Bedbugs in the bathroom: how to get rid of them forever

"My home is my fortress" - we have long been accustomed to think so, and therefore we do everything possible to protect our homes from the intrusion of uninvited guests. Iron doors and intercoms are in almost every apartment, but many owners do not stop there, equipping homes with alarm systems and CCTV cameras. However, these precautions are powerless against some uninvited guests. They enter our homes through the tiniest cracks in the walls, water pipes, and ventilation grills. They do not invade our property or our health, but they can poison our existence with their mere presence.

Today we are going to talk about woodlice. Perhaps you have already encountered these "charming" creatures. Who they are, and how to make the meetings with them remain only a memory, you will learn from this article.

Mockroaches are arthropods that belong to the class of higher crayfish. Their natural habitat is the same as that of their fellow crayfish and crabs: they prefer to settle on the banks of water bodies. They find a moist and shady place, for example, under a rock or a snag, and wait out the day there, and when the sun goes down, they go in search of food.

With the development of cities, woodlice have gradually migrated from coastal thickets to our apartments. There they found a place for them, which fully meets their requirements: darkness and humidity. Indeed, most bed bugs can be found exactly in the bathroom.

Often this is the only place in the house where no sunlight penetrates. This is why, once in a city apartment, woodlice change their natural way of life - they begin to show active life not only at night, but also during the day.

The second obligatory condition of comfortable life for these arthropods is water, because they breathe with the help of gills. Everything is clear here, there is always water in the bathroom, and it's rarely possible to fully protect the floor and walls from splashing.

To search for food, woodlice do not have to leave the bathroom at all, because there is everything it needs. The woodlice are not fussy about food: they eat organic debris. In your bathroom, their daily diet consists of skin particles, scum on tile, bits of toilet paper, etc.

So, if in the bathroom you once find a creature the size of a cockroach, with a long whitish body, tendrils and seven pairs of legs, then you should not panic. Just read the article carefully and try to follow the advice it gives.

Despite their intimidating appearance, woodlice are perfectly safe creatures.

The most unpleasant consequence of encountering them is the screaming and squealing, caused more by the effect of surprise than by the aggressive behavior of this harmless arthropod.

The midges do not bite, do not sting and generally try to avoid contact with humans. If you try to touch or turn biting midges on their backs, most likely, they will curl up and won't show any signs of life until the danger has passed.

The woodlice do not carry any diseases, harmful bacteria or germs, so from the hygienic point of view they are also completely harmless. In addition, they will not spoil your furniture, walls and finishes (only if they are not already affected by rotting). Your food is safe, too, because woodlice aren't likely to crawl into the kitchen from a dark, cozy bathroom.

As mentioned above, high humidity is a necessary condition for the existence of woodlice. Consequently, in order to survive arthropod neighbors, you will first need to "dry" the bathroom. Make it a rule to ventilate the room every time after bathing. If this is difficult to do (for example, if you have a large family or an adjoining bathroom), simply leave the bathroom open overnight. Don't worry, the woodlice won't scatter all over the apartment - it's too dry for them. Also try to wipe all bathroom surfaces dry once a day.

Clean the entire bathroom thoroughly, look in all the hard-to-reach places, check for accumulations of water and dirt. Pay special attention to the areas under the tub, the sink, behind the toilet and the washing machine. Clean all the hidden corners with a cleaner. There is no need to do this kind of cleaning every day, but try to repeat it at least once a month. Next, you need to take care of waterproofing. Check all plumbing fixtures and water pipes for leaks and fix them.

A towel warmer will help dry the air in the bathroom. If his heat is not enough, install a heater and turn it on for a couple of hours a day. It will not be superfluous to get a bathroom hood.

If after cleaning you did not find anything that could attract the attention of woodlice and make them settle in your bathroom forever, they probably come to visit you from neighboring apartments.

In this case, check all the vents - are there any holes in the mesh? It is also worth looking through the floor and walls - perhaps you will find cracks between tiles or in the walls. If they are found, it will not be difficult to patch them up and block the access of woodlice to your apartment.

In former times, the favorite habitat of woodlice was a bathhouse. That's where it's really dark and damp! It is since then that an ancient folk remedy to get rid of these creatures has reached us.

This is a very humane method that allows you to get rid of woodlice, without causing them any harm. In order to expel the arthropods from your apartment, you will need several birch brooms. Soak birch brooms for the night and place them in the dampest and darkest places of a bathroom. In the morning, collect the brooms and take them out of the apartment. It's better to burn them to be sure, but if you're sure the woodlice won't come back to you, just toss them in the trash.

Here's another, more modern recipe: You need to take a pinch each of red pepper, baking soda and tobacco and pour a liter of warm water. Then mix everything thoroughly and sprinkle this mixture on the floor and ceiling for the night and wash it off in the morning.

You can also try other folk recipes. For example, sprinkle doubtful places in the bathroom with salt and leave it there for a few days. Or dilute dried kvass in boiling water in the ratio of 1:5 and treat with the resulting solution all surfaces in the room. It is important to note that these methods will work only if You have completely secured your bathroom against the reappearance of woodlice (that is, you have followed all the steps in the previous section). Otherwise, the return of your many-legged neighbors will not be long in coming.

If folk recipes do not appeal to you, you can use more radical modern methods. This is where chemistry comes in.

The most inexpensive method... ...is a simple chlorine.... If you can not find it in pure form, any cleaning disinfectant with a fairly high chlorine content will do. Pour or pour the product into all the corners of the bathroom and leave it overnight. In the morning, be sure to rinse thoroughly with water all the places you have treated, since chlorine is extremely dangerous for humans and animals. You must avoid getting it in your airways, eyes, and even more so in your stomach.

Another proven method of getting rid of woodlice in the bathroom is to to launch a chemical attack with quicklime.. You need to fill a small container with it and leave it in the bathroom for at least three days. During this time, the room should not be used in any way, so it is better to postpone this experiment until you and your family can go on vacation for a few days.There are also products designed specifically to combat woodlice. You can easily find them in the hardware department of any hypermarket. Here are a few of the most popular remedies: "Varan Dichlofos", "Tarax", "Get", "Tetriex", "Schabengel", "Mole".

Be sure to follow the instructions for use, as these preparations contain poisonous substances that can cause harm to humans.

If you have already tried all the folk and modern means, but it did not bring any results, you will have to resort to the help of professionals. Services that are engaged in the removal of a variety of insects from the apartments in any city there are a huge number. The easiest way to find such a service is to look carefully at the ads posted near your front door. If you can't find anything there, newspapers, city websites and other media can help.

Professional disinfectors use potent agents and professional equipment that will almost certainly make the midges leave your home.

Finally, if the sanitation and disinfection treatment is done, but the woodlice continue to roam freely in your bathroom, the cause may lie with your neighbors. In this case, it makes sense to combine the efforts of the inhabitants of several apartments and arrange a joint war with the woodlice. Of course, it will not be possible to agree with all neighbors. Try to convince at least the owners of the apartments above and below. If you start "military action" at the same time, there is a high probability that by joint efforts you can get rid of arthropod inhabitants of the bathrooms forever.

The main thing to remember is that Cleanliness and dryness in the bathroom - the key to the fact that the woodlice will never return to your home again.