One morning, I spotted tiny white dots scattered across my bed. At first, they seemed completely harmless—just a few grains of rice, I thought. I was about to brush them away when, to my horror, one of them… moved.

One morning, I woke up to find strange white specks scattered across the bed. At first, I thought my husband had been snacking while watching TV again and dropped a few grains of rice. I was about to brush them onto the floor when something made me stop.

Leaning closer, I froze — a chill ran down my spine. The “grains” were tiny, oval, and shiny… and one of them moved. Panic set in. I grabbed my phone and started searching for answers, and when I discovered what they really were, my stomach dropped. If you ever find something like this in your bed, be extremely cautious.

What you need to know

Appearance:
Small, about 1 mm long, white, oval-shaped — they look just like miniature grains of rice.

Where they hide:
Females lay their eggs in the seams of mattresses, behind baseboards, or inside cracks in furniture.

Life cycle:
The eggs hatch within 6–10 days into larvae that immediately begin feeding on blood. While bedbugs rarely transmit diseases, their bites cause intense itching, allergic reactions, skin irritation, and even insomnia.

How they spread:

• Inside luggage after traveling

• Through second-hand furniture or clothes

• From neighboring apartments via cracks or ventilation ducts

What to do:

• Vacuum every seam, crack, and hidden spot thoroughly

• Wash bedding and clothes at a minimum of 60°C

• Use hot steam on mattresses and furniture

Still, the most reliable solution is professional pest control. Without it, bedbugs can quickly return. Looking back, I realize that if I had mistaken those “grains” for crumbs, my bedroom would have become a full-blown infestation in just a few days.