When insects find their way into your house, it may be a very frustrating experience. This may occur in several different ways, but one of the most common is via the drains.
Insects may not only survive in your drains, but they can also reproduce inside of them, which is bad.
Because they will cause more breeding in your drains, and those bugs will start making their way into your kitchen, bathroom, or surrounding areas, you must stop them as soon as possible to prevent the problem from worsening.
If we don’t take measures to get rid of them, insects like mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches, fleas, and even bed bugs may put our health in serious danger.
They are known to spread many illnesses, including malaria, West Nile virus, and many other infectious diseases, as well as allergies.
However, there are some strategies that may be put into place, which we will discuss in this article. One way to prevent pests from entering your home, one of these methods is to eliminate potential entry points.
Bugs in drains are common in homes; if they aren’t taken care of, they can get into the house and cause many issues. However, several precautions may be taken to keep them at bay.
Here are the Six tried and tested methods for keeping bugs out of your drains:
- Keep your drains clean.
- Reduce moisture
- Make use of natural repellents
- Make use of insecticides
- Seal Openings
- Fix drains and plumbing Issues
Using the tips, you can stop these bugs from damaging your home and protect your property and loved ones.
This article will discuss the six most effective strategies for preventing all types of insects from entering your drains. To ensure that you understand everything easily, we will also provide you with instructions on how to utilize each approach effectively and a few cautions. Let’s get started!
6 Effective Ways To Keep Bugs Out of Drains
In this section, we will discuss the top six strategies we have tried, tested, and found to be effective in keeping bugs out of your drains.
1. Keep Your Drains Clean
Do you regularly clean up your drains to prevent bugs from moving in? If not, you must do so now.
Your drains may get contaminated with germs due to the presence of bugs, such as cockroaches and many other types of pests. This can be a dangerous situation for you and your family.
We suggest you pour at least one tablespoon of salt down each of your home’s drains, followed by a quarter cup of plain white vinegar, and give it an hour to settle.
After that, flush the drain with hot water to remove the things that have become dislodged.
Perform this action two or three times, and make sure you constantly keep it up. This will provide the greatest results.
2. Reduce Moisture
The moisture that may be found in your house and drains is what bugs that live in drains find most appealing.
Moisture can be trapped behind a house’s exterior cladding if your home does not have a moisture drainage management system installed.
When this occurs, the cladding on the home and the frame itself may wick or absorb the moisture. Over time, this causes the wood to become softer, leading to wood rot, the development of mold and mildew, and the attraction of bugs.
It would be best to take precautions to ensure that your house does not absorb excessive moisture.
For the best results, you can fix this problem by making sure your home has enough ventilation and by putting in a dehumidifier.
3. Make Use of Natural Repellents
Natural repellents can keep bugs away from drains by giving off a raw smell that is effective against both big and small insects.
The essential oils of lemongrass, citrus, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, citronella, and lavender, as well as catnip, all have characteristics that drive bugs away.
You may use the oils separately or mix them to form a simple remedy against insects. In a small spray bottle, combine about one cup of water with thirty-five to forty drops of oil.
In addition, a spray bottle with half apple cider vinegar or regular vinegar and one cup of water works well to ward off those pesky insects.
This mixture can be sprayed all over your home’s drains to keep them clear.
4. Make Use of Insecticides
Insecticides are one option for removing insects from drains, which is crucial if you want to maintain a bug-free environment.
It is up to you to choose the insecticide designed to meet your requirements effectively since the market offers various products.
You may, however, produce an insecticide at home by combining one cup of vegetable oil with one tablespoon of mild liquid soap in a separate container and mixing it well.
Then, add three to nine tablespoons of this mixture with one quart of water, then spray it in and around your drains.
This spray is good against aphids, thrips, mites, scale, and many more because it contains oil that suffocates insects.
You need to be careful when using insecticides because they can pollute the soil, water, and other plants. Insecticides can also harm birds, animals kept as pets, and even people.
5. Seal Openings
Most of the time, insects will get into your drains via the smallest openings they can find.
There are many different methods for sealing openings. However, we recommend using a flashlight to search for any cracks or holes in the drain pipes in your home.
If you locate any cracks or holes, you should fill them with the right caulk and seal them.
In addition, you may quickly repair cracks and fissures by using duct tape in the appropriate areas.
Applying silicone caulk, plaster, or cement will provide a solution that will endure for a longer period of time to seal your drains effectively.
6. Fix Drains and Plumbing Issues
An underlying plumbing problem may have to be resolved if you notice bugs in your drains that keep coming back after you have tried all the above methods. If this is the case, call a plumber.
We recommend you engage a skilled plumber with pest control knowledge to inspect.
This is because they have the most knowledge and are familiar with the appropriate chemicals and fixes to keep the bugs away.
Types of Bugs That Breed or Live in Drains
It may seem hard to believe, but the wet and dark conditions in your house’s drains provide a wide range of insects with everything they need to survive, consume, and reproduce.
In this section, we will discuss the top 5 most dangerous bugs that are most often discovered in drains, as well as the potential concerns that are associated with them:
1. Cockroaches
They are extremely dangerous, and their pathogens can cause different illnesses, such as vomiting, dysentery, cholera, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, nausea, leprosy, typhoid fever, plague, poliomyelitis, and salmonellosis.
2. Drain Flies
It is not known for sure whether or not drain flies will bite people or whether they will transfer any illnesses.
On the other hand, their larvae may cause myiasis, a parasite infection in which the larvae grow within human tissue and can cause bronchial asthma.
3. Fungus Gnats
The presence of fungus gnats is often seen as a nuisance. On the other hand, when present in great numbers, they have the potential to cause harm to plant roots and destroy plant development, especially in seedlings and young plants.
4. Fruit Flies
Fruit flies are mostly nuisance bugs. But on the other hand, they can contaminate food with bacteria and other organisms that may cause disease.
5. Phorid Flies
They are also known as humpback or scuttle flies, the vectors for myiasis and other diseases transmitted to humans, such as gastroenteritis, salmonellosis, TB, rotavirus, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, cholera, and conjunctivitis.
Takeaway
It is essential to thoroughly inspect your home to look for things that might attract bugs through the drain or in other locations.
Bugs may enter your house through cracks and crevices if you have stagnant water, open garbage areas, decaying food, unclean appliances, or food for your pet that is left out in the open.
In addition, cleaning your drains frequently will make them function as efficiently as possible and lessen the likelihood that bugs may enter your home through the drain.
You may accomplish this goal using various methods, such as a drain cleaner or a drain snake.
To make your house a healthier place to live, it is in your best interest to put into practice the strategies that we have outlined in this article and to do routine inspections on the items that have the potential to attract pests to your property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Pour Bleach Down the Drain?
Bleach is a powerful and toxic material that should be handled cautiously and appropriately; therefore, we don’t recommend using bleach.
Furthermore, in plumbing, bleach can react with other chemicals, producing odors and further obstructions in the system.
Do Roaches Ever Go Away on Their Own?
Roaches are adaptable insects that quickly adjust to living in an empty house and begin reproducing there if given the opportunity.
Although it is possible to eliminate all roaches from your home by using the appropriate measures, they will continue to return and are willing to consume any organic matter, including meals high in sugar and starch as well as meat.
Why Pour Hydrogen Peroxide Down the Drain?
Hydrogen peroxide can break down organic materials, which allows it to loosen and remove waste like dead skin cells.
It works by lowering the number of germs within your pipes and making your sinks smell clean and fresh.
