If you’re wondering why bugs and other pests are making their way into your bathroom, it’s because of the excess moisture. Specifically, the toilet seat often goes uncleaned, leading to residue that attracts unwanted guests.
Lifeknow wants to educate you on how pests can enter your house through the toilet and how to prevent this from happening.
1. Snakes
Snakes are attracted to cool, wet, and dark places, making your toilet pipes an intriguing spot for them. They are drawn by the food remnants in the sewer and will seek a way out through the pipes. However, in colder environments, snakes are unlikely to enter toilets. Typically, harmless snakes like garden or tree snakes are the ones that crawl through the pipes due to their slim bodies. However, there have been instances of anacondas appearing in toilets in South America and Australia.
2. Rats
Rats are also attracted to the food in your pipes and are more likely to find a way in if your toilet and garbage disposal share the same pipes. Their flexible bodies allow them to swim through the pipes and hold their breath for extended periods. To prevent rats from entering your sewage system, avoid flushing food down the toilet and keep the toilet cover closed. Installing a rat guard allows water to exit the pipes when you flush, while preventing anything from coming up in the opposite direction.
3. Spiders
Spiders cannot swim in your pipes, but they can enter your bathroom through other passages. Once inside, they may sit outside the toilet seat. Only black widows will crawl inside the toilet and weave their webs. However, this typically occurs in outdoor toilets without plumbing or connection to a sewer system. These venomous spiders thrive in such environments due to the abundance of flies for food. Always check the seat thoroughly before using an outdoor toilet to avoid being bitten by spiders like the black widow, brown recluse, or hobo spider.
4. Lizards
In the Southwest United States, it is common for lizards to enter through toilet pipes. These creatures are attracted to water and will search for food wherever they can find it. If your toilet’s plumbing is not kept clean, crickets and other insects like flies can accumulate in the pipes, allowing small lizards to fit through.
5. Possums
In 2008, a man in Australia witnessed water gurgling in his toilet, only to have a baby possum emerge shortly after. This is not an isolated incident, as others have found possums in their toilets as well. Possums are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for extended periods, allowing them to crawl into toilets.
How to prevent and react to these occurrences
- Keep your toilet clean: Regularly clean your toilet using disinfecting cleaners or natural alternatives like white wine vinegar or baking soda. Consider using toilet fresheners that release a pleasant scent with each flush.
- Keep it dry: Pests are attracted to humidity, so ensure there is no standing water on the bathroom floor or in the sink after showering. If you notice any plumbing leaks, promptly call a technician to fix them.
- Clean your pipes naturally: Create a mixture of equal parts sugar, water, vinegar, and dish soap. Pour this solution down the toilet or bathroom sink. Additionally, pouring boiling water down the toilet can help keep the pipes clean.
- Call a pest control company: If you don’t have the time or courage to handle pests yourself, contact professionals who can use effective cleaners. After their treatment, periodically pour water mixed with a cleaning solution down the drain to prevent pests from climbing up into the toilet.