Where do black and brown bugs, as well as cockroaches and ants, come from and why are they dangerous?
It doesn’t matter whether you live in an apartment or a private house, you can find the following parasites in your home:
- black bugs;
- brown bugs;
- cockroaches;
- ants.
Brown bugs
Also among household pests you can find moths, mosquitoes, bedbugs, fleas and other obnoxious creatures, but we are not talking about them now.
Insects in the bathroom: photos and names
One of the reasons for the presence of uninvited guests in bathrooms and toilets is a violation of the proper microclimate, which creates attractive conditions for pests, as well as basic hygiene standards indoors. In such cases, pests actively begin to penetrate from ventilation, cracks, and through balconies.
Most often, centipedes, spiders, silverfish, wood lice, and butterflies (in the photo you can see them enlarged) appear inside the bathroom or toilet, which are easy to get rid of.
White insects in the bathroom
As for the white insects in the bathing room, these could be recently shed silverfish. They are small in size (up to 10 mm), the body is slightly elongated, and has a light gray or almost transparent color. The body ends with three hairs. They run very fast.
Woodlice also acquire a white shell color during molting; during other periods of life they are gray. They are a type of crustacean. They are harmless and do not bite. Occasionally they are able to appear and spoil vegetable and fruit stocks inside pantries.
There are insects in the bathroom and toilet, tadpoles are running fast
If quickly crawling white tadpoles appear, these are common silverfish. It belongs to the small wingless species of the bristletail order. This is one of the most ancient creatures; scientists have proven that this species existed more than three hundred million years ago.
The tadpole got its name due to the presence of small silvery scales. People sometimes confuse silverfish with the centipede flycatcher, but the main difference between the second insect is the large number of long legs.
Silverfish in an apartment do not pose any threat to people and do not have a negative impact on health, but from an aesthetic point of view it is still better to get rid of them.
Black and brown bugs, who are they?
Black and brown bugs can simultaneously be representatives of the same insect species. For example, a bread grinder or a leather beetle. Both of them enter the house from the street through a window, from neighbors, through cracks in ceilings, when carrying books or things. Their sizes are very miniature from 2 to 12 mm. As for the color cover, it can vary from light brown to dark black.
You can find such beetles on the windowsill, in the cupboard with cereals, in the bread bin, on the shelf with seasonings, in the closet with fur products, behind the sofa, in the baseboard, and also in places where cleaning has long been forgotten.
These beetles have adapted to different food options. They can eat both food and synthetic products, but their favorite treat remains book glue. They choose the kitchen as their habitat for a reason. They really like the warmth. These creatures can live in your home all year round. They reproduce quickly, but they can be hatched.
Attention! Not only do these beetles eat everything around them, but they also cause great harm to the human body. These insects are carriers of many infectious diseases, including helminths.
The ins and outs of the red-haired occupier
The one that is colloquially called the red ant, in the biological classification is the ship or pharaoh ant. This insect is heat-loving, native to North Africa. It has long become a companion to man, settled on ships across all continents and found refuge in human homes, where there is always a warm secluded corner and food.
Interesting! The tiny red beasts received their royal name (“pharaohs”) from Carl Linnaeus himself. Insects were first discovered in Egyptian tombs, where they either guarded the peace of mummies or fed on them.
Externally, the red goosebump is a tiny insect. The body of the working representatives of the family, namely the ones we see in our apartments, reaches a length of only 1.5–2 mm compared to 4–9 mm for their forest and garden counterparts. The queen is a little larger - up to 4 mm, but it is difficult to see, since the nest where she lays eggs is, as a rule, in a place inaccessible to people - under the floors, behind the baseboards, in the floors, even under the wallpaper.
Due to the small size of the insect, with the naked eye we see only the light brown color of the outer integument. Under a microscope, you can see the dark stripes characteristic of the species on the abdomen. The eggs are the same in shape as those of ordinary ants, but three times smaller - approximately 0.3 mm long.
Cockroaches and ants
Although these creatures are positive heroes of many fairy tales, they cause exorbitant damage to the home.
As for cockroaches, their individuals live in various places from sewers to roofs and attics. Even children know what they look like. The most common species is the Prusak cockroach. As a rule, their food source is food. There they deposit their larvae and waste products. Cockroaches are carriers of many diseases that can significantly undermine human health. They can especially harm children.
Carry out preventative measures and do not allow insects to take over your kitchen.
Depending on the species, ants can bite humans, eat carbohydrates that are attractive to them, and be carriers of diseases such as helminths. They act together, so it is necessary to get rid of such “friends” just as quickly and harmoniously.
Insect pests
Woodworms are furniture pests that lay eggs in recesses and small cracks. In three years, the larva grows into an adult. They make passages in the wood where they live.
Most often, only the secondary signs of this insect's presence are noticeable - small holes, mounds of sawdust, damaged wooden furniture.
Human life is connected with living nature, and insects are part of it. This neighborhood has been going on since time immemorial. People have even managed to domesticate some insects. For ants, there are special farms for raising them in apartments - formicariums.
Folk remedies for black and brown bugs, cockroaches and ants
- Boric acid is a paralytic poison for this type of insect. This method is effective if repeated every week for a month. Purchase boric acid powder from a pharmacy. The cost is pretty cheap, so stock up on several packs at once. Coat all crevices and suspected habitats of creatures. Carefully rub the contents into the openings of floors, window sills, and doors. After this treatment, insects will begin to die. Those who did not manage to get into the poisoned territory will be infected by their relatives with toxic substances carried on their paws. After such a massive attack, they will die out on their own or flee to another comfortable home;
- All habitats of these fauna representatives are coated with table vinegar The liquid is applied to a cloth or tampon and rubbed into the surface. If necessary, the procedure is repeated;
Folk insect repellents are safe for humans
- Laundry soap is grated and diluted in warm water. One bar (72%) should be enough for a 12 liter bucket. The floors are wiped with a concentrated soap solution and the surface accessible to insects is treated;
- Baking soda is also a nuisance for parasites. Scatter it along insect paths. After a few days, update the portions;
- Ammonia (10%) will help get rid of pests if you rub it over the surface where insects live.
How to recognize
Unusual arachnids have characteristic features:
- the body resembles a tick;
- the length of adult individuals is no more than 2–3 mm;
- large claws are visible in front;
- the size of the mites reaches half of the tiny body;
- arachnids are nocturnal, and when the light is turned on, they quickly scatter into dark corners;
- In nature, small creatures live in caves, forests, hiding in cramped, damp places: under stones, snags, in bird nests. A book false scorpion settles in a person’s home;
- the characteristic features of the structure of the body do not allow the amazing arachnid to be confused with other insects and mites;
- The lifespan of false scorpions is 2–3 years. At first, the larvae are on the mother’s body and feed at her expense;
- arachnids build a nest from pieces of dry paper, grains of sand, plant remains, and garbage;
- during the molting period, female false scorpions glue together the elements of the shelter with a thin cobweb, a kind of cocoon appears, inside of which it is dry and warm;
- unusual creatures move slowly, often sideways, although sometimes they walk forward and backward. In a dangerous situation, false scorpions freeze, pretend to be dead, and sometimes quickly run away, hoping to find shelter. The tiny creatures are good at climbing vertical surfaces using suction cups on their tiny legs.
Find out about the reasons for the appearance of the hawkmoth butterfly in the garden, as well as whether it is worth fighting the insect.
Read about how to get rid of midges in indoor flowers and prevent the proliferation of annoying insects at this address.
Favorite habitats in a person’s home:
- bookcases and shelves;
- mountains of old paper;
- dusty places, piles of garbage accumulated behind a closet or in the far corner of a bookshelf;
- a bathroom where dead skin particles and dust accumulate next to the pipes, in the far corners under the bathroom.
Interesting fact! The habit of settling among waste paper, books, and piles of papers explains the name of the small arachnid - book pseudoscorpion.
Store-bought remedies for black and brown bugs, cockroaches and ants
Among such means, suitable ones would be: Mashenka type crayons, electronic traps, chemical powders (Regent), Raptor gel, Dichlorvos, Fumitox, DEET, Taiga.
Follow the rules and precautions. To speed up the process of removing domestic parasites, you can use several methods at once.
Advice. In order to prevent the hatching of larvae, the room must be treated several times in one month.
Let your home avoid such troubles, take care of your nerves and health!
Benefits and harms
Is the tiny creature with claws dangerous? Is it worth destroying the small false scorpion?
Many owners, who know nothing about the arachnid’s lifestyle and “taste preferences,” believe that the best way out is to kill the formidable alien with large claws. But with a small population of book false scorpions, living in a large house, this is not worth doing. Tiny creatures are not dangerous to humans: they do not spoil food, do not inject poison, and do not attack sleeping household members like bed bugs. The best option is to think about why unusual creatures appeared in your home.
Arachnids benefit:
- destroy tiny pests: larvae of small flies and beetles, springtails, small spiders, soil mites, nematodes. Many of these insects parasitize indoor flowers and cause damage to plants. False scorpions clear the home of pests, reduce the population of insects that attack orchids, violets, and balsams;
- tiny arachnids are home orderlies. They not only eat pests that damage indoor plants, but also destroy ticks, lice, small bugs, and other parasites, the existence of which in the house residents are not even aware of;
- false scorpions feed on dust, which contains microscopic particles of the epidermis, excrement of small insects, dead and decomposed insects, and tiny debris. The book variety of unusual arachnids actively cleans the accumulation of dust from the shelves of closets, the bathroom, and other areas that the housewife does not get around to cleaning.
Spiders, ticks, fleas, parasites attacking indoor plants are not only unpleasant, but also dangerous to health. Insects and arthropods, when their populations are large, leave a lot of excrement. When dry, the particles mix with dust, spread throughout the apartment, and provoke negative reactions among household members. There is a special type of allergy to house dust. This form of the disease is difficult to get rid of.
Negative points:
- small claws scare household members. Despite its tiny size, it is easy to see the large claws of this strange creature. It seems that a mutant scorpion or a new species of spider has entered the home. Negative emotions after meeting an unusual creature are difficult to forget;
- if the apartment is small, and there are a lot of false scorpions, they cause noticeable discomfort to the household. Nervous, sensitive people experience panicky feelings and become irritated. In case of an accidental or deliberate attack on a tiny arachnid, a defensive reaction will follow - a bite plus unpleasant sensations.
How to get rid of bugs, ants and cockroaches: photo
Reasons for appearance
If you know what is included in the diet of these amazing creatures, you can understand why they appear in the apartment. The diet of the book false scorpion includes:
- Ticks.
- Larvae of flies and beetles.
- Not big spiders.
- Dust mites.
- Springtails.
- Breadworms.
- Nematodes.
- Soil mites.
- Carpet beetles.
- Pieces of skin that remain in the bath after bathing.
Based on the above, we can make an unambiguous conclusion that these insects are attracted to the apartment by unsanitary conditions, as a result of which many parasites appear in a person’s home. In addition, it is easy to find refuge in such an apartment when there is a lot of dust, garbage and old, unnecessary things. An accumulation of old paper and unnecessary newspapers is an ideal environment for the life of insects with claws. When a person begins to put things in order in the apartment and begins to fight harmful insects, which rids the false scorpion of its source of food, this insect will leave the apartment on its own.
