Insects in the bathroom: how to get rid of them, what to do

In addition to the well-known spiders and cockroaches, insects of very interesting shapes and colors can often settle inside houses and apartments. Each species has its own living conditions. For example, small agile tadpoles and other strange silvery, white individuals appear in bathrooms and toilets. Their presence is always associated with certain microclimatic conditions inside a particular room. Bathrooms attract many varieties precisely because of the constant humidity and dampness, which are favorable for living and reproduction.

Translucent insects - silverfish

Most often, small, almost flat, small bugs can be seen in the bathroom and toilet. This is a common silverfish. They come in white, pearl gray or brownish color. Immediately after molting, they are almost transparent, later becoming darker. The shape resembles an elongated triangle. Long thin antennae protrude from one and the other side of the small body (4-8 mm). The antennae are longer in front, shorter in the back. They crawl out in the dark, move quickly, and can freeze in place for a moment. These insects are harmless, do not bite, and do not pose any other threat, but they have an unpleasant appearance.

You can get rid of them by creating conditions unacceptable for life and reproduction. They thrive at temperatures from +21°C to +27°C and high humidity - above 75%. They feed on substances containing starch and polysaccharides. They usually enter residential premises with paper, napkins and other paper products. In homes they can eat bread, sugar, fabrics, flour, glue, photographs, etc.

One of the most common insects found in the bathroom is silverfish.

These insects will disappear in the bathroom only if they have nothing to eat and the room is dry and light. To reduce humidity, it is recommended to eliminate all leaks, dry all wet places (you can use a hair dryer), carefully seal the joint between the bathtub or shower tray and the wall, fill all the seams between the tiles with grout, fill all joints and cracks with silicone, and organize ventilation by installing a fan if necessary. Having completed these works, thoroughly wipe off the water after any procedures.

By maintaining low humidity in the bathroom, over time you will be able to get rid of these insects. Insect control medications can speed up the process. Regular Dichlorvos, cockroach crayons, and any other means of controlling insects in the apartment, including boric acid, also help. But if you do not eliminate the cause of their appearance - constant high humidity - they will appear again in a month.

Why are they dangerous and harmful?

In essence, most of the possible inhabitants of the bathroom do not pose a real threat to humans, bringing only psychological discomfort. However, most of them can be carriers of various diseases dangerous to humans. A small part can also bite or sting, which is not only painful, but can also cause the development of allergies.

In any case, you should not ignore the appearance of such living creatures, as they are prone to rapid reproduction and can easily spread to other rooms.

Note! The appearance of insects also precedes the formation of another, not very pleasant problem - mold. It almost always spreads around the room following the living creatures.

The most dangerous is black mold.

Woodlice

Wood lice often appear in the bathroom and toilet. They are mistakenly called insects, although they belong to the class of crustaceans. It’s just that the relatives of crayfish have adapted to life on land, although they look for places with high humidity. They are easy to distinguish by their appearance - they have an oval body, convex at the top, divided into segments and covered with hard plates. The body may be light, with a slight yellowish tint, or dark brown or gray. Another distinctive feature is their behavior: in case of danger, woodlice curl up into a ball.

These insects are frequent guests in the bathroom. They are called wood lice

Woodlice feed on rotting organic matter. Spoiled vegetables, fruits, herbs are from the diet. Fungi that develop in damp areas are also suitable for them to feed on. Therefore, in addition to the bath and toilet, they can be found in the kitchen, and brought in with spoiled food. It also finds them in rooms if apartment dwellers or pets have a habit of leaving food under beds or sofas.

You can get rid of wood lice in the bathroom and toilet only by thoroughly drying the room, removing all possible sources of food. In addition to the measures described above (prevent water from getting on the floor, walls, improve ventilation), it is necessary to carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection. You can use a solution of bleach, Domestos, and other similar products for these purposes.

Conclusion

Insects in the bathroom in most cases appear due to increased dampness and dirt. Therefore, in order not to encounter such a problem, maintain the necessary sanitary and hygienic conditions in this room. If arthropods are already infested, the tips outlined above will help get rid of them.

The video in this article provides additional information. If you were unable to “overcome” the insects or have other questions, ask them in the comments, and I will be happy to answer you.

How to get rid of small flies

Sometimes small (a couple of millimeters long) black or dark brown flies appear in the bathroom. They have large wings compared to the body. The body and wings are shaggy, which is why the fly sometimes appears larger than its actual size. The name of these flies is butterflies. They start in rooms with high humidity and penetrate into houses and apartments through windows, doors, ventilation ducts, and sewers.

Females lay eggs in water; after two to three weeks, larvae hatch from them, which after some time turn into winged insects. These bathroom bugs will disappear if there is no opportunity to lay eggs in a moist environment. Therefore, we carefully seal all joints and cracks, wipe off the water, and take measures to reduce humidity. In addition, the following methods help:

Thoroughly treat the floor and all habitats of flies with tar or laundry soap, leave overnight, and wash with water in the morning.
Wash the floor with a bleach solution, treat bathtub and sink drains. Wipe all surfaces with diluted vinegar.

Butterfly and its larvae (highly enlarged)
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Spread out bunches of wormwood and citrus peels help repel insects. But at the same time, it is necessary to ensure that they do not rot, otherwise the population will only increase, and new inhabitants may also appear - wood lice. The easiest way to get rid of them is mechanical destruction. They are small, but usually there are not many of them in an apartment and it is not difficult to squash a few individuals. But if you do not treat all wet areas, after a while they will appear again.

They can also appear in flower pots. In this case, the use of chemicals is unacceptable. Then the following remedy can help: add 15-20 drops of tea tree oil to 500 ml of water. Pour this product into a spray bottle and spray plants, pots, soil, and all surrounding areas. the flies disappear quickly.

Spider

Spiders are arthropods. Everyone knows that they weave webs to catch their victims. Of course, in good autumn weather, a spider's web can look very beautiful, but only if it is located outside. No one will like a web woven by a house spider in an apartment. Although spiders bring a certain benefit - they catch flies, their presence in the apartment is extremely undesirable for aesthetic reasons.

Spiders have 4 pairs of very long legs, each of which is several times larger than the size of the body. The cephalothorax and abdomen are connected by a thin thread. Body size can reach 20 centimeters. There are no teeth; spiders successfully replace them with curved jaws; they have channels through which poison enters.

When the spider overtakes the victim, it injects a portion of poison into it along with digestive juice. After some time, it turns the victim’s insides into slurry, which the spider happily sucks out.

At one time, the very distant ancestors of spiders climbed out of the water onto land. They did not start weaving webs right away; this was the result of a number of evolutionary transformations. To weave webs, spiders have channels in the back of their abdomen that secrete special secretions. When the secretion is removed from the spider's body, it instantly freezes, turning into a thread. Spiders need webs for several purposes:

With its help, they catch various insects that they feed on.
Spiders live in webs.
In it they also weave cocoons in which the eggs mature.
Spiders also use webs to travel long distances.

When the web breaks, the spider eats it and processes it into secretion. The web seems airy in appearance, but in fact it is a fairly strong structure, which not every insect can tear.

Spiders use 2 types of threads - sticky and without adhesive. The latter option is used by them for movement. But the spider will not stick even to a sticky web, since a substance that prevents sticking is formed on the surface of its legs.

Usually, 2 types of these animals live in our apartments:

house spider;
pigtail spider.

They can get into the apartment any way they want - they can be carried on clothes, or they can crawl in on their own. The presence of a large number of spiders indicates that the sanitary situation in it is not at the highest level.

Spiders are always where there is a lot of food for them - flies, cockroaches and other parasites. It is generally accepted that a spider brings good luck, but this is just a belief, and in fact, spiders are a consequence of unfavorable sanitary conditions in housing.

Centipedes

These insects are called centipedes, flycatchers, and centipedes. They have a flat body and a large number (up to 40) of long thin legs. Thanks to their flat body, they penetrate even the smallest crevices and can move quickly. The optimal living environment for them is places with high humidity, so they also often appear in bathrooms and toilets, but they can also be found in the kitchen and living rooms.

These insects are hunting in the bathroom

These insects eat flies, cockroaches, silverfish and other small insects and go out hunting at night. In addition to insects, flycatchers can feed on half-rotten plant debris. So the proximity of centipedes helps get rid of other insects in the apartment and this is one of the methods of getting rid of insects in the bathroom. But not everyone is able to put up with such “neighbors” - their appearance is far from the most attractive. Centipedes bite, but their poison is fatal only to insects; it has no effect on humans, although the bites are unpleasant.

Millipedes are rarely poisoned; they are usually caught alone and are simply swatted away. To get rid of them and be sure that they are not in the apartment or house, it is necessary to normalize the humidity (in a private house this is not only the bath and toilet, but also the basement and attic), and eliminate food sources. Then they will leave your home on their own.

What is this strange beast?

The parasites that have settled in your toilet or bathroom are common silverfish. These are insects with a small oblong body, thin legs (short legs - 8 pairs, main ones - 4 pairs) and processes on the tail and head.

Silverfish belong to the order of crustaceans and resemble woodlice. These small white bugs move very quickly, penetrate into the narrowest cracks and hide if you turn on the light. They are quite tenacious and once settled, they will remain for a long time. It is useless to hope that the problem will resolve itself. Not only that, but these insects have a high reproduction rate, so the beetle population will grow larger over time!

Adult silverfish can take on different shades and be green, brown, yellow or silver. Light-colored individuals are most often found in apartments. To accurately identify them, look at these photos.

This is interesting! According to scientists, silverfish are the most ancient insects living on Earth. The structure of their body has rather primitive features that were characteristic of the ancestors of modern parasites.

The beetles are nocturnal - they crawl out to hunt in the evening, and during the day they prefer to hide away. Food products for silverfish are:

Wallpaper glue;
Natural fabrics;
Molds;
Leftovers;
Wet paper;
Garbage under rugs and bedding;
Rags.

Most of all, these bugs love dampness and humidity, and they cannot stand bright light. The bathroom perfectly matches the tastes and requirements of silverfish, so most often the parasites settle there.

Preparations for controlling insects in the bathroom

Few people are happy about insects in the bathroom or toilet. I want to get rid of them right away. Even if they are harmless. That’s why many people prefer to treat with chemicals. There are a number of products in stores that can help with this:

Aerosol against flying and crawling insects - Raid. It smells like lavender and, according to the manufacturers, is harmless to humans, so you can carry out the treatment without leaving the room. Destroys adults, has no effect on larvae or eggs.
Medilis-Ziper. Suitable for combating most insects that may appear in a house or apartment. This is a concentrate for dilution with water (the proportions are indicated on the package). The solution is poured into a spray bottle and the product is sprayed into the room. It has a strong odor, so it is advisable to wear a respirator during processing, and afterward leave the room for several hours, after which ventilate well.

Some means of controlling insects in a house or apartment
Henkel Combat Aerosol. It has a long thin applicator, thanks to which you can apply the product pointwise to the affected areas - behind pipes, baseboards, in ventilation ducts, etc. It has a rather unpleasant odor, but does not require the mandatory use of protective equipment.
Remedy for bedbugs and other insects Lambda-Zone. This is a concentrate for dilution in water. The solution is sprayed onto the surface using a spray bottle. When applying, it is advisable to use protective clothing and a respirator; after drying, the resulting film is safe for humans and pets.
Globol Original gel repels cockroaches, but also helps against woodlice and silverfish. This is a small tube with pasty contents. It is applied precisely in places where insects accumulate and acts quickly. Insects carry it on their legs, infecting the entire population. This product is safe for humans and pets, but insects die quickly.

Prevention

To avoid the appearance of insects in the bathroom, just follow these recommendations:

Do some minor repairs. Once you've painted, sealed all the cracks and cracks, and sanded the grout, there will be fewer hiding places and ways for pests to enter your home. It will also lower the humidity level.
Maintain good hygiene. Do not leave wet towels, rags, or scraps of paper on the floor. Clean regularly. Treat seams and crevices with disinfectants. Use bleach once a month when cleaning.
Determine the humidity level and temperature. To do this you will need a thermometer and a special device. Measurement of indicators should be carried out within 3-5 days. If small bugs appear in the bathroom due to humidity and heat, it is necessary to constantly ventilate the room. If necessary, install a fan to promote air circulation if the ventilation in the bathroom does not cope with this task.
Do not dry wet clothes or towels on the pipes. Moisture enters the air and settles on surfaces.
Avoid condensation. If it does form, arrange forced drying and ventilation.

There are several preventive measures that can prevent the appearance of small white insects in the bathroom:

Determining the humidity level of a bathroom is carried out with special equipment. If the indicators exceed the permissible norm, the room requires the installation of additional ventilation. Compliance with the requirements will reduce the humidity in the bathroom with a constant flow of fresh air.
Cleaning the premises - frequent treatment of walls and bathroom floors with disinfectant solutions, periodic ventilation will prevent the visit of unexpected guests.
Checking the air temperature - by installing a thermometer in the room. After five days, the average temperature is calculated. If it exceeds 27 degrees, then the bathroom should be ventilated periodically.
Condition of the pipes – drops of water on the bathroom pipes require forced drying of the room. The best option is to replace iron pipes with PVC pipes - there is less moisture on them.
Hanging wet items around the perimeter of the room is prohibited. Violation of the recommendations will cause dampness, musty air, creating an ideal environment for the life of white insects in the apartment.

Monthly cleaning of the sanitary room with chlorine-containing detergents reduces the risk of the spread of pests (centipedes, silverfish). The fight involves the destruction of a favorable habitat for parasites and constant maintenance of cleanliness.