Types of domestic wood lice. Woodlice in the apartment: what does an insect look like and how to get it out? How to create unfavorable conditions for the reproduction of woodlice

What to do if small nondescript woodlice insects appear in the apartment? You should not be very scared, but it's time to think about how to get harmful insects out of the apartment. Despite their small size, wood lice can cause a lot of trouble, especially for flower lovers. Pests first of all pay attention to them; we must not forget about the possibility of transferring various infections. Therefore, you should find out from what woodlice appear in the apartment and how to remove them correctly.

Types of wood lice

Woodlice in an apartment may look different, some have a shell, like an armadillo, others have a narrow body and antennae, others are silverfish, along with woodlice, they annoy the inhabitants of the house.

Woodlice ordinary

The small insect belongs to the order of crustaceans. The length of its body reaches only 3-4 millimeters, the oval thick body is slightly tapering, it consists of many segments. Wood lice are often dark gray, gray or greenish in color, and during molting they are also white. In the apartment they prefer to settle in the bathroom, because they adore places with high humidity. If she is in danger, wood lice quickly curl up into a ball, they prefer to be active at night.

Woodlice rough

A more mobile representative with a soft and flat shell. Its color is reddish, yellow, light gray, even almost black. The body of this species also consists of segments, but has some roughness. They crawl faster than ordinary wood lice and, when caught, are not inclined to curl up into a ball, on the contrary, they begin to arch their bodies and quickly move their paws in an attempt to escape.

Common silverfish

Or sugarcane is a rather small insect, reaching a size of only 1 millimeter. Its body is often silvery or simply has a gray tint, a distinctive feature is the antennae that stick out - two in front and three in the back. The body of the silverfish consists of segments, is oval in size, but tapers towards the back. These insects are active at night.

Why are they dangerous?

Where did woodlice come from in the apartment? The owners themselves could bring them into the house along with houseplants, which are often taken outside for airing or washing. The fact is that crustaceans are very fond of flower pots, there is enough moisture and food for a comfortable stay.

In this case, plants can die in a fairly short period of time, because wood lice damage their root system and contribute to soil compaction, which leads to a significant decrease in oxygen levels.

Woodlice do not harm the human body, because they do not bite, although there are hypotheses that crustaceans can carry spores of various fungi and lichens on their paws. To date, this information has not yet been confirmed, but is it worth the risk, in any case, they need to be destroyed in order to prevent the invasion of wood lice in the apartment.

Reasons for the appearance

To understand where woodlice come from in an apartment, you should pay attention to their habitat. Crustaceans are attracted by increased levels of humidity, for example, a pipe leaks in the bathroom or condensation constantly accumulates on the wall after taking a bath.

Insects need a breeding ground, which is perfectly served by stale leftovers in the trash can.

The reason for the appearance of uninvited guests can be a flooded basement if the apartment is on the first floor, and a leaking roof if the monastery is located on the top floor of the house.

Fight against dampness and moisture

It is imperative to fight woodlice colonies in a house or apartment, like in the toilet, in the kitchen or in the bathroom. To get rid of harmful insects, you can use traditional methods or various chemicals.

Folk remedies

Dry kvass

You need to take 100 grams of dry kvass and place it in a container of 500 milliliters of boiling water. Stir the mass and spray in the habitats of woodlice, it is recommended to use a spray bottle.

Red pepper

Mix 3 grams of red pepper, 4 grams of soda and 2 grams of tobacco, then pour one liter of hot water into the resulting mass. Spray the solution in problem areas, and after 90 minutes rinse with warm water with the addition of chlorine or a preparation containing it.

Boric acid

Stir 10 grams of boric acid in 500 milliliters of water. Carefully handle the places where crustaceans accumulate.

Salt

You can sprinkle handfuls of salt in the corners of a problem room. When using this method, there is a risk that wood lice will simply be located higher on the walls.

Birch branches

In the corners of the room where wood lice live, lay out birch brooms, they should lie there all night, in the morning the brooms should be carefully collected and thrown away from the house or shake them over the fire so that the wood lice burn out.

Chemicals

Before using these funds in an apartment, you should study the instructions for use, and then you can poison wood lice.

Quicklime

A bucket of quicklime must be placed in the room where the pests have started, then the door must be tightly closed. After that, you cannot enter the treated room for another 3 days.

Chlorine

A product designed for disinfection and disinfection of premises. Stir 40 grams of the substance in one liter of water and treat the room where crustaceans live. Perform the procedure in protective gloves.

Dichlorvos

Contact agent, kills insects within 3-4 minutes by exposure to poison on their respiratory tract. Spraying should be carried out at a distance of 30 centimeters from the surface, you can process crevices or process the insects themselves.

Chalk "Mashenka"

This agent is insecticidal and affects the insect only with direct contact, the poison is able to penetrate the shell tissues, as a result of which the work of the nervous system is disrupted, and then paralysis and death occurs. The chalk can be simply applied in the form of a line on the floor, after being ground, sprayed and diluted in water.

Schabengel

It is a syringe with a poison in the form of a gel, which can be applied to the surface in the form of lines or injected directly into the crevices. Eating bait, wood lice will soon be poisoned and die.

Monitor lizard

The tool has a contact principle of action, when it comes into contact with the treated surface, woodlice carry poison on the whiskers and paws, which kills the entire colony. The powder should be dissolved in water and the solution should be used to treat ventilation shafts, baseboards and other places affected by insects, it is better to use a syringe or brush.

Gett

The active substance of the drug penetrates into the digestive and respiratory systems of woodlice and kills them. It exists in the form of a concentrated liquid that must be diluted with water (1:10) and aerosol. The product exists in liquid and powder form, both of which must be mixed with water before spraying the room.

Mole

A bait agent, which should be applied in places where crustaceans accumulate, the substance should dry within two days, and after 5 days it is advisable to repeat the procedure.

Tetrix

With an invasion of woodlice, it is better not to try to take them out on your own, but to invite specialists from a private pest control organization or from a sanitary and epidemiological station. They use completely safe means, carefully process everything and even give a guarantee of about 3 months.

Prevention of the appearance

In order not to fight breeding pests, it is better to prevent their appearance by following several rules:

immediately eliminate leaking pipes;
thoroughly wipe off condensation on the bathroom or kitchen floor;
regularly clean ventilation openings;
ventilate all rooms in the house;
to close the emerging gaps in the flooring;
use a dehumidifier in case of excessive humidity;
take out the trash can more often;
do not leave food leftovers on the table;
dry linen on the street or balcony, and not in the bathroom;
Remove the soil from the pallets of plants, which crumbled there.

But not all of them are effective. We will determine the reasons for the appearance of crustacean pests in the room and on the backyard and consider the available methods for their destruction.

In a private house, wood lice can be found anywhere: a basement, a cellar, a summer kitchen, a greenhouse, a greenhouse, a garage, and just under a bunch of branches in the yard.

Since there are often fallen leaves or missing plants on the personal plot, pests live in them, feed and multiply.

Looking for comfort. What attracts crustaceans to human habitation?

From the above habitats of crustaceans, it is clear that pests are attracted by moisture, dampness, rot, young plants.

They do not harm people, but they also do not benefit.

If you don't have time for traditional methods, at home you can independently use drugs to destroy insects and other household pests. Let's consider simple effective tools.

Chemicals can quickly and easily eliminate pests. But if you choose ecological methods of destruction, it is better to turn to the wisdom of previous generations.

Folk remedies

If you are struggling to keep the environment clean, chemicals to drive out pests in your home are not right for you. Pay attention to folk recipes that have been proven over the years.

Unlike potent poisons of mass destruction, independent methods are long-lasting, but no less effective. Let's use grandma's advice.

Kvass... Take 100 grams of dry kvass and dissolve it in a half liter jar of boiling water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and distribute it in your home where small pests live. Repeat the procedure for three days in a row so that the crustaceans die or leave the premises.
Soda... Mix equal proportions of tobacco, baking soda, and red ground pepper. Pour dry ingredients with a liter of hot water, let it brew. Wash all surfaces. So that pets do not suffer, the mixture must be washed clean after a while.
Salt should be scattered where there is a high level of humidity. It will absorb vapors and break the ideal microclimate of pests. Note: crustaceans can climb to the ceiling if it leaks. Therefore, salt cannot be compared to effective methods.
Boric acid- the popular and most effective way to get rid of wood lice and other pests. Stir a bag of dry powder in 500 ml of water and treat all vulnerable surfaces with the resulting solution. If the crustaceans have tortured you with their presence, repeat the procedure for 3-4 days.

If, after attempts at self-baiting, woodlice remain in the house, call an exterminator to the house. He will select the optimal poisonous component, give recommendations for the prevention of pests.

After completing the professional processing of the infected areas, you will not see centipedes for a long time.

Prophylaxis

keep living and other premises clean;
repair skirting boards, walls and panels so that no unnecessary holes are left;
control the humidity level in a private house, purchase a climate control device;
do not store garbage, but immediately take it out of the site;
eliminate pipe leaks, check gaskets, serviceability of the sewerage system and water supply;
regularly clean the ventilation in the living quarters, garage, cellar, summer kitchen;
fertilize plants using folk methods so that chemistry does not harm the roots.

Choose the best method of your choice and get rid of wood lice forever.

Woodlice is a small creature up to 2 cm in length, dark and with a strong shell. At first glance, you might think that wood lice are an insect, but in fact they are tiny crustaceans. Sooner or later, many owners notice them in the house, while bugs can appear both in a private house and in an apartment - there is not much difference for them.

The appearance of woodlice in an apartment or house should be taken seriously - you will not remove them manually one by one, these are not spiders in rare corners. First of all, woodlice appears in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in the restroom - they love high humidity, therefore they choose these particular rooms. Insects usually appear immediately in large groups, look unpleasant and in every possible way poison life with their appearance. Seeing bedbugs, it is better to begin to deal with the cause of their appearance and think about how to get rid of them.

Anyone who first discovers beetles in a house, the question arises of how dangerous woodlice are for humans and what harm they can do to housing.

There is an opinion that wood lice are absolutely safe and harmless. On the one hand, this is true, because bedbugs do not bite either humans or pets. On the other hand, it is wrong. The sanitary condition of the apartment suffers greatly from wood lice, as well as from other pests.

These beetles love wet places, and before getting into the apartment they managed to visit damp basements, where they accumulated dirt and touched rat or pigeon excrement. And after that, they crawled over the places that you touch while washing or cooking. Agree, unpleasant. Bedbugs can also be eaten by a pet - if it is a cat or a small breed of dog, accustomed to good food, such a dinner can turn into a trip to the veterinarian.

The harm more noticeable to the naked eye is damage to indoor plants, vegetable stocks that are stored in the kitchen, in the cellar. If there are seedlings, it should be urgently removed from the room, woodlice are especially fond of young shoots and will quickly eat them.

Control methods

The fight against wood lice is divided into two parts. The first is to block the access of new insects to the dwelling. The second is the destruction of existing ones.

To prevent new beetles from getting inside, pay attention to the main ways of their entry.

Ventilation. Woodlice often enter homes through ventilation systems. The method of struggle is simple - put a fine mesh on all ventilation openings, and wood lice simply cannot get through it. If there are gaps, even small ones, near the ventilation opening, seal them up with foam.

Cracks in the walls, floor and ceiling. In old buildings, they will certainly be, woodlice often crawl through them, along with other unpleasant creatures. Repair any cracks. Pay special attention to cracks if you live on the top floor - next to the attic, there are often a lot of wood lice.

Water supply risers. There are often gaps between the pipes and the floor / ceiling. They should be carefully sealed with polyurethane foam.

Now let's figure out how to poison wood lice.

Chemicals

Chemicals are a powerful weapon in the fight against wood lice. Many will help you instantly remove bedbugs at home, but you should choose a remedy with caution - not all of them are safe for humans. Remember - it's better to spend a little more time in the company of pests than to harm yourself with a chemical. The following tools exist on the market:

Aerosols. A good remedy for wood lice in the bathroom, kitchen or toilet. Aerosols do a good job if wood lice are gathered in one small room, but it will be difficult to use them if you need to treat a large area - in this case, you will need too many cans and too much money to buy. There are many options for aerosols - Dichlorvos from bedbugs of different brands, Raptor, Varan, Clean House, Combat and others.
Concentrates. Convenient, economical and easy to use. If the house does not have a spray bottle, buy it along with the concentrate - you will need it. The concentrate should be diluted in water according to the instructions and treated with the desired room. The easiest way is to spray the solution. Well-known concentrates are Delta Zone, Tsifox, Tarax, Xulat, Tetrix, Get. Convenient for processing large rooms - for example, attic, basement.

Insecticidal powders. They are scattered around the perimeter of the room where the insects are, they are poured into the corners and under the baseboard, but there is a noticeable disadvantage - wood lice can crawl along all walls, and powder can be poured exclusively on the floor. This means that there is a possibility that the beetles will simply crawl over the powder - a rather offensive sight, so it is better not to use powder alone. Take it along with other remedies.
Insecticidal pencils (in other words - crayons). An easy and fast way for a small space. You need to draw a room with a pencil, the poison will adhere to the bug bodies, and soon they will disappear from the house. You can use a pencil for a large room, but it is long and inconvenient. Conveniently, an insecticide stick can be used to create a "barrier"- outline any place for them, and even if the beetles pass the barrier, they will soon die, and all that remains is to sweep them out.
Insecticidal gels. They work on the same principle as pencils - you apply the product in strips from a tube / syringe, the pests disappear after a while. You can use a gel designed for cockroaches or ants - it works for other insects too.
Sticky traps. They are well known for controlling cockroaches and flies, but are not very effective if there are many woodlice to be removed. Suitable if there are few of them. Known options are Global, Raptor.
Poisoned baits. Another familiar way to fight cockroaches. Mix egg yolk and purchased bait, spread in the corners of your apartment or house. Look for Delta Zone, Xulat Micro preparations on sale.

After most aerosols, concentrates, pencils and gels, the pests go away and do not return for a long time.

Traditional methods

If you are afraid of harm to health from chemicals, you just do not want to spend extra money on insecticides, or you already have something suitable in your arsenal, you can try to get rid of wood lice using folk methods - in this case, they may not be inferior in effectiveness to chemical agents. The most popular options are:

Boric acid. Practically the most effective remedy for wood lice in an apartment among folk. Bought over the counter and we recommend having boric acid in your home, it is used to combat many household pests. It looks like an ordinary white powder.
The first way to use is to scatter in the corners of the apartment. Can be additionally scattered around all skirting boards. Don't be stingy. The second method is to dilute 10 g of boric acid in 10 liters of water. For 2-5 days, rinse with a solution all surfaces where wood lice have been seen. The third way is to make small balls from eggs, boric acid and semolina. Expand, as in the previous method, where you saw pests.
Chlorine. Dilute about 50 g of bleach per 1 liter of water. With the solution, wipe the surfaces in the required areas.

Red pepper, tobacco and soda (salt). Quite a complicated folk method that not everyone will like - the smell of tobacco will remain in the room for some time. Stir half a teaspoon of each component in 1 liter of water (soda can be replaced with table salt and vice versa). Then everything is similar to the actions with bleach.
Salt. You can use salt not only in combination with red pepper and tobacco, but also independently. Just pour it in the corners of the room, under the baseboards, in all places through which bugs can penetrate into the home.
Heat. If your home has a steam cleaner, you can try using it to get rid of wood lice. Just treat all places where there are insects with steam - when exposed to high temperatures, woodlice die almost instantly.

Prevention of the appearance of wood lice

To prevent pests from returning to the house or, if you are reading this for informational purposes, do not come there for the first time, follow simple rules in your house:

immediately eliminate the leaking pipes (this will relieve not only wood lice, but also other unpleasant "guests");
remove condensation in a timely manner in the kitchen and especially in the bathroom;
ventilate all rooms daily;
dry clothes outside or on the balcony, but not in the bathroom or in the corridors;
periodically inspect your house for gaps, seal them up in a timely manner;
use a dehumidifier if necessary;
if there are indoor plants in the house, remove the soil that has spilled out of the pots in time.

Compliance with these rules will most likely save the house from wood lice.

Hello dear readers! Today we will discuss a topic that becomes especially relevant with warming. Woodlice are not the most pleasant of crustaceans. They are brown-brown or marbled-gray in color. Sizes up to 1 cm, and the carapace is divided into segments. They have seven pairs of legs and antennae. Their main cunning is that they can pretend to be dead if there is any danger. For what reason these crustaceans appear in our home and how to get rid of them, you will read further.

Reasons for the appearance

Woodlice feel comfortable in a humid environment. Living in the kitchen or bathroom is very attractive for them, because there is something to eat there. Wet areas under the sink, the trash can with the remnants of vegetables and fruits are an excellent environment for them. Orchid pots are also a good place for them because of the dampness. In such places, there is always food and there is an optimal level of humidity, which allows them to live and reproduce favorably.

How to remove wood lice

Depriving them of a moist environment is the first step in the fight against unpleasant insects. Thoroughly wipe down areas where water accumulates, make sure no plumbing leaks anywhere, and try not to splash water when bathing or washing dishes. Use fans, air conditioners, various moisture absorbers, and regularly ventilate the area with pests. General cleaning will also be beneficial. Thoroughly clean any hard-to-reach and damp areas and then dry them. Make sure not to scatter the pieces of food that woodlice love so much. Take out the trash as often as possible.

You will need to check skirting boards and floors for gaps. If there are any, seal them up with silicone sealant to keep other insects out of your apartment.

Folk remedies

If you are worried about the problem: wood lice in the apartment, folk remedies will tell you how to get rid of these annoying creatures. Wood lice solutions are prepared from conventional products.

Take 500 ml of boiling water and pour in 100 grams of dry kvass, mix and spray the prepared composition with a spray bottle where woodlice live.
Pour half a teaspoon of ground red pepper, soda and tobacco into 1 liter of water. The composition is sprayed in the above-described way into places where insects accumulate. Next, you will need to wash off the liquid with any chlorine-containing product.
Boric acid is a dangerous agent for wood lice. Stir 10 grams of boric acid in half a liter of water. The tool treats the habitat of woodlice.
Bleach is also lethal for them. About 40 grams of bleach is diluted in a liter of water. With such a concentrated composition, they wash the floors and walls where wood lice sit.

There are other ways to deal with wood lice in the house.

You can pour plenty of salt in the corners;
Scatter boric acid in places of accumulation;
If it is possible to get a birch broom, then put it out at night so that insects sit on it, and in the morning burn it or throw it away from home.
You can put a container of quicklime in the room for three days. The door must be tightly closed for this period.
If wood lice are bred in a pot with a plant, then transplant it into another pot with new soil, but be sure to rinse the roots before that. Make sure the roots are clean before replanting.

Chemicals

Prefabricated chemicals are effective helpers in the fight against wood lice. Buy the product from the store and use it in the bathroom and kitchen.

Schabengel

Schabengel is used as bait. After treatment, the insect dies. In addition, the packaging is sufficient for a large area. It also kills other domestic insects.

"Tarax"

The premises are treated with "Tarax" to combat woodlice. The packaging is designed for 60 sq. m. Insects do not die immediately, having time to infect their fellows. The main advantage of the product is that it is safe for people and animals.

Monitor lizard

"Varan" is positioned as a universal remedy. Dichlorvos is odorless and fights crawling and flying insects.

"Tetrix"

"Tetrix" is an expensive, but very concentrated product. A bottle, which costs about 2,000 rubles, will be enough to treat all the premises in a three-room apartment.

Take the removal of wood lice with chemicals quite seriously. Read the instructions carefully. It is better to take children and animals out of the house for a while. Monitor dosage and do not exceed it.

Professional services

If there are so many wood lice that you cannot get them out on your own, contact the special insect control services. After the rendered service, you can be sure that:

there are no stains on the furniture and the repair is not damaged;
all surfaces and hard-to-reach places have been carefully processed;
wood lice will not be at least 3 months.

If there are woodlice in the house, and you are going to make repairs, then take the trouble to remove them before starting work.

Woodlice in the apartment: is there a verdict or a way out?

Imagine, one day you go into your bathroom, and there they are - these scary and disgusting, albeit small, wood lice. Many who have come across the appearance of woodlice in an apartment will agree that inside they begin to cringe with disgust. You don't even want to go into the bathroom once again so as not to accidentally step on them.

Paradoxically, woodlice are relatives of lobsters and shrimps. They just adapted to live on land, but in humid places. One thing pleases: unlike cockroaches, woodlice do not spread any infection on their paws and antennae, do not suck blood like mosquitoes. However, the prospect of being close to them is not encouraging. Is it really impossible to get rid of them? Do not despair, there is always a way out of any situation! And the appearance of wood lice in the apartment is no exception.

Reasons for the appearance of woodlice

And where did they come from all of a sudden? It is quite clear that if wood lice start up in the apartment, it means that there are all conditions for them. So what caused them to appear? Here are some of the most likely reasons:

Cracks or crevices in corners where it is dark. Woodlice, like cockroaches, are very fond of darkness;

The presence of dampness. Since woodlice are crustaceans, therefore, they breathe with gills. And they can only absorb oxygen from water. They especially love it when wet laundry is dried in the bathroom;

Organic residues. For example, a full trash can that has stood for a couple of days is an excellent source of food for wood lice.

Do not want to puzzle yourself with the question of the appearance of woodlice, how to deal with them in an apartment? Do not create conditions for them so as not to see how these insects crawl here and there on the floor, wiggling their antennae and touching their numerous legs. Agree, the sight is not pleasant.

Recipes for removing woodlice in an apartment

So the problem is there. But there is also a solution to the problem. So how to get rid of wood lice in the apartment? Try the following recipes:

First, dry the room in which wood lice are bred. Ventilate it well. You can use an air conditioner or a fan;

Dissolve 100 g of dry kvass in 0.5 liters of boiling water. Spray the resulting solution on the places where wood lice are most often collected;

Dissolve red pepper, calcined salt and tobacco in 1 liter of water (take 3 g each). Spray the resulting solution in the corners. After 8 hours, rinse the bathroom with chlorinated water;

Use special ready-made mixtures. Apply them to the bathroom floor and let sit for a couple of days. Then repeat this procedure after 5 days;

Spray the places of localization of wood lice with a solution of boric acid.

But the most important and effective recipe is to eliminate excess moisture. The very name of wood lice suggests that they appear when there is excess moisture. Check all the plumbing in the apartment: suddenly there is a leak somewhere. Look for damp corners. If suddenly woodlice appear in your apartment through the basement, attic, then you will have to call specialists from the epidemiological station or a special service that deals with the elimination of all unnecessary insects in the apartments. We'll have to spend money. And what to do if the focus of their distribution is from the outside. Bring out some - others will come. A vicious circle will turn out.

In the matter of getting rid of wood lice, one simple conclusion can be made: first of all, you need to fight not with the consequences, but with the cause. Do not be lazy once again to wipe up a wet puddle on the bathroom floor or take out the trash. Do not dry wet laundry in the bathroom. Eliminate leaks in bathroom pipes in a timely manner. It all depends on you and your desire to have a clean and safe bathroom. Everything is in your hands - and then these unpleasant insects will certainly never bother you!