Unpleasant guests - wood lice in the bathroom and toilet. Reasons for the appearance, methods of dealing with them and preventive measures

Many people, going to the toilet or bathroom, hoping to relax, soak in the bathtub filled with hot water, meet such "unwanted guests" in the form of wood lice. The neighborhood with woodlice often causes discomfort or disgust.

These representatives of crustaceans seem to pose no danger to humans, but their appearance and their presence are unpleasant. In this article we will tell you how to get rid of them without outside help.

What is the reason for the appearance of these crustaceans in the apartment?

The main reason for the appearance of wood lice is humidity.. Woodlice feel great in a humid environment, and the bathroom with toilet is well suited for their existence. Woodlice are nocturnal, so during the day they are very rarely seen. Well, if you got a lice in your eyes, then it is likely that they have already gotten enough. They can hide under a tile, in joints, under a damp rug, in wet rags. Learn more about woodlice lifestyle here.

The toilet is also a good habitat for wood lice, if there is poor ventilation, leaking pipes, condensation, dampness on the floor.

Woodlice can appear in the bathroom from neighbors, climb through seams and crevices in the walls. If there was a flood from the neighbors from above, and moisture and dampness are not completely eliminated, they are likely to get wood lice there and it is more likely that they can move to the floor below.

Where did they come from and for what reasons woodworms are planted in houses and apartments here.

What do they eat?

Woodlice eat the remnants of softened toilet paper, accumulated dust, the soiled remnants of soap. If you do not throw garbage on time, wood lice will creep in to feast on the remains of human food.

What else can woodworms eat and whether it is possible to poison them you will learn from a special article.

Photo

Check out the photos of crustaceans, often mistakenly called insects, that crawl in the bathroom and toilet and often feel great at home.

You can see more photos of different species of wood lice in a separate article.

How to get rid of “unwanted guests”?

Consider how to get rid of small crustaceans that crawl in the apartment, especially often in the bathroom, and are often mistaken for insects. You can get rid of wood lice using 2 methods:

1. try it on your own;
2. cause disinfection.

As soon as wood lice appeared from dampness, measures should be taken immediately to combat them.

In more detail about why wood lice appear in the apartment and how to get them out of there, we talked here.

How to deal with them on your own?

For starters, you can try to get rid of them on your own. To do this, you need:

1. The first step is to reduce the humidity in the bathroom and toilet. Ventilate the premises, leave the doors in the bathroom open, wipe drops and puddles after using the bathroom. If possible, install a fan or heater.
2. Check if the ventilation system is working. In case of breakage, repair, clean or call a special service.
3. Check the operability of water pipes, siphons to avoid water leakage.
4. Do not tumble dry in the bathroom. Dry wet towels outside the bath.
5. Clean regularly to avoid accumulation of debris and dust.

If you follow these simple rules, you can get rid of wood lice forever. But there are times when they settled in the bathroom on a large scale or run away from neighbors who neglect the rules listed above, then calling disinfection can help.

How to remove with disinfection?

Calling skilled workers will help get rid of wood lice in the shortest possible time and for a long time. Disinfection takes place like this:

• A special technology called “cold” fog is being produced. The electric motor of the fumigator for spraying makes it possible to disintegrate the drug into small particles of 50 - 80 microns. Due to this, the drug is introduced into microscopic cracks and cracks.
• Processing takes 20 to 30 minutes. After that, it becomes safe to be in the room for everyone except insects.
• The preparations are almost odorless and leave no traces or spots.
• Experts give a one-year guarantee and in case of re-emergence of wood lice, all work is carried out absolutely free.
• Pest treatment occurs with high-quality drugs that are not freely available.

The advantage of choosing a fight, such as disinfection, is that it will surely get rid of wood lice and you can forget about this problem. But the minus is that such a struggle is costly, in contrast to the struggle on their own and that children, pregnant women, animals are better off for some time not to be where the disinfection was carried out.

Also, in the fight against wood lice there are folk and chemical methods.

How to destroy arthropods with folk methods?

• The places where woodlice live are plentifully treated with a solution of boric acid, and sprinkle salt in the corners.
• In the corners of the room where there are woodlice put laid, wet brooms.
• Prepare a solution: red pepper, salt and tobacco. Each of the ingredients you need to take about 3 grams, dilute in 1 liter of water and let it brew. With this solution, treat the floor and walls of the room and leave for 7 - 8 hours. Then rinse off with a chlorine preparation, such as Domestos.
• Woodlice do not like kvass, so you can prepare a solution of the purchased powder based on the instructions. Spray with a ready-made solution the places where, most likely, there are woodlice.

Folk remedies are used for lack of chemicals or after the discovery of wood lice. If folk methods do not help, you can go to the products of the chemical industry.

See how to get rid of wood lice in the bathroom or toilet in the video below:

Chemical methods

The most famous insect control drugs are:

• Geth. The drug affects the body of the insect through the body, digestive tract and respiratory tract. First there is a muscle spasm, a malfunction in the organs, then death. When an infected insect is touched, the rest are infected. Thus the colony dies.
• Dikhlovos "VARAN". It neutralizes white, gray wood lice and creates a barrier to their reappearance for a period of about 2 weeks. Absolutely harmless to humans and animals.
• Tarax. The remedy for woodlice is dissolved in water and applied to more likely places where woodlice live. Water evaporates, but the active substance remains. This film layer may remain for up to 4 weeks, but due to humidity in the bathroom it may break down. The manufacturer claims that the concentration of the poison is small, but it is better to limit the access of children and animals before processing.
• Tetrix. The drug has a double action: intestinal and contact. This is a very toxic drug. When using it, be sure to observe safety precautions, use a replaceable suit, glasses, gloves, a respiratory mask, follow the instructions and dosage.

The use of chemicals is more effective than alternative methods. In residential premises there is a high probability that it will be affected by chemical vapors, so before using chemicals, you need to arm yourself with respiratory masks, gloves and be sure to restrict access to people, children and animals.

What preventive measures should be taken to prevent arthropods?

1. Elimination and sealing of all cracks, joints and damage on the floor, walls and ceiling of the bathroom and toilet.
2. Compliance with hygiene and order.
3. Elimination of water and sewage breakdowns.
4. Airing and drying the bathroom and toilet.
5. Checking ventilation grilles, their serviceability.

If all the measures taken have yielded a short result and the wood lice have returned again, then it would be useful to go talk with the neighbors and find out how things are going with them. If this is a problem not of one apartment, but of many, then the struggle with folk and chemical means will be short-lived and ineffective.

There are 2 options: either from time to time to poison wood lice in the bathroom and wait for them to reappear, or to collectively unite the whole house and cause disinfection or sanitary and epidemiological station, which, having powerful insecticides and special equipment, will relieve once and for all from “unwanted residents” in the form of wood lice.