Your bathroom offers an enticing environment for pests. The readily available water and dark crevices are alluring to many insects. Watch for the following common residents in the bathroom and take action quickly to eliminate them if they show up. The sooner you treat a pest problem, the easier this task will be.
Silverfish
Image via Flickr by gcchang
Although silverfish are not aquatic, as their name may suggest, they do love moisture. You’ll often find them in damp places around the bathroom, particularly surrounding the drain. Silverfish are identifiable by their bristle-shaped tails and long antenna. They’re about a half-inch long, slim, and gray in color. The movement of silverfish is much like swimming.
While they’re not harmful to people unless you have an allergic reaction, they can destroy items in your home. They feed on wallpaper and book bindings among other objects. Spot treatments work sporadically to get rid of silverfish. A whole-home extermination treatment is best.
Cockroaches
Attracted to a house’s water supply, cockroaches will often make their home in your bathroom. They can scuttle down drains and surprise you as you go about your routine, providing an unwelcome start to the day. Cockroaches can vary in shape in color, but all have oval-shaped bodies, six legs, and antennae.
Cover your drains and seal any cracks in the walls to help keep cockroaches out of the bathroom. They may likely be coming in through another part of the house, so the best solution is to have a professional treat the whole home for this type of infestation.
Ants
Ants like the bathroom’s water source, and they may set up residence here to have steady access to the water supply. You can identify most ants by their three body parts and six legs, although many varieties vary in size and color. Eliminate any food or water sources as best you can.
Follow the ants’ trail to find their entry point or nest. If they’re coming in from outside, try spraying a mix of diluted tea tree and peppermint essential oils on the trail to eliminate it. Seal the entrance point to keep the ants out. If the ants are nesting in your home, you must eradicate the nest, something you can do with ant poison.
Drain Flies
Drain flies, also known as sewer gnats or sink flies, feed on the sewage in your pipes. These small flies have a fuzzy appearance and often appear in swarms after eggs hatch. Drain flies typically indicate dirty or clogged pipes. Remove the clog and clean the pipes to eliminate the source of the problem. As you’re cleaning the pipes, you may find larvae in the slimy film.
Adult flies are more difficult to catch and kill, but they live only for about 20 days. If they don’t have a place to lay their eggs, they will die off during this time.
Maintain a clean, well-sealed bathroom to prevent pests as much as possible. Always watch for standing water and dripping pipes, and make prompt repairs to keep your bathroom from attracting unwanted visitors.
