Finding bugs in your bathroom is unsettling, so you’re probably wondering—why do they keep showing up? Most of the time, bugs access your bathroom for one of two reasons: it’s warm and humid, or they simply had access through pipes. While there’s not a whole lot you can do for humidity and pipes in your bathroom, there are still some ways you can avoid insects in this part of your home. Here’s what you need to know about bugs in your bathroom and how you can get rid of them.
What Are The Small Black Flying Bugs in the Bathroom?
If you find a tiny black bug in your bathroom, it’s probably a sewer fly or a drain fly. They have small bodies that are black or dark brown in color, often flying around drains near tubs and sinks. These pests are drawn to decaying organic matter, so they may breed in dirty drains or enter your home by traveling through a broken drain tap or sewer.
What if the Little Black Bugs in the Bathroom Don’t Fly?
If you keep finding little black bugs in your bathroom that don’t fly, you may run into small nuisance ants. These insects also need moisture to survive, but since there are fewer food sources for ants in a bathroom, they rarely stick to just this part of the home; these are far more common to find in your kitchen than your bathroom.
Do Cockroaches Come Up the Drain?
Yes, it’s possible for cockroaches to enter your home by climbing up drains. These insects prefer to live in warm, moist, and dark areas, which makes sewers and pipes the perfect place for them to thrive.
Cockroaches usually get into spaces not only through the drains, but through entry points around the structure and on boxes that are carried in from elsewhere. Because their eggs are very small, they can travel through walls, small openings between units, electrical outlets, vents, and under doors with ease. Even a perfectly clean apartment or home can be susceptible to cockroach activity.
Are Cockroaches Common In Apartments?
Unfortunately, yes, cockroaches are common in apartments. Because their eggs are very small, they can travel through walls, small openings between units, electrical outlets, vents, and under doors with ease. Something that makes cockroach problems especially different within apartments and row homes is that they have the ability to travel between units, making infestations even harder to get rid of.
Other Common Bathroom Bugs
Outside of flies, ants, and cockroaches, there are a few insects you may find crawling around your bathroom. Here are the most common other bathroom bugs and how to identify them:
Silverfish
Silverfish are common pests found in bathrooms due to their attraction to moisture and humidity. These small, silver-colored insects are often discovered in dark, damp areas such as under sinks, in shower corners, or around plumbing fixtures. While they don't pose a direct threat to human health, silverfish can be a nuisance and may damage paper products, books, and clothing.
Stink Bugs
Stink bugs are another common invader within residential homes in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. Similar to the behavior of ladybugs and boxelder bugs, they make their way into human made structures by hibernating or what is called “overwintering,” within wall voids seeking out warmth in the fall. They find entry points between cracks and crevices around the exterior of your home that may not be visible at first glance.
Why Are Bugs In My Shower?
Several types of crawling pests find refuge in sewers and piping because it’s wet and full of food sources. The main problem clients experience is when they surface into bathrooms by way of drains and connecting pipes in areas such as your bathtub in search of food. Because they lack wings, these insects become trapped and end up staying in the bathtub until you go to clean or take a shower. This is also true for any other pest that is drawn in by the lure of moisture, falling in and not being able to get back out.
How to Prevent Bugs in your Bathroom
To prevent bugs from coming into your bathroom, you have to create the least ideal environment for their survival. Remove the elements that draw bugs in, and you will be much more likely to keep them out. Try out the following tips:
- Reduce Moisture: Moisture is one of the main draws into any area where they live. Use a dehumidifier or air ceiling vents during and after showering.
- Fix Drain & Plumbing Issues: If you are experiencing insect activity in your bathroom, it’s possible that there is an underlying plumbing issue that needs to be resolved. Call your local professional for an assessment.
- Clean Regularly: Once insects find their way into your bathroom, easy access to food will make them stay. Be diligent in cleaning your bathroom on a regular basis.
- Seal Openings: Seal cracks and crevices that you find around the walls and window frames. If there are broken window screens or drain covers, repair or replace those as well to prevent insects from getting into your bathroom.
- Get Professional Services: If you’re dealing with an infestation in your bathroom, it isn’t easy to get rid of. Working with a professional exterminator is the fastest and most effective way to handle the problem.
Keep Bugs Out of Your Bathroom
Tired of finding bugs in your bathroom? Cooper Pest Solutions provides both one-time and year-round home programs that target bugs found in bathrooms such as silverfish, cockroaches, drain flies, and more. Our team uses a targeted application to eliminate and control one specific pest. This type of service is implemented when there is an already existing pest problem in your home and not to prevent future infestations.
