I woke up and noticed some strange white grains in my bed. My first thought was: my husband probably ate in bed again and spilled rice or something similar. I was about to just brush them off, but then I decided to take a closer look. 

The longer I looked, the stronger a strange feeling of unease grew inside me. These “grains” were tiny, oval, and shiny… And suddenly, I saw something moving inside one of them.

I was horrified. I grabbed my phone and started searching the internet for information. My heart skipped a beat when I realized what it was…  Be careful if you notice something like this in your home… More in the first comment 

It turned out they were bedbug eggs.

 What I learned: Bedbug eggs are small, about 1 mm, white, oval, shiny, and look like grains of rice. The female lays them in hidden places: in mattress seams, behind baseboards, in furniture cracks.

After 6–10 days, larvae hatch and begin feeding on blood. Bedbugs rarely transmit diseases, but their bites cause itching, allergies, skin irritation, and insomnia.

 Where they come from: You can accidentally bring them home in a suitcase after traveling. They can also arrive with second-hand furniture or belongings.

They can even move from neighbors through ventilation shafts or wall cracks.

 How to get rid of them: Do a deep cleaning, vacuum all crevices, seams, and joints. Wash bedding and clothes at a temperature of at least 60 °C.

Use a steam cleaner on the mattress and furniture. Contact a professional pest control service — otherwise, there’s a risk the bedbugs will return.

Now I understand: if I hadn’t noticed these “grains” today, in a week I would have had a whole army of these parasites in my home.