Insects appear in the bathroom because suitable conditions are created there for them:
- Excessive humidity.
- Warm.
- Darkness.
- Secluded places to hide.
- Sufficient amount of food.
It would seem, what kind of food can insects find in the bathroom? Humidity-dependent species feed mainly on fungi and microflora. In addition, in bathrooms there is always an abundance of fallen hair and pieces of exfoliated skin, which can also be part of the diet of various pests.
Insects can enter the house through:
- Ventilation
- Cracks in communications
- Damage to walls, floors, ceilings
- Leaky joints in window frames
- Gaps in door frames
Parasites can enter the house accidentally on:
- Flowers and indoor plants
- Fruits, berries and herbs from the garden
- Shoes
- Pet hair
What exactly pests attach to largely depends on their species. What white insects
can be found
in the bathroom
and toilet?
Strange white creatures in the apartment, reasons for their appearance
It seems surprising that insects appear in an apartment, because human housing does not belong to their habitat. However, people often notice strange small moving creatures in the toilet or bathroom that quickly run away when a person appears.
The main reason for the presence of insects is dampness; they live where there is moisture and food.
Under what conditions do uninvited guests appear in the bathroom:
- Poor condition of plumbing equipment, leaking pipes and condensation provide a sufficient level of humidity, creating optimal conditions for their habitat and reproduction.
- Ineffective ventilation, the presence of water containers, wet washcloths and constant drying of laundry.
- Lack of sanitary conditions: accumulation of dirty laundry, garbage, wet rags left behind.
Decaying organic matter is the main food source for many insects, so the dirt and disorder that reigns in the apartment provides food for whole hordes of domestic parasites.
Attention! When the home is located on the ground floor, insects enter through the basement. From bottom to top, single specimens move through ventilation holes; when baited, migration becomes widespread.
How to remove insects
Silverfish have a rather unpleasant appearance, which in no way corresponds to their harmlessness. These small insects settle in bathtubs with the same frequency as in any other room. They have an elongated body without wings, three antennae at the end of the body and reach a size of about 1 cm.
Silverfish feed on a wide variety of organic matter: from food scraps on the table to wet paper. In bathrooms and toilets, their food consists of mold fungi, pieces of toilet paper, rags, and garbage under bedding.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=CVWXplrIntQ%3Ffeature%3Doembed
If you noticed silverfish in the bathroom, how to get rid of it immediately so that the problem does not become global in the future? It is believed that insects are very difficult to remove. But it is still possible.
Forced ventilation in the bathroom can help you with this. With it, it will be possible to regulate the level of humidity, as a result of which it will be more difficult for uninvited guests to stay without the necessary conditions.
Comfortable living temperature for silverfish is 21-27 °C. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the temperature in the apartment. This can be done through ventilation.
In this case, all hard-to-reach places must be cleared of dust, and wet corners and other damp areas must be thoroughly dried. In addition, the apartment should be cleaned using chlorine-containing substances to ensure disinfection.
Types of white insects in the bathroom and toilet + photo
Most often the following types of inhabitants are found in the bathroom:
- Silverfish . The body length of the wingless insect is 0.7-2 cm; there are 2 long antennae on the head. The body is flat, tapering towards the end, covered with small scales. The tail is represented by three thin threads extending in different directions. There are yellowish, greenish, transparent and silvery specimens. They move quickly with short stops and become active at night. Silverfish eat foods that contain starch and polysaccharides: wallpaper glue, paper, natural fabrics.
- Woodlice . They belong to the suborder of crustaceans, have an oval jointed body with 7 pairs of legs, 2 pairs of small antennae, one of which is underdeveloped, and externally resemble light beetles. They feed on decaying organic matter of plant origin. They live in damp places, hide during the day, and come out at night to look for food.
- Butterflies . Mosquitoes up to 4 mm long, similar to small moths. The larvae lay in dirty, damp areas and feed on organic debris.
Be sure to read:
How to deal with silverfish in an apartment: TOP 10 poisons and means why they are harmful to humans
Mosquitoes, ants, midges, spiders and even cockroaches can live in the bathroom. But these creatures are known to everyone, it is difficult to confuse them, everyone knows by what means they can be easily destroyed.
A small conclusion
Now it’s clear what to do if woodlice or silverfish have settled in the bathroom. How to get rid of them? There are many methods and methods. You just need to choose the most comfortable one that suits you.
But do not forget about one thing: even if the unpleasant white insect has disappeared from the bathroom, it can return very soon, you just need to make living conditions comfortable for it. Moreover, silverfish reproduce very quickly. Therefore, having noticed at least one of the creatures described in the article, it is necessary to immediately take measures to exterminate them.
Danger and harm to humans
Important! Studies have shown that the nocturnal inhabitants of the bathroom, although unsightly, are not dangerous to people.
The bugs do not bite, do not contaminate food, and do not transmit disease. But if they spread strongly, they can harm people.
Silverfish feed on plant foods rich in protein, sugar and starch, and digest cellulose. They multiply quickly, the female reproduces 70 eggs per clutch, the young individuals, having spread throughout the apartment, settle in the trays of pots of domestic flowers and eat the leaves.
At risk are books, wallpaper, photographs, documents, and excrement can also be seen in food.
Woodlice eat living and decaying plants, and with frequent watering and constant moist soil, they move into flower pots. Here, crustaceans are capable of destroying an indoor flower in 2 weeks, eating the leaves, burrowing into the soil and damaging the root system.
Ways to combat woodlice and silverfish
To remove unwanted neighbors from your apartment, you can use several methods:
- apply physical force,
- use traps and bait,
- resort to pesticides.
Everyone chooses the most convenient option based on living conditions, safety and effectiveness of the product.
Attention! Before starting work, it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning of the room, otherwise the work will not bring a positive result. In dirt and unsanitary conditions, it will not be possible to destroy all the individuals; they will multiply and again become an annoyance with their presence.
Physical
The method of physical impact is not an effective option, but if there are few insects and there is no desire to use insecticides, you can try to get rid of silverfish and woodlice using:
- Vacuum cleaner . Remove the brush from the device and go through all the corners and nooks, trying to suck in the parasites and destroy the nests.
- Boiling water . Water is boiled in a kettle and poured from the spout, trying to get to the accumulation of pests.
- Cold . By lowering the temperature in the home as much as possible, the inhabitants of the damp corners are frozen out by the cold.
Be sure to read:
Fleas in the house: how to get rid of them yourself, the best folk and special remedies
The disadvantage of this method is that insects can hide in cracks, sensing an invasion from the outside, or temporarily escape to another place.
Insecticidal
To exterminate insects that appear in the apartment, the store offers a large selection of toxic substances in the form of aerosols or suspensions:
- "Dichlorvos" . A universal drug, suitable for all types of crawling and flying arthropods, crustaceans and arachnids. Available in the form of sprays or solution, which is applied dropwise to hard-to-reach places.
- "Clean house" . Aerosol with a wide range of effects. The advantage of the product is its narrowly directed jet, which allows you to treat cracks and crevices.
- "Taran" . Aqueous concentrate of prolonged action, distributed by spraying, odorless. A single spraying on the surface is enough for one and a half months.
- "Lambda Zone". New generation concentrated suspension, safe for pets. The drug is diluted with water, which allows it to be used over large areas. After spraying, it remains toxic for up to 2 months.
When using poisonous substances against insects in an apartment, do not forget about the safety of yourself and your loved ones.
All manipulations are carried out without the presence of children and animals, spraying must be carried out with gloves, after treatment it is not recommended to enter the room for 3 hours.
Lures and traps
Insects can be eliminated using traps. There are different ways to lure and destroy prey.
The bathroom contains:
- paper, greased with special glue, placed along the path of parasites or along the perimeter of the bathroom:
- structures with poisoned baits.
The methods are easy to use, but the struggle can drag on for a long time.
Important! Silverfish are lured with sugar, it is placed in a glass jar, and the container is left overnight, laid on its side. Those with a sweet tooth will definitely get into it. In the morning the insects are destroyed.
Folk remedies
Moistened birch brooms or rolls of toilet paper are used as traps; moisture will attract woodlice, and soft cellulose will attract silverfish. In the evening they are laid out in corners, thrown away or burned in the morning.
Another method is based on the poisonous properties of boric acid for insects. The powder is scattered under the bathtub or mixed with puree, made into small balls, and placed in secluded corners of the room.
Be sure to read:
How to fight moths in an apartment, where they come from, folk remedies and chemistry
Ventilation
The most effective insect repellent in the bathroom, as we have already said, is forced ventilation. It helps reduce humidity levels. To install it, you need to select the type of fan.
To simultaneously serve both the bathroom and the toilet, you can install a duct fan in the ventilation duct in the attic. This device is best used for installation in a private home. Depending on the volume of the premises and the number of people living, you need to calculate the power of the device that is needed for the entire building.
If installation was required in an apartment, then difficulties may arise here. To install a duct fan, you need to hide the ventilation ducts in the suspended ceiling or install a box, which can harm the appearance of the home. Therefore, another device is used here - an axial fan.
With its help, the problem of poor ventilation in one room, for example, in the bathroom, is solved, and then a second device is installed, but in the toilet. Fixation is carried out in the opening of the hood. Therefore, it is necessary to take measurements in advance. Then look for the required fan in the store.
Additional ventilation is the most effective insect repellent. By the way, strong humidity damages furniture and newly made repairs. If the humidity level is high, the wallpaper will fall off and must be re-glued all the time. Fungus and mold are also frequent guests in damp rooms. Moreover, they not only spoil the appearance, but can also harm human health.
Centipedes: nods and flycatchers. Insect repellents
Sometimes long, multi-legged, repulsive-looking creatures appear on the floor or walls in an apartment. Usually these are flycatchers or flycatchers - the closest relatives of insects belonging to the class of animals. There is no need to be afraid of them, the creatures are harmless, only in case of danger, the flycatchers emit a pungent odor, and the flycatcher can bite if you pick it up.
Animals live on moist soil, centipedes enter the room by accident or climb into the winter, stay in it for a long time and reproduce if there is moisture, and most importantly, food - cockroaches, flies, butterflies, mosquitoes and silverfish.
To combat invertebrates, physical methods of influence are used; this is enough if the individual appeared in the home by accident. When the population increases, the food source is eliminated: insects living in the apartment. Boric acid or any insecticides are also used.
Attention! Centipedes are afraid of red peppers. It is scattered in powder form indoors.
Preventing insects from appearing in the bathroom
Preventative measures will help reduce the likelihood of various insects infesting the bathroom.
To comply with hygiene requirements and reduce humidity, it is recommended to carry out the following measures:
- keep the bathroom clean using disinfectants,
- remove unnecessary things, regularly take out the trash,
- check the operation of the hood, if it is necessary to clean the ventilation hole,
- ventilate the room after washing and water procedures,
- install a heated towel rail in the bathroom,
- periodically check the pipes for leaks, if problems are detected, immediately call a plumber,
- carry out renovations in the apartment, seal cracks in the walls and baseboards,
- Store sugar and flour products in containers or tight bags, and immediately remove spilled crumbs.
To repel insects, pour a powder consisting of 4 parts chalk and 1 part boric acid under furniture and bathtubs. Pests are afraid of the aromas of fragrant plants: lavender, tansy, rosemary, wormwood.
Important! In the fight against parasites, you cannot cope alone; you need to involve your neighbors: then you have a better chance of getting rid of unpleasant creatures in the house for a long time.
Conclusion
Insects living in the bathroom and toilet sometimes do not pose much of a threat. Some species (spiders, butterflies) practically do not reproduce and are encountered occasionally.
However, getting rid of the rest can be difficult. If measures are not taken, the size of the colony will increase, insects will hide in cracks and pipes and move to other rooms.
It is important to follow preventive measures and maintain normal temperature and humidity levels, otherwise pest control will be delayed. Create conditions unsuitable for insect life
Remove food (paper, cloth, trash), eliminate sources of moisture (condensation, towels, leaks) and reduce temperature to 20°C or lower.
