PEST EVIDENCE GUIDE US HOMESOBSERVE COMPARE DOCUMENT
Pest EvidenceGUIDE / US HOMESStart with a clue

PEST EVIDENCE GUIDE / VISIBLE CLUE

Eggs and larvae in the home

Tiny eggs and immature insects are particularly easy to mistake for one another. Check where they were found and look for related evidence rather than relying on size or color alone.

Explore 8 guides Record an observation
Bed bug beside pale eggs around a recessed screw hole in a wooden bed
From the guide: Bed bug eggs: appearance and hiding placesPhoto: Thomas Oldani / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Source version cropped and brightness-adjusted by Soerfm; used without further changes. Source-described bed bug with eggs in a wooden bed; no scale shown. · CC BY 3.0
OBSERVE THE SIGNCOMPARE THE POSSIBILITIESDOCUMENT WHAT CHANGES

THE RELEVANT EVIDENCE

Guides in this collection

08 / GUIDES
EGGS & LARVAE

Bed bug eggs: appearance and hiding places

Compare bed bug eggs and other physical signs using EPA guidance before assuming an infestation.

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Carpet beetle larvae: identification clues

Learn how carpet beetle larvae, cast skins, and fabric damage fit together using university extension guidance.

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Carpet beetle eggs: where to look

Learn where carpet beetles lay eggs and why larvae and cast skins are often easier to recognize.

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Cockroach egg cases: what they look like

See a labeled American cockroach egg case, compare how four common species carry or deposit theirs, and record what a case can and cannot tell you.

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Pantry moth larvae, eggs, and food webbing

Compare larvae and webbing in dry foods and learn why a caterpillar on a ceiling may be away from its food source.

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Termite eggs and young: what household clues can show

Understand the limits of identifying suspected termite eggs or immature termites from household photos.

Read guide LIVE INSECTS

Baby cockroaches: nymphs and lookalikes

Compare young cockroaches with adults and other small insects. Learn which details make a useful identification photo.

Read guide LIVE INSECTS

Silverfish in a house: body shape, eggs, and clues

Compare silverfish and firebrats and learn why an intact insect is more useful than suspected eggs.

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FROM THE JOURNAL

Go a step further.

All articles
01Prevention and storageBugs in cardboard boxes: inspect the item and its contents separatelyA practical record for an insect found in stored or incoming boxes, without assuming what it feeds on.02Fabric evidenceCarpet beetle shed skins: record the object before counting pestsUnderstand why an empty larval skin can be useful evidence without revealing how many live insects remain.03Room checklistsCarpet beetles in a closet: trace the material, not just the roomA closet inspection record for larvae, shed skins, and fabric damage that avoids guessing from an adult beetle.04Travel and secondhand itemsChecking a hotel room for bed bug evidenceA travel checklist for documenting a suspected finding and reporting it clearly to hotel staff.