What do dead bedbug eggs look like? - briefly
Dead bedbug eggs are translucent to white, oval capsules roughly 1 mm in length with a faint sheen. After desiccation they may brown and become brittle.
What do dead bedbug eggs look like? - in detail
Dead bedbug eggs are typically about 0.5 mm long and 0.2 mm wide, oval‑shaped, and encased in a thin, translucent chorion. After the embryo ceases development, several visual changes occur:
- Color shift: live eggs appear pale white or slightly creamy; deceased eggs darken to a yellow‑brown hue as the chorion oxidizes.
- Surface texture: the outer membrane becomes brittle, losing the slight sheen of viable eggs and often showing a matte finish.
- Structural integrity: internal contents collapse, leaving the egg shell empty; this results in a hollow, sometimes collapsed appearance when examined under magnification.
- Adhesion loss: fresh eggs are firmly attached to fabric or paper fibers; dead eggs may detach more easily because the adhesive proteins degrade.
- Visibility under light: intact, living eggs refract light, creating a faint glow; dead eggs transmit light without the glow, appearing more opaque.
Microscopic examination reveals that the embryo’s outline disappears, leaving only the smooth, empty chorion. In field inspections, these characteristics help differentiate between active infestations and remnants of past activity.