Seed-like eggs or are these segments
Location: San Francisco
March 5, 2011 10:49 pm
We have a recent bedbug infestation. While looking for eggs, I found one of these seed-like objects in a crack in my desk chair. I then found one in my desk drawer, and about 18 beneath the couch cushion on the couch I sleep on. A few days later I found ~ 7 under my desk on the floor. We have no pets. I do eat pork somewhat regularly, in case this matters. It is currently February here, and I am very curious if these are eggs. Some have said these could be tapeworm segments. There are similar questions on the web, but none have yet been resolved.
Signature: Anon

Sesame Seeds

Dear Anon,
We are uncertain what the presence of pork in your diet has to do with this question, unless you have confused Trichinosis and Tape Worms.  Pursuing the Tape Worm segment line of questioning, Tape Worms are parasites of the gastrointestinal tract, and any segments that have sloughed off the worm would pass out of the gastrointestinal tract during defecation.   We don’t believe that would cause them to be found on your desk chair, in the desk drawer, beneath the couch cushion or on the floor, however, since you didn’t discuss your hygiene habits, we cannot be certain.  You also did not indicate if sesame bagels or sesame seed kaiser rolls are part of your dietary consumption, which we suspect is probably the case, as these appear to be non-threatening sesame seeds to us.  Do you snack at your desk and on the couch?

Many kind thanks for your prompt reply.
I have enclosed a document I composed last night that should shed light on this matter : )
How to completely deceive yourself with your own intelligence.
1. Start with a scary hypothesis (these must be parasite eggs).
(after all, we recently discovered bedbugs in one room)
2. Ignore obvious evidence (they look like sesame seeds).
(because, well, single insane bedbugs lay single eggs in strange places!)
3. Add terror: they look like tapeworm segments!!!
4. Amp terror: tapeworm segments crack open and release micro-eggs which you can easily ingest. When this happens they spread throughout muscle and nervous tissue and form cysts in the BRAIN — and I’ve been handling them with my bare hands not knowing this!!!
5. Read a bunch of internet reports about people similarly concerned/affected.
6. Suffer. A lot. Fear the disease. Fear not being able to get it properly diagnosed. Fear the terrifying treatments.
7. Read more reports. Read people who discover that, even though they were CERTAIN these were not seeds, they were, in fact, seeds.
8. Realize, suddenly, you were EATING SESAME SEED CRACKERS IN EACH OF THE DISCOVERY LOCATIONS
9. Facepalm.
(Oldsters may need to to a quick websearch to understand this response)
10. Celebrate.