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.

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I’m trying to identify a bug I keep finding in my house
February 6, 2010
Hi there,
I appreciate your help!!
For the past 1-2 years, I keep finding this one particular bug in my house, I am the only one who seems to notice it, but I keep finding it on my bed, on the floor and the latest -stuck to my pijama pants by its little” horns”. Please see pic.
I’ve found it during all seasons of the year and whenever I find it it is always dead. If it wasn’t for those little horns, I wouldn’t even think it was a bug. I’ve never seen it living.
When I first started finding this bug, I thought that it was perhaps something my ‘semi-indoor-outdoor’ cat dragged in. But being that it is the dead of February in Toronto, Canada …there really aren’t that bugs outside. So I don’t know.
I think that is all the information I can give you for now. Thank you so much for reading this and for your consideration to help me out. Take care.
Carla
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Unknown Seeds

Hi Carla,
WE couldn’t help but to chuckle when we saw your letter.  These aren’t bugs at all, nor are they even animal in origin.  They are the seeds of a plant.  The “horns” are projections on the seed that lodge in animal fur or human clothing and this helps to transport the seed to a new location where if conditions are favorable, a new plant will germinate.  Though we recognize this seed, we are not certain from which plant it is produced.  We might be able to identify them properly should we take the time, but then we run the risk of adding a new category to our site, and frankly, we haven’t the time to expand into “What’s That Seed?”

Hi Daniel,
Thank you for getting back to me!  I have to say, that I too had quite the laugh when I read your email  — Wow, I had a seed keeping my up at night.  As long as plants don’t start growing in the middle of my living room, then I think I will be fine with it.  Again, thank you for taking the time to answer my email. I’ve made a small donation to your website… just in case I am plagued by a seed again.
Sincerely,
Carla Campli

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