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

Periodically, some insects appear in the bathroom. Most of them are harmless to humans, but few people are happy with such a neighborhood. Therefore, any insects in the bathroom, toilet or other premises are trying to destroy. What “neighbors” may appear and how to get rid of them – read on. 

Translucent insects – silverfish

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

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

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

Maintaining low humidity in the bathroom will eventually get rid of these insects. Insecticides can speed up the process. The usual Dichlorvos, crayons from cockroaches, any other means of controlling insects in the apartment, including boric acid, also helps. But if you do not eliminate the cause of their appearance – constant high humidity – in a month they will appear again.

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 crayfish relatives have adapted to life on land, although they are looking for places with high humidity. It is easy to distinguish them by their appearance – they have an oval, convex body on top, divided into segments and covered with rigid plates. The body may be light, with a slight yellowish tint, or may be dark brown or gray. Another distinguishing feature is their behavior: in case of danger, wood lice curl up into a ball.

Woodlice feed on decaying organic matter. Spoiled vegetables, fruits, greens – this is from the diet. They are suitable for food and fungi that develop in wet areas. 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 the inhabitants of the apartment 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 (avoid water on the floor, walls, improve ventilation), it is necessary to carry out a thorough cleaning with disinfection. You can use for these purposes a solution of bleach, Domestos, and other similar products.

How to get rid of small flies

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

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

• Carefully treat the floor and all the habitats of flies with soapy tar or laundry soap, leave overnight, wash with water in the morning.
•  Wash the floor with a bleach solution, treat the drains of the bath, sinks. Wipe all surfaces with diluted vinegar.
  

Helps to scare away insects decomposed bundles of wormwood, citrus peels. 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 the apartment and it will not be difficult to slam a few individuals. But if you do not treat all wet places, after a while they will reappear.

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

Centipedes

These insects are called centipedes, flycatchers, centipedes. They have a flat body and a large number (up to 40) of long thin legs. Thanks to a flat body, they penetrate even the smallest cracks, they 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 eat flies, cockroaches, silverfish and other small insects, go hunting at night. In addition to insects, flycatchers can feed on half-decayed plant debris. So the neighborhood of centipedes helps to 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 view is far from the most attractive. Centipedes bite, but their poison is fatal only for insects, it has no effect on humans, although bites are unpleasant.

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

Insect control products in the bathroom

Insects in the bathroom or toilet are few people please. I want to get rid of them right away. Even if they are harmless. Therefore, many people prefer to carry out treatment with chemicals. There are a number of products in stores that can help with this:

• Aerosol from flying and crawling insects – Raid. It smells like lavender, according to the manufacturers, it is harmless to humans, so you can carry out the treatment without leaving the premises. Destroys adults, does not affect larvae or eggs.
• Medilis-Ziper. Suitable for fighting 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, the product is sprayed indoors. It has a strong smell, therefore, when processing, it is advisable to wear a respirator, and after it leave the room for several hours, then ventilate well.
  

• Aerosol Henkel Combat. It has a long thin applicator, thanks to which it is possible to apply the agent pointwise to the “damage” zones – behind pipes, skirting boards, into 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 on the surface with a spray gun. 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 against cockroaches, but also helps against wood lice and silverfish. This is a small tube with a pasty content. It is applied pointwise in places where insects accumulate, it acts quickly. Insects carry it on their paws, infecting the entire population. This tool is safe for humans and pets, but insects die quickly.