Bathrooms can attract a variety of bugs to live and increase their population as they prefer warm and moist places.
Common bugs in bathroom include mosquitoes, cockroaches, spiders, ants, house centipedes, drain flies, silverfish, beetles, springtails, termites, scorpions, crickets, black worms, earwigs, mites, horseflies, ticks, bed bugs, weevils. They get attracted to warmth, moisture, and food.
It is essential to know the common bugs and pests that can attack bathrooms or the reasons for their entry and the possible entry routes to get control over them.
19 Examples of common bugs in bathroom
| Bathroom bugs | Size | Color | Reasons for entry |
| Mosquitoes | 3 to 10 mm | Grey and silver | Moisture, warmth, body odors |
| Cockroaches | 12 to 30 mm | Reddish brown to black | Moisture, food, warmth |
| Spiders | 10 to 85 mm | Grey or brown | Insects, moisture |
| Ants | 2 to 20 mm | Black, brown, red | Insects, water spills, warmth |
| House centipede | 30 to 40 mm | Greyish or dark yellow | Water, mold, insects |
| Drain flies | 3 to 3.2 mm | Grey, brown, black | Block drainage, soapy scum |
| Silverfish | 10 to 20 mm | Light grey to blue | Water spills and paper |
| Beetles | 3 to 20 mm | Yellow, orange, brown | Dead insects, textile fiber |
| Springtails | 1.5 to 10mm | Brown or black | Plant matter, mold, spills |
| Termites | 12 to 15 mm | White or light brown | Moisture or damp wood |
| Scorpions | 40 to 60 mm | Brown to deep black | Humidity, prey insects |
| Crickets | 5 to 50 mm | Light yellow to brown | Fabric, light |
| Black worms | 65 to 98 mm | Black | Blocked drain |
| Earwigs | 5 to 7 mm | Red-brown or black | Moisture, warmth |
| Mites | 0.1 to 5.8 mm | Brown or reddish brown | Dust, debris, mold |
| Horseflies | 10 to 28 mm | Yellow to black | Odor, invertebrates |
| Ticks | 2.5 to 5 mm | Black or reddish brown | Wet surfaces |
| Bed bugs | 4 to 7 mm | Brown or red | Dust and moisture |
| Weevils | 4 to 6 mm | Black or reddish brown | Insects, moisture |
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are commonly present in marshy areas or stagnant water as they prefer to lay eggs within water that remain submerged until they have become adults.
They are almost 3 to 10 mm long and appear grey or silver due to white or silvery scales. They can come inside the bathroom due to the attractive odors of hygiene products and warmth.
In addition, its floor mostly remains wet due to excessive usage and increases the humidity level, which can attract mosquitoes as they prefer to live in highly humid places.
The body odors and even carbon dioxide can make them reach there. Therefore, it is essential to remove these bugs to avoid the risk of bites and restrict them from producing eggs.
You can reduce the moisture level by dehumidifying the room and growing rosemary or basil plants, as they are good repellents for mosquitoes.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are reddish-brown to black bugs that are 12 to 30 mm long. These can be American, wood, or German species appearing in reddish brown to black and have the exact requirements.
They prefer to live in warm places with an ideal temperature of almost 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, while the moisture level has to be 85 to 90% for better growth and survival.
This place has a humid environment compared to other rooms; that’s why you can see these indoor pests crawling to the area to meet their requirements.
In addition, these oval-shaped insects can reach washrooms with wet floors by passing through narrow cracks and space under closed doors.
So, you have to fix the leaky faucets and seal the entryways if you want to get rid of them.
Spiders
Spiders are grey or brown-colored pests that can get attracted to this place due to darkness as they like to live in a darker and moist environment.
They are almost 10 to 85 mm long and make their way through windows and larger cracks. Moreover, they can reach inside the washroom by following other insects.
The web-weaving spiders like to eat mosquitoes, while the jumping spiders attack cockroaches to obtain nutrition from the hemolymph and bodies.
You can keep these bugs at a distance by placing lemon peels at possible entryways like windows. They do not like citrus odors and avoid crawling on surfaces.
Ants
Ants love moisture and build their nests at places where they find wet soil or wood. These insects can come through drains of bathtubs or showers when they find water drops for hydration.
Moreover, the wet towels provide suitable moisture and warmth, considered ideal conditions for them to live and reproduce. A toothbrush or paste can also draw them inside.
They can also get attracted to the pleasant aroma of hygiene products used for bathing or cleansing. Some people keep scented candles in the bathroom, creating a soothing environment for insects.
In addition, the fermenting odor of hair in the drains can allure their receptors as they can obtain nutrients from hair that is a rich source of protein.
It is better to choose ant-repellent essential oils for baths, like peppermint, lemon, tea tree, and rosemary, to make the environment soothing and pest-free.
House centipede
House centipedes have dark yellowish or grey bodies around 30 to 40 mm long and have 15 pairs of legs. Their sense of smell is strong, like ants, as they do not have good vision.
In addition, they can reach inside the bathroom after detecting food, moisture, and attractive odors of soaps, shampoos, and other hygiene products.
These are predatory bugs and attack spiders to suck nutrients from their bodies and at plants also. Their smell receptors guide them to reach areas where their preys are present, like silverfish.
You have to regularly clean the surface to prevent these house centipedes because they come inside after other insects and spiders.
Drain flies
Drain flies are 3 to 3.2 mm long and have black, brown, and greyish bodies. These flies are named on their location as they are usually present in sink drains.
They cannot survive without moisture and reach shower, bathtub, or sink drains for better growth.
The presence of hair in the drains can attract these pests as they like to consume organic matter within clogged drains. Accordingly, you have to degrade the organic matter to control these flies’ population.
Remove the soapy scum and hair from the drains and pour a solution of baking soda and vinegar to open up the clogged drains and allow water to flow.
Silverfish
You can see heavy infestations of silverfish within the bathroom, as these pests need higher humidity to live and die in dry conditions. They require almost 90 to 92% humidity for survival.
It has a carrot-shaped body, appears light grey to blue in color, and extends in length from 10 to 20 mm. You have to make an environment unattractive to get control over their population.
They can cause damage to paper and books as they like to feed on these objects.
You can find them crawling close to the bathtub space and hiding beneath it. It can only be controlled by reducing moisture.
Beetles
Carpet and drugstore beetles are round-shaped bugs appearing in yellow, white, or brown colors. They can easily sneak through spaces and reach bathrooms because they are only 3 to 20 mm long.
The carpet beetles can reach there in search of dead insects and natural fiber because they chew the fiber. So they prefer to chew the material and make their way inside the textiles.
It is essential to stop them from laying eggs within the textile as they can cause damage to the fabric. You can avoid them by frequently cleaning the floor and wiping out dead bugs.
Moreover, the drugstore beetles are smaller and are commonly present in kitchens, but they can reach bathrooms when they do not access flour and find hair in the sink drains.
Springtails
Springtails are brown or black bugs that can reach lengths from 1.5 to 10 mm. They feed on mold and plant matter and get attracted to water spills in the bathroom.
They are named so because they can jump and are smaller in size. They are hydrophilic insects and reach damp or decaying wood having mold growth.
They do not cause severe damage because they consume decaying plants, wood, and dead insects. However, you can restrict their entry by reducing the moisture level within a room.
Termites
Termites are wood-loving insects commonly found in the bathroom due to damp wood because they prefer to live in humid environments.
These are 10 to 15 mm long having light brown and whitish bodies that can destroy the wooden cabinets. They can efficiently consume and break the cellulose fibers in paper and wood.
Any leakages in the plumbing lines can make everything wet inside the washroom by raising the moisture level. You can stop termites from growing by making the surfaces dry and unattractive.
Scorpions
Scorpions are 40 to 60 mm long and appear in brown and deep black color. They can get enter through plumping lines to reach highly humid places like the bathroom.
They can also make their way through drainage pipes to live in dark and moist environments. Moreover, spiders, roaches, and flies can attract them because they prefer to eat other insects.
They are commonly present in the pipes because moisture attracts the thirsty bugs inside, but they cannot get inside the bathtub or sink because their feet cannot maintain a grip on slick sides.
They are commonly seen crawling on the floor at the end of the summer season because they get active and need to be controlled to avoid poisonous bites.
Furthermore, you can stop them from entering inside by sealing the plumbing lines and entry points and controlling the humidity level.
Crickets
Crickets are light yellow to brown colored insects that can extend from 5 to 25 mm, but a few can reach 50 mm in length. These get attracted to the light source, particularly at night.
The bathroom can become attractive for these insects when you keep the lights switched on all night as they are usually active in the nighttime.
They are commonly seen during the summer season and hide during cold weather.
Moreover, they can eat fabric and cause damage to carpets and towels, so getting rid of these insects from the room is essential.
You can prevent them from coming by keeping the lights switched off at night when not in use because these wandering insects can quickly come indoors when they see a bright light.
Black worms
Black worms are common bathroom bugs because they prefer to live in stagnant water and consume decaying matter or sewage material.
The females produce eggs within toilets or stagnant water and can get inside the washroom in case of water leakage. These worms appear black and are 65 to 98 mm long.
A blocked drain can make them up through drains and reach the floor, so you have to avoid the blockage of pipes if you want to keep the room free of these earthworms.
Furthermore, it is better to use vinegar and baking soda solution to dislodge the clogged particles and allow the water to run smoothly.
Earwigs
Earwigs are scavenging bugs with six legs extending from 5 to 7 mm. They appear in red-brown or black color and prefer to consume decaying matter.
They are commonly present in outdoor areas and reach indoor moist areas when the weather is not favorable for their survival and pose a risk of death.
They can reach the floor searching for decaying plants and flowers and find a suitable place to lay eggs. They have a special attraction for moisture and warmth and reach these places.
Moreover, you have to close their entry points by sealing the cracks and opening in the walls as they can sneak through small spaces.
In addition, you can prepare a rubbing solution by diluting it in water to get rid of these creepy insects and use boric acid powder to keep them at a distance.
Mites
Mites or dust mites get attracted to dusty surfaces and are usually present in the attics because they are not cleaned regularly. Attics provide a dusty environment to mites.
They are brown or reddish brown insects having 0.1 to 5.8 mm longer bodies. They can move from attics to other dirty areas of the house, providing ideal moisture and warmth.
Moreover, some of them get attracted to moldy surfaces, so you can prevent these insects by reducing the humidity level. They can irritate the skin’s surface and even bite sometimes.
Furthermore, regular vacuuming of the floor can help avoid the accumulation of dirt and debris and keep these insects away from you.
Horseflies
Horseflies are 10 to 28mm long bugs with a black or yellowish appearance. They do not visit the bathroom frequently and live around ponds or marshy areas.
Accidentally, these annoying and dangerous organisms can reach there when their receptors detect a pungent ammonia odor. Open windows and gaps in the walls can become their entry routes.
You have to deal with these bugs when this place contains other invertebrates because they are predatory insects and suck blood from invertebrates.
Moreover, you can stop them from entering by hanging bright-colored objects because they do not like bright colors. Hang bright-colored towels to keep these biting horseflies out.
Ticks
Many types of ticks can attack bathrooms, including black-legged, brown dogs, and American dogs, because they like a moist environment.
They can get attached to windows, blinds, and rugs and remain unnoticed, leading to a heavy infestation. They are 2.5 to 5 mm long bugs having black or reddish brown bodies.
These can survive for almost 3 days on moist surfaces like towels or windows, having water drops and laying eggs to maintain their population.
You can become the source of their entry because they can get attached to the clothes when you move through bushes and get attached to wet surfaces.
Moreover, the brown dog ticks can enter the room through cracks and gaps that need to be sealed to prevent undesired entries. Additionally, keep the floor dry to avoid them.
Bed bugs and weevils
Bed bugs and weevils do not frequently visit the bathroom, but they can get inside the room in case of heavy infestation.
They are 4 to 7 mm long and have brown or red bodies, while weevils are black or reddish brown and extend to 4 to 6 mm.
You have to reduce the population of bed bugs in other areas of the house to prevent their entry, which can be only possible when you keep the mattresses clean.
In addition, you can use soapy water to get rid of weevils, as its acts like a disinfecting spray and kill them. Keep the surfaces dry to avoid these moisture-loving pests.
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