Mar 22, 2019, 13:33 PM by Fred Speer

Mainly due to their attraction to moisture, a number of bugs are typically found in bathrooms. including ants, cockroaches, silverfish, spiders and centipedes.

Clark, your neighborly pest control expert, is going room by room, from the attic to the crawlspace, to identify potential pest hot spots and what conditions might attract them. In this edition, we’ll visit your home’s bathroom to identify common pests that might pose a problem there.

Cockroaches

These insects prefer warm and moist environments, and bathrooms provide an ideal home for them. If drains aren’t routinely cleaned and covered, a bathroom can easily become a cockroach haven.

Ants

Bathrooms provide the ideal environment for pharaoh ants, as they prefer to nest in warm, humid areas with access to water. These tiny bathroom bugs will usually seek refuge in wall voids, behind baseboards, and under floors. Similarly, carpenter ants, needing water to survive, primarily attack wet wood.

Other pests

Silverfish, though more commonly found in kitchens, can also get comfortable in bathrooms, due to mold growth caused by moisture buildup. In addition to feeding on mold, these silvery gray pests favor moist and humid habitats, usually congregating around drains.

Though not as strongly attracted to moisture as other invaders, spiders and centipedes can also occasionally make their way into bathrooms. Rather than search for water, these pests are on the hunt for food, preying on smaller insects that are commonly found in the bathroom.

 

What’s the attraction?

Even though everyone agrees that pests like cockroaches could use a good cleaning, soap and suds aren’t what attracts pests to bathrooms. The main factor that makes bathrooms attractive to pests is moisture. Between sinks, showers, toilets, and tubs, there’s no shortage of water when it comes to bathrooms. Without proper ventilation or absorbent floor mats, tile floors and wood walls can easily collect moisture. This damp and humid environment can cause mold, a common food source for certain pests, to accumulate.

Five pest prevention tips for the bathroom:

Now that you know what pests to look for, here are five tips on how to prevent pests from invading your bathroom.

1. Eliminate any and all causes of excess moisture.
2. Increase ventilation through fan use, put down absorbent floor mats, and address any leaky pipes or faucets, making sure to check under sinks and around the toilet and bathtub.
3. Seal wall crevices with caulk and fix broken window screens. Seal every crack, no matter how small, to keep even the tiniest bugs out of your bathroom.
4. Replace any broken tiles, as floor cracks can allow moisture to build up and can provide pests with easy access to hiding spots.
5. Keep the bathroom clean. Wash shower curtains and liners, and make a habit of inspecting and cleaning drains, even sealing them with a mesh cover. In particular, toilets need to be routinely cleaned, as substances such as urine can serve as a food source for pests like ants.

Though they may seem small, bathroom bugs and pests pose serious threats to both people and property. Carpenter ants can damage wood, while pharaoh ants have been known to spread a number of disease pathogens, such as Streptococcus pyogenes and Salmonella. Also, cockroaches are well-known distributors of at least 33 kinds of bacteria.

Call or text Clark at (800) WE-NEED-YOU (936-3339) if you have problems with any of these pests in your bathroom or any location in your home. You can also email us at clarkcares@clarkpest.com to let us know how we can serve your pest control and lawn care needs.

Until next time, I’m Clark, and thanks for helping me keep unwanted pests out of your home and yard.