least, there are many different types of cockroaches  3,000 known species in fact exist today that we know about. Likewise, the eggs that cockroaches lay are diverse and differ species-to-species. The two most common cockroach species in the UK are the German cockroach and the Oriental cockroach.

Cockroach Egg Characteristics

• Female cockroaches produce egg cases known as ootheca
• Ootheca contain many eggs and are enveloped by a protein substance that gradually hardens into a strong protective casing
• Some cockroach species drop the egg case, while other species carry it until the eggs are ready to hatch
• The number of eggs nested in the ootheca varies from species to species as well as the number of ootheca produced in a lifetime

Flea Eggs

Fleas: your pet’s worse nightmare. To avoid a nasty flea infestation in your property, be on the lookout for flea eggs. The usual suspects in flea infestations in the UK typically include the cat flea and dog flea. Much like cockroaches, flea eggs differ from species to species.

Flea Egg Characteristics

• Main population of a flea infestation as 90% of a flea infestation is typically in the egg stage
• On average a female flea lays more than 30 eggs per day
• Hard to spot due to their size usually being around 0.5mm
• White in color and sometimes transparent

Spider Eggs

While not technically an insect, spiders are also a common culprit when it comes to infesting buildings. Although often sources of fear and anxiety for humans, spiders for the most part are harmless to humans. Spiders often perform natural insect control for pests that could be considered more harmful. The way in which spiders lay eggs can vary throughout world depending on the species.

Spider Egg Characteristics

• Eggs are laid into a silk woven sack
• Where the egg sac is hidden depends on the breed of spider
• The time of year in which spider eggs are laid depend on the species
• The number of eggs laid at a time can vary from 2 to 1000 depending on the spider, this is also evident in the number of batches laid in a lifetime

Egg hunting with Rentokil

While it may be more fun to focus your egg-hunting activities on the chocolate kind, we encourage you to go on a pest egg hunt in your property. Perhaps you can stop a pest problem in your home before it starts. If you want to enlist the help of a pest expert, do not hesitate contacting Rentokil online to setup a pest inspection.