When insects are found in an apartment, the only desire that arises is to get rid of them as quickly as possible and preferably forever. These uninvited guests can appear even in the cleanest apartment, but whatever the reason for their appearance, their presence is unpleasant.
There are also creatures that live in the bathroom. Because the warm and humid environment and open access to water, characteristic of this room, are excellent stimuli for the development of various parasites.
woodlouse
One such creature that prefers a humid climate is woodlice. You can see them if you suddenly look into a damp, dark room, as they are nocturnal. White woodlice occurs during molting. Usually this crustacean (which, by the way, many people mistakenly consider to be an insect) has a gray or brown color.
If the room is damp and warm, then this white “insect” will settle in the bathroom quickly and for a long time. Convenient conditions for living and development are the main reason why uninvited guests will choose this place in the apartment. Most often, they settle in places where moisture accumulates: in pipes, as well as where moisture is concentrated or where wet floor rags and rugs are stored.
Many, seeing these creatures, experience a feeling of fear and disgust. By the way, for good reason, because they can carry infections that are harmful to animals and humans. Therefore, when noticing a white insect in the bathroom, it is difficult to experience positive emotions.
A method suitable for a basement, cellar or garage
In the garden, individuals quickly eat vegetable crops, but in the basement they can spoil the harvest stored there.
The reason for the appearance of woodlice is high humidity. Therefore, people often find insects in the basement, cellar or garage, or other non-residential premises.
In the garden, individuals quickly eat vegetable crops, but in the basement they can spoil the harvest stored there.
A good solution to the problem is to use quicklime (calcium oxide). The composition is used only in non-residential premises.
When small particles of lime enter the air, they cause irritation of the mucous membranes, sneezing and coughing, therefore special attention is paid to safety precautions when working with calcium oxide:
- Use a respirator, a tight bandage, and special glasses.
- Protect the skin of your hands with rubber gloves.
- Provide natural ventilation.
Silverfish
But silverfish will not cause any harm to people, but it is dangerous for wallpaper. The insect lives in damp and dark places. Its nutrition consists of plant substances that contain starch and polysaccharides.
The silverfish ventures outside its home in order to obtain food for itself. And she looks for it in places that are similar in microclimate to her home.
It is not difficult to recognize the named white insect in the bathroom. What does it look like? Its body is elongated and white; it has long front and rear forked antennae. But, by the way, silverfish become white after the third molt. Before that it was dark.
General description of insects
Woodlice are classified as a suborder of crustaceans. Under natural conditions, these small pests reproduce and live in rotten wood and damp litter. They do not pose any particular danger, but the very proximity to these creatures causes disgust and hostility.
Their activity peaks in the spring and autumn months. They breed in the summer. In this case, the female keeps the eggs in a special sac attached to her body. She moves with him from place to place until she finds a place that is safe for the development of larvae. It is easy to distinguish these insects by their appearance. They have a rounded body, which is divided into sections:
- head;
- chest;
- stomach.
What is surprising is that these creatures breathe through their gills. During their existence, woodlice have managed to adapt to land conditions.
How to remove insects
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.
Prevention of recurrence
To prevent animals from returning after disinfestation, measures must be taken to maintain a normal, not too humid microclimate in the apartment.
- Promptly repair pipe leaks when joints become depressurized.
- Adjust the operation of the mixer in a timely manner, change the gaskets so that it does not leak.
- Seal the gaps between the bathtub, wall and baseboards with moisture-resistant silicone sealant.
- Clean up puddles around the bathtub after bathing. Wipe off condensation from surfaces.
- Do not leave wet towels or washcloths in the bathroom. Dry wet laundry on the balcony.
- To reduce humidity, install an electric heated towel rail, heater or heated floor in the bathroom.
- Provide natural air ventilation, check for debris in the ventilation shaft. Periodically keep the doors to the bathroom open for ventilation.
- Increase air circulation by installing an exhaust fan with a check valve.
If, after exterminating woodlice yourself and following preventive rules, they reappear, you must definitely call a pest control service. If experts have recently exterminated woodlice, but they reappear, you need to talk to your neighbors. Most likely, there is high humidity in their apartment, and the animals are simply migrating. In this case, the problem must be solved together, otherwise there will be no result.
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.
What is the best way to fight it – with the help of professional pest control or on your own?
Disinsection is the destruction of insects. Although wood lice are crustaceans, pest control agents destroy them too. In most cases, you can cope on your own, especially if there are not very many animals.
There are two types of self-disinfestation: folk remedies and chemical ones. The first option involves preparing a solution or mixture at home. Chemicals for treating premises are sold in stores.
The advantage of self-disinfestation is its low cost, especially if you use folk remedies. The disadvantage is the lack of a guaranteed result. True, the effectiveness of disinfestation with chemicals is higher than the destruction of wood lice using traditional methods.
The advantage of professional pest control is guaranteed efficiency. The disadvantage is the high cost of processing the premises.
Traps
But there are other methods of controlling insects in the bathroom. These can be traps and baits:
- If you place wet birch brooms in the corners and leave them overnight, then in the morning you will notice that small insects have been caught in the trap. It is best to burn brooms.
- The glass jar should be wrapped with paper or tape to make it easier for the silverfish to get inside. The rough surface will easily get her there, but she won’t be able to get out.
- Leave a roll of paper soaked in water in the bathroom overnight and throw it away the next morning or burn it without even unrolling it.
Traditional methods
Folk remedies can also help get rid of uninvited guests:
- A food powder called “Diatomite” will kill crawling insects if it is used to treat cracks and crevices in the walls, on the floor and between tiles, as well as baseboards throughout the apartment
- Zest shavings are great for getting rid of insects. The smell is pleasant only to humans, but to insects it is pungent. Therefore, you need to scatter the zest in all the cracks and places where they accumulate and renew it after 5 days.
- The smell of cloves is also unpleasant for silverfish. Therefore, you can sprinkle spices in the kitchen cabinet. The aroma is pleasant and the pests will go away.
- Boric acid will also help you out. It is sprinkled on pipelines and around sinks. A solution of this acid can be applied to the surface of the pipes.
Such methods will also help in the fight against woodlice extermination. Just like silverfish, woodlice loves moisture. Therefore, the methods described above will help you get rid of them.
If there are objects in the room where silverfish and woodlice live, for example, a bathroom cabinet, then you need to carefully inspect it. It is necessary to check that moisture does not accumulate there, so as not to increase the area for insects.
If this has already happened, and they still fill the bathroom cabinet, then it should be thoroughly dried and disinfected. Then fill it out again.
What is the danger?
The white woodlouse does not cause significant harm to humans: it does not bite and does not carry harmful bacteria (this fact has not been confirmed by scientists). The harm of these crustaceans is :
- feeling of hostility and disgust of residents;
- death of domestic plants (the pest eats the root system and the upper part of the leaves);
- spoilage of vegetables and fruits in cellars and closets.
Find out more about the harm woodlice can cause to humans and others living in an apartment, how they are dangerous and how to deal with them here.
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.
