Do Roaches Lay Eggs in Mattresses? How to Simple eliminate

Do you worry that they might be hiding in your mattress and laying eggs there?

In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about do roaches lay eggs in mattresses and how to protect your mattress from future infestations. 

Do Roaches Lay Eggs in Mattresses?

Yes, Cockroaches prefer to lay their eggs in places that are warm, dark, and snug. They want to protect their young from predators and disturbances.

A mattress might seem like an ideal spot for their ootheca (the egg case of a cockroach).

One of the most disgusting things you can find in your bedroom is roaches in bed. They might be hiding under your sheets, pillows, or blankets, or even inside your mattress. They can also leave behind droppings, shed skins, and bacteria that can cause allergies and infections .

If you are getting a used mattress, make sure to inspect it for any signs of cockroach infestation. You might not see any live roaches, but there could be eggs inside. Clean and vacuum the mattress thoroughly before you use it to reduce the chance of hatching roach eggs. You don’t want to wake up with roaches crawling on you.

>> Read more: Roach Eggs: Decode, Destroy, Reclaim Your Home.

How to determine if a mattress is infested with Roaches? 

If you think that your mattress might be infested with these pests, you need to act fast to get rid of them. Here are some clues to look for: 

Shed Skins 

One of the signs that your mattress is infested with cockroaches is the presence of shed skins.

These are the outer layers of the cockroach’s exoskeleton that they molt as they grow.

The shed skins will stick to the bottom of your mattress and may even fall off and accumulate on the floor. 

>> Read more: How Long Can a Cockroach Live in a Vacuum?

Live Cockroaches 

Another way to check if your mattress is infested with cockroaches is to look for live roaches. They are usually attracted to places where they can find food, such as: 

• Under furniture.
• Appliances.
• Floor.

You might see them scurrying around when you turn on the lights or lift up the mattress. Live cockroaches are a clear sign that you have a serious infestation problem. 

Cockroach Droppings 

Cockroach droppings are another indicator that your mattress is infested with these pests. They look like tiny grains of rice and are usually dark brown or black in color. 

You can find cockroach droppings clustered around the edges of your mattress, or on other surfaces such as furniture and appliances. They are a sign that cockroaches have been feeding and nesting in your area. 

>> Read more: What do Roach Droppings look like? The Surprising Realit!

Egg Capsules 

Finding egg capsules on your mattress is a bad sign that you have cockroaches in your home. 

How To Prevent Cockroaches in Mattresses? 

Here are some steps you can take: 

Avoid eating in bed 

Eating food in bed is a bad habit that can attract cockroaches to your mattress. Cockroaches can find and eat even the smallest crumbs and spills that you might not notice or clean.

They will come to your bed for food and stay there for shelter. To prevent this, you should always eat away from your bed and keep it free of food particles. This will reduce the chance of cockroaches invading your mattress. 

>> Read more: Roaches in bed: How to Get Rid of them naturally.

Wear Clean Pajamas 

At night, our body temperature changes and we sweat while we sleep. If we don’t wash our pajamas regularly, the sweat on our pajamas will be broken down by bacteria into protein molecules that smell bad.

This odor can attract cockroaches, who will crawl over our bed to reach our clothes and feed on our sweat. 

Utilize natural pest repellents 

You can use some natural remedies to repel cockroaches from your bedroom and your mattress. One of them is to place a dish with coffee grounds near your bed. Coffee grounds have a strong smell that cockroaches don’t like.

Another one is to spray peppermint oil or catnip around your bed and mattress. Peppermint oil and catnip have a minty scent that cockroaches hate. These methods can help you keep cockroaches away from your bedroom for good. 

Tuck in the Bedding 

Make sure your bedding does not touch the floor – fold it neatly so that cockroaches cannot use it to get on your mattress. Cockroaches can still find other ways to reach your mattress, but it will be much harder for them if they have nothing to hold on to.

They will probably look for another place to hide instead of your mattress.

Using Diatomaceous Earth 

Diatomaceous earth is a natural way to keep cockroaches away from your mattress. It is a fine powder that can damage their outer layer and make them lose their moisture. They will die after a while of dehydration.

You can sprinkle some diatomaceous earth around your bed to prevent cockroaches from getting on your mattress. 

Can Roaches Get In Mattress? 

Cockroaches can bite through fabric with their strong jaws, but they usually don’t do that unless the fabric has some food, drink, or body fluids on it that they can eat. 

If your mattress has any holes or tears, cockroaches can squeeze through them and hide inside where it’s cozy. Cockroaches can fit through very small gaps, even as narrow as 3mm. A study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that cockroaches can shrink their bodies by 40-60%. 

Cockroaches also like to feel tight spaces around their bodies. This is called thigmotropism. They are very sensitive to touch and enjoy living in mattresses if they feel snug enough. 

How do Cockroaches damage mattresses? 

Cockroaches can damage mattresses in several ways. They can: 

Chew through the fabric of the mattress, creating holes and tears that can expose the stuffing and make the mattress less comfortable and durable. 

Leave behind droppings, shed skins, and egg cases that can stain and contaminate the mattress, making it unhygienic and unpleasant to sleep on. 

Produce a foul odor that can permeate the mattress and affect the quality of sleep and health of the person using it. 

Spread diseases and allergens that can cause infections, asthma, and allergic reactions to the person sleeping on the mattress. 

Is the mattress safe to sleep on after being damaged by Cockroaches? 

You should not use a mattress that has cockroaches in it.

Sleeping on a cockroach-infested mattress can make you sick.

You need to take proper care of your mattress before you use it again. 

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have learned how to answer the question: Do Roaches Lay Eggs in Mattresses? We have discussed the reasons why cockroaches might be attracted to mattresses, how to identify and remove their eggs, and how to prevent and get rid of them.  

If you want to learn more about pest control and how to deal with other common household pests, you can check out our other blogs at Pestweek. 

Calina Mabel

Calina Mabel has over 15 years of experience in the field of journalism and communications. Currently, Calina Mabel is the Content Writer for categories such as Cockroach, Ants, Bed Bugs, Mosquito, Rodent, Termite, and Flies on Pestweek.com. She aims to build content for these categories with a focus on providing valuable and accessible information to readers, in order to create the world’s largest knowledge community about Pests.

All content written by Calina Mabel has been reviewed by Emily Carter.