What does woodlice eat in the apartment? Common woodlouse and other species. Who is Woodlice?

Probably everyone has encountered woodlice. This is a very unpleasant-looking creature that unexpectedly jumps out of dark corners, trying to quickly run out of sight and hide somewhere. They live in humid, warm rooms where light does not penetrate. They are most often found at night, but can sometimes appear during the day, especially if it is dark. Today we will tell you in detail who the common woodlouse is, what kind of life it leads and why it is interesting.

Who is Woodlice?

However, in reality, woodlice is a small crustacean. As surprising as it may sound, among relatives house pest not insects at all, but those very crayfish and lobsters that are a delicacy (although such a relationship is rather distant). By the way, this is not so difficult to believe if you get acquainted with other species of animals that live in a person’s home. For example, with giant woodlice. There are nine species of them in nature, and some are twice as large as the palm of an adult man. Looking at these, it is immediately clear that they are not insects at all, but real crustaceans - with a characteristic shell and pronounced claws. Moreover, large species, like ordinary crayfish, live not on land, but in water, being classified as deep-sea inhabitants. Outwardly, the huge wild “beauties” look indistinguishable from the domestic woodlice we are accustomed to.

About domestic woodlice

Most often, the common woodlice armadillo runs out from the dark corners of the bathroom or cellar at our feet. She small sizes, about one and a half centimeters, gray, with noticeable segments of an oblong, oval abdomen. Its structure resembles the shell of an armadillo, hence the name.

This is interesting. exist on earth different types woodlice, which appeared on the planet long before humans. Essentially this is rare view very small crustaceans, the main feature of which was adaptation to land life. Although, many species live well in water bodies.

According to the classification, the heroine of our story belongs to the isopod crustaceans; she has seven pairs of legs, equally developed, dexterous and fast. Other distinctive features:

• There are no tentacles on the upper jaws;
• The body consists of seven segments, each with a pair of limbs;
• The eyes and short antennae are clearly visible on the head;
• Unlike insects, crustaceans breathe through gills.

The photo clearly shows what a woodlouse looks like. It is not a pretty creature, but quite interesting in its habits and way of life. Small species, including the white woodlouse, which is often fed to the inhabitants of terrariums, have long adapted to living in a human home, consuming various organic remains, usually rotten vegetables and fruits, and plant debris. Won't refuse uninvited guest and from mold fungi growing on wall surfaces. By the way, in some situations, isopods are very useful. For example, they are natural cleaners of terrariums, destroying the waste of lizards and frogs, as well as the remains of their food. Often they themselves become a source of food for reptiles and amphibians kept in captivity.

Woodlice lifestyle

Common woodlouse – frequent guest in the house. It appears in warm, poorly ventilated, damp areas. First, single scout individuals penetrate into the home, making their way from basements and cellars along sewer systems or through cracks in the walls.

This is interesting. The body of isopod crustaceans consists of seven segments, which are covered with dense bristles - flat shields made of chitin. This is quite strong and reliable armor, which allows an uninvited guest to easily crawl through even the narrowest cracks. “Wild” species of woodlice, precisely thanks to such protection, live quietly under stones, fallen trees, and other objects lying on the ground and creating an ideal microclimate underneath.

This is a nocturnal resident, not shown to anyone during the day. IN dark time during the day it feeds, leads an active life, and reproduces. Woodlice do not need to drink - they only need the moisture that the body receives from food. When it comes to food, crustaceans are not picky: they eagerly devour rotten plant debris, mold deposits, and decaying organic matter. That is why they are considered nature's orderlies. The lifespan of the animal is about a couple of years.

The method of reproduction of woodlice is interesting. Like other crustaceans, they are divided according to sexual characteristics. When a male reaches maturity, he instinctively finds a female ready for mating and, approaching her from behind, drums his front paws on the back, while licking the head of the chosen passion. Females have several genital openings, and during copulation, the male injects his seed into each, thereby increasing the number of future offspring.

The fertilized female forms a capsule in which the eggs mature. Later, woodlice larvae emerge from a kind of fetal sac - smaller copies of adult crustaceans. Before reaching sexual maturity, they will go through several molts (about ten), increasing in size after each one.

This is interesting. Woodlice larva is not quite the correct term. It is usually used in relation to insects, denoting an individual that is structurally very different from the adult. This is not the case with crustaceans. Even a newly hatched woodlouse is almost a complete copy of an adult animal in its structure, and during the molting process it only changes size. No additional metamorphoses occur.

Isopod crustaceans come in different colors: gray, white, blue, yellow. In nature you can find tropical woodlice, amazing not only in size, but also in their bright, attractive color.

Woodlice - pest or not

In general, this animal can be called a pest at a stretch. More often than not, it is either neutral or even beneficial. The only danger lies in this: the crustacean enters the house from basements, where close contact with rat waste is possible. On their paws, uninvited guests can bring infection into the living space. In addition, such a neighborhood is extremely unaesthetic.

There is no need to be afraid of a woodlice bite simply because the animal does not bite. This is not a spider, so no webs will appear in the house. And in general, during the day you can meet a secretive tenant only by chance. Residence becomes noticeable only when the colony grows.

Woodlice is not an insect, but rather interesting view crustaceans, nocturnal. It does not cause significant harm to either a person or a home, although it does create a threat of spreading infection. The uninvited guest is small in size, although wildlife There are large woodlice. There is no need to be afraid of them, but if isopods have settled near you, it is better to get rid of them as soon as possible. After all, such a neighborhood is unpleasant and indicates the poor sanitary condition of the apartment.

Woodlice is a small representative of the crustacean family, reaching sizes of 10-18 mm. She has an oval body of dark gray or brown color, covered with scaly armor. U adult you can notice thin antennae that can be compared to those of a crustacean. They perform a tactile function. The creature also has seven pairs of legs, which allow it to move quickly.

woodlice in the photo

Despite the fact that this species belongs to crustaceans, woodlice is the most terrestrial representative of this family. But she still needs moisture, so she chooses damp and dark places.

Where does woodlice live?

This insect (for convenience, we will call it that, although as noted above, it is a crustacean) lives everywhere, but almost never catches the eye. This is due to the creature's nocturnal lifestyle. If you lift a stone, brick, log or any other lying object from the ground, you can often see a cluster of woodlice underneath it.

Some owners of apartments, garages, and private houses do not even suspect that they have such “guests” and only accidentally discover their places of settlement, where they breed, feed, and lead an active, but unnoticed life for people. The most favorite habitats are attics, wells, basements, outdoor and indoor toilets, bathrooms, parks, squares and farmland, and any other places where it is constantly damp and dark. This is where they were created comfortable conditions for existence, especially since this insect feeds on almost any organic food.

What does it eat in nature?

In nature, these insects prefer to eat plant foods. Their digestive tract contains bacteria that can easily digest and absorb cellulose. Thanks to this, woodlice completely assimilate even coarse and low-juice parts of plants.

In fields, forest plantations and vegetable gardens, woodlice eat the remains and fading roots of plants, seeds, rotting and overripe fruits, and falling leaves. Since there are a large number of such organic residues in nature, there is never a shortage of food.

Most often, these representatives of crustaceans find their food under stones, in piles of garbage, under old snags or under leaves that have fallen in autumn time. Here, where the rays of the sun cannot penetrate, plant materials rot well, and even in such conditions they are relatively safe from birds, animals and predatory insects.

Woodlice food is almost always low-calorie, as it contains minimal amount fat Most often, during feeding, almost no harm is done to plants, because it is enough for them that they themselves begin to rot and fall to the ground. But there are exceptions when these crustaceans harm living plants, damaging their roots or green shoots.

In fact, due to their nutrition, they are beneficial to people and nature, since they eat rotting and spoiled organic matter.

What to eat at home

Regardless of where they live, woodlice will never change their tastes and preferences. Even in residential buildings they find a large amount of plant remains that many people have no idea exist.

Woodlice living in wet basements, can feed on mold arising from dampness. And although this is not a very nutritious food, it will be enough for them.

But in rural cellars or basements, wood lice have a real haven, because here you can easily find rotting vegetables and other supplies. Sometimes the same food can be easily found on apartment balconies.

Why do woodlice live indoors?

The main condition for the appearance of these crustaceans in apartments and other premises is considered increased level humidity. This may be due to damp pipes and poor ventilation.

Woodlice can live in damp attics or basements multi-storey building and penetrate from there into apartments through ventilation or cracks. If the apartment's trash bin is constantly sour potato peelings or other organic matter, and it is humid around it - soon the owners will have to think about how to get rid of uninvited guests.

Who eats woodlice?

Since the woodlouse is a rather slow creature, it is an easy prey for predators. For example, these:

1. Birds (especially small owls), like these crustaceans, are nocturnal.
2. Large insects, which include wasps and predatory beetles.
3. Spiders - there is even one species of these insects that eats only woodlice. Spiders can even bite a woodlouse curled up between the shields of the shell, thereby providing themselves with food.
4. Mammals - rats, shrews, hedgehogs.
5. Reptiles and amphibians - toads, small snakes and lizards - happily eat woodlice, especially younger and softer ones. For certain species of animals, wood lice form the basis of their diet.

Therefore, woodlice can be specially bred to feed your pets, for example, budgies or lizards. This is quite simple to do - they are not dangerous and do not require difficult conditions for maintenance and reproduction. They can be fed any food waste of plant origin.

Harm caused

Although woodlice love to eat plant debris, when the size of their colony becomes significant, they develop new territories and switch to a varied diet.

• Eating indoor flowers- love plants with delicate thin leaves and roots. If piles of earth often appear in the tray, most likely the plant has become infected with woodlice, which hide in the ground, compact it and disrupt air exchange.
• Damage green parts vegetable crops, which will be immediately noticeable by the holes that appear on the flowers and sprouts.
• They cause significant damage to the crop lying in the cellar.
• They leave dirt and feces on food and dishes. They are also capable of carrying dangerous pathogens of lichen, mold and mildew on their paws.

Many people associate the word woodlice either with a plant or with a disease. It's actually an insect. Like all insects, they play a big role in human life. Whether they bring harm or benefit is the second question, but how do living organisms participate in food chains? Let’s take a closer look at what a woodlouse looks like and what it eats.

The structure of woodlice and its behavior

Woodlice is a land relative of the sea flea. In case of danger, it curls up into a tight ball, and in front of the predator is an unappetizing lump of interlocking skeletal plates.

A simple but effective way to quickly respond to danger nervous system, running along the entire body. Nerve centers - ganglia are located in every segment of the body. The ganglia are connected to each other in pairs, forming the main organs. The brain that receives messages from the senses forms the first three pairs. The following pairs of ganglia are responsible for the respiratory system, oral cavity - the upper part of the body. And the rest are responsible for the work of the legs. This allows each part of the insect's body to act reflexively, semi-automatically. The behavior of woodlice, like other insects, is a reaction to the world, as well as signals coming from outside. They can sense temperature in this way mechanical vibrations, humidity, smell, even hard objects. This mechanism shows where there are favorable conditions for nutrition and life.

These insects also require darkness and moisture to reproduce. Eggs are most often laid in the soil. The lifespan of one individual reaches two years.

It's hard to believe, but woodlice belongs to the class of higher crayfish, the order of isopods. She is unknown to many, invisible due to her nocturnal lifestyle and small size- only a centimeter in length. Constantly living in the dark, these unique creatures cannot focus on an object. Their vision is replaced by two pairs of antennae. Like crustaceans, this creature has an oval, convex body and seven pairs of legs. Accordingly, it’s easy to count how many legs a woodlice has – fourteen.

The woodlice's body has protection - a shell, not like that of a crayfish, but still denser than the rest of the body. Another structural feature is the presence of gills and air cavities for breathing that allow them to survive in any conditions.

Habitat of woodlice in wildlife

Many people have spotted this insect on old wet stumps, under forest snags - these are bugs that live in damp places.

This is why they got their name - they live in a wet place. Favorite places:

• pits;
• lowlands;
• swamps;
• dampness;
• old snags and stumps;
• tree hollows.

Even if it rains heavily, the gills will allow the woodlice to survive and also reproduce in such inhospitable conditions.

What do woodlice eat?

Like all representatives of their species, they are cleaners; they feed on organic debris, mold, rot, and can eat living plants.

This is beneficial if the plants are harmful, but when it is an indoor flowerpot or garden culture there is little benefit for humans here.

In human habitation

Woodlice at home most often appears where there is a high concentration of moisture:

1. kitchen - it can take root near sewer pipes, garbage - peeling potatoes and food products best food for such a neighbor;
2. There is moisture in the bathroom, but there is no food waste. But this is not a hindrance, because where there is moisture, the walls, floor, especially corners, will become covered with mold, and this is a favorite delicacy;
3. indoor flowerpots, most often moisture-loving. The most favorable conditions for life and nutrition are orchids - there is a lot of moisture, wood pieces fit;
4. feeder and pet toilet - these places can become an excellent dining room for night residents.

The food of these scavengers is low-calorie and low-fat. Periodically, the insect molts, shedding alternately the upper and bottom part shell. The surprising thing is that this is also insect food - a waste-free production.

Outside human habitation

It is not difficult to determine what woodlice feeds in wildlife - nutrition creates environment– remains of plants damaged by moisture, moss, decomposed branches and tree bark, even the remains of dead living organisms, rotten twigs and leaves.

It is believed that woodlice bring benefits by recycling all kinds of waste as earthworms. Outside human habitation, they themselves provide food for frogs, birds, and spiders. Sometimes, at home, colonies of woodlice are even specially grown as live food for exotic pets.

Ways to combat woodlice

If woodlice live in wildlife, it is naturally useless and unnecessary to fight them. These are the general laws of the universe that man cannot change. And wetlands will be unfavorable for planting vegetables.

Such neighbors will not do much harm to the garden - as soon as the soil dries, they themselves will go to a more convenient place for themselves.

But if wood lice appear in your home, this must be eliminated urgently.

The appearance of woodlice in the house indicates a violation of the microclimate of the room.

At a minimum, this is unpleasant, at a maximum - they are carriers of diseases, fungi, even deprivation, because, living in the sewer, this insect can drag any infection on its paws.

The main rule is to constantly keep your home clean.

Everyone can decide how to deal with woodlice on their own - folk remedies or chemical.

The expected human reaction when seeing a shiny centipede crawling is disgust. An unpleasant appearance has brought an undeserved reputation to such a bug as the house woodlice.

The desire to get rid of them forever, to never see them again, visits everyone who sees them. People are trying to find ways to use the toilet.

This nimble pest got its name for its attraction to places with abundant water. Despite unpleasant look, this bug doesn't bite.

Woodlice is safe for humans. On the contrary, in natural environment- can bring considerable benefits.

Woodlice is a representative of the class of crustaceans of the arthropod type. Representatives of this class are crayfish, crabs, and lobsters.

Answering the question whether the insect is a woodlice or not, the answer is negative.

Many people know what woodlice looks like:

• her appearance is rather unremarkable. White woodlice, about 1 cm in size, has a gray, light brown or brown color.
• life expectancy is about 1 year;
• an oval-shaped body that tapers towards the end. It has a segmented structure, covered with a shell. The strong chitinous shell contains many pores, due to which the body does not retain moisture well. Water enters the body through special bifurcated tubes at the back of the body. Some varieties have ornate designs on the back;
• The body of a bug consists of a head and abdomen. There are 7 pairs of running legs, each with two branches. Each subsequent pair partially overlaps the previous one; the outer branches of the legs create a strong body. The internal branches serve as gills and contain respiratory projections. On the front legs there are respiratory organs - air cavities that open outward. The initial segment of the abdomen mainly covers the head, the last segment has a deep notch;
• the head bears 2 pairs of antennae: antennae and antenullae. The anterior one is not fully developed. The second pair takes a significant part in orientation and perception of the surrounding world. The eyes are located on the sides of the head. Upper jaws without tentacles;
• the body is covered with a chitinous shell, which periodically becomes small. Then the bug begins to molt. In the life of this crustacean, there are as many molts as necessary to achieve the desired size.
• larva of a special form, nautlius.

An interesting feature of the males of this crustacean: after becoming infected special kind bacteria turn into females.

Some facts about reproduction

The breeding season occurs in April-May. The pest breeding system has a number of interesting features.

Females have spermatheca outlets on the ventral surface. After fertilization and filling with seed, the inner end of the duct breaks into the oviduct.

At this moment, the entrance seed openings close, and the female’s chitinous membrane changes. A slit-like gap is formed between the abdominal segments, through which the eggs penetrate into special brood chambers.

The female saves part of the unused seed for subsequent fertilization. The emergence of the next generation is possible without a male.

After the eggs leave the brood chambers, the female undergoes a second molt and returns to her original appearance.

Causes of pests

The structure of the shell of this crustacean does not help retain moisture. This explains their tendency to cluster together.

This “gathering” also serves them additional protection from predators. There are many who like to eat them. These are beetles, toads, shrews.

Most of their movements are made in search of water in order to replenish the body’s internal reserves. During these movements they are able to cover enormous distances.

Bugs eat plants, both growing and already dead and decomposing. They can spoil plants in the country or in the garden.

Like all crustaceans, they prefer wet areas. This is necessary for proper operation respiratory gills.

The benefits and harms of woodlice

You need to know not only why wood lice are dangerous. Their livelihoods can bring significant benefits. They have earned a bad reputation for their unpleasant appearance and tendency to gather in clusters.

Bugs rarely damage growing plants; they often feed on rotting plant debris. In this way they have a beneficial effect and influence the transformation of plant organic matter into humus beneficial to the soil.

You can find these insects in a deciduous forest, in a layer of fallen leaves. Rotted leaves passed through their intestines are not only significantly crushed.

Woodlice are dangerous for seedlings, because they have delicate foliage and root system. However, they do not cause significant harm.

To prevent the appearance of

It is possible to get rid of insects using the following techniques:

1. reduce the humidity and air temperature in the bathroom, because the most optimal conditions pest habitat – heat and moisture;
2. speed up air exchange processes, enhancing natural circulation or by creating an artificial one. Be sure to check functionality ventilation shafts, use a fan;
3. get rid of any liquid leaks in the bathroom, be it water or sewer. Replace and adjust taps, mixers, sanitary tank;
4. Do not hang wet laundry in the toilet. Use open, ventilated areas as drying areas;
5. install additional heating in the bathroom to avoid sweating of pipes and equipment;
6. purchase special air dehumidifiers;
7. regularly ventilate the toilet, if necessary, leave the door open;
8. seal all the cracks, creating obstacles for woodlice to enter the house.

To prevent the appearance of pests in the bathroom, it is necessary to carry out regular cleaning using chlorine-containing substances.

Cannot be left in the sink dirty dishes. Take out the trash more often.

On garden plots First of all, it is necessary to restore order. Get rid of spoiled vegetables and fruits, fallen leaves, and pruned branches in a timely manner.

It is necessary to remove construction waste: scraps of polyethylene, fragments of bricks, boards. It can become a habitat for crustaceans.

The breeding ground for woodlice are houseplants. Make sure to keep the coasters dry at all times. The surface of the soil can be covered with a layer of small pebbles.

IN basements You can reduce the humidity of the room by distributing quicklime in even layers, which will draw excess water onto itself.

Methods to combat this pest

• method based boric acid. Often used in the fight against various pests. Boric acid solutions must be sprayed among the accumulation of crustaceans. This chemical helps to destroy the durable shell of woodlice, making them vulnerable to predators;

In extreme situations, use pesticides. Recommended drugs are “Dichlorvos”, “Mole”, “Tarax”.

When working with these drugs, it is imperative to use personal protection– mask, glasses, gloves.

Most often, woodlice can be found in basements. They also appear in the residential areas of private houses, emerging from underground. The peak activity of these creatures occurs at night, so you can catch them at the scene of a crime in the early morning or, conversely, in the evening.

This unpleasant-looking creature is mistakenly classified as an insect. It's actually a crustacean. It can cause harm to garden and home plants, as well as spoil vegetables that have been stored for the winter. Today we will look at how to deal with uninvited guests.

Variety of species

You might be surprised, but there are about 3,500 species of woodlice on our planet. Of course, apartment conditions are not suitable for all of them. Only some species of woodlice, the most unpretentious of them, are able to live next to humans. This is precisely what makes it difficult to get rid of them. Today we will look at the features of each of the “domestic” species. First of all, we are interested in two questions: why do these creatures appear in our home and how to get rid of them?

Favorite places

All types of woodlice prefer damp corners. That's why they got that name. In an apartment, they can most often be found in the bathroom. The humidity here is always quite high. Packets of vegetables and flower pots- these are also their favorite places to live and breed. In nature, they also live on land, but prefer to settle in foliage, under stones or near bodies of water.

What do different types of woodlice eat? This is mainly plant food. That is, roots, leaves and fruits. In addition, their diet may include microorganisms, both living and dead. Woodlice eat any food waste.

What does it look like

Most of you have seen these unpleasant creatures at least once. The body length of an adult is 1 cm. It is covered with a shell, but at the same time is divided into special plates, or segments. Everyone has a pair of legs. There are seven such segments in total. Some species, sensing danger, can curl up into a ball. This is due to the division of the body into segments. This is how the woodlice disguises itself and pretends to be dead. The body of this creature can have different colors - from gray to steel or brown, which distinguishes different types of woodlice. The color of the shell can be uniform or patterned. But these patterns don't make it any more attractive.

How dangerous are woodlice?

These pests can carry infections that are dangerous to humans. As mentioned above, woodlice do not feed fresh vegetables and fruits. Only rotten plants and dead microorganisms suit them. Therefore, woodlice are a breeding ground for a variety of pathogenic bacteria and a source of infection. But it should be noted that woodlice are not among the most dangerous pests. The risk of infection from them is minimal. The woodlouse does not seek human contact, but is still an unpleasant neighbor.

Houseplants suffer from them. Pests devour leaves and roots, depriving the soil of oxygen, as they make it too dense. Pantries with vegetable supplies also suffer from gray crustaceans.

Reasons for appearance

Before we talk about how to deal with woodlice, you need to understand why they visited your home and what attracts them. If these factors are not eliminated, then other crustaceans will appear after them. Therefore, the struggle will not be effective. In order for woodlice to appear in a living space, several conditions must coincide:

• High humidity. Central heating solves this problem, usually in apartments, on the contrary, they install air humidifiers to neutralize dryness. Woodlice belong to the subtype of crustaceans and breathe with gills, that is, they will die in a dry room. If the faucet is leaking in the bathroom or the laundry is constantly drying, then optimal conditions for the appearance of woodlice are created there.
• Gaps and cracks in the dark corners of the apartment. They become cozy holes in which you can hide.
• A large number of organic residues. If you don't take out the trash and food waste bin on time, it becomes an excellent source of food for these pests.
• Malfunctions of the ventilation system. This leads to the formation of black mold, which also attracts woodlice.

Recognizing the enemy by sight

The most common woodlice that inhabits our homes is the common armadillo. It received this name because of the characteristic cover of the body. It resembles a dark, dense shell that rises slightly above the body. Such individuals are practically never found in apartments. But they reproduce well in damp cellars. They can also be found in flower beds, under stones. It is believed that they can cause significant damage to plants. But in practice it turns out that these woodlice prefer weeds, that is, they even bring some benefit. It is very easy to recognize these creatures: at the moment of danger they curl up into a ball.

Woodlouse rough

This is another popular species that is quite often found at home. It has a fairly soft shell and moves easily. Individuals willingly migrate throughout the house - from a damp basement to the attic on the roof. There are very interesting feature. You can argue for a long time what a woodlice looks like, because in different regions they may have different pigmentation. IN southern regions woodlice are gray, in the northern ones they are yellow. If you catch this creature, it will not curl up into a ball, but will begin to move all its legs and arch.

While other species can be considered fairly harmless, the rough woodlice can cause serious harm. These creatures are very active; they can travel long distances and eat house plants. They are at the same time harmful to greenhouses and greenhouses, vegetable gardens and orchards.

Woodlice in the bathroom

Domestic woodlice is not directly dangerous to humans. If you notice this creature in the bathroom or toilet, you don’t have to worry too much. They will not be able to bite or harm finishing materials. But such a meeting should give rise to the idea that there is a very damp place. There may be a water leak under the bathtub that needs to be found and fixed. Domestic wood lice will also disappear along with it.

Getting rid of uninvited guests

Now you can go directly to how to deal with woodlice. Respiratory system They can function only in a humid environment. That is, the main source of attracting woodlice to the bathroom is increased dampness in the room. Once this indicator is adjusted, the pests will disappear from your home on their own. The environment will become unsuitable for them.

Looking at photos of woodlice, you can see that these are practically small creatures. flat shape. Therefore, they can easily hide in any crevice. This once again proves that hunting for every pest makes no sense. This is a waste of time and effort.

Ventilation

Poorly functioning vents are another source of pests. It is important to know where woodlice come from so that their appearance does not come as a surprise to you. To start air drying, you must first adjust ventilation system. To do this, it is best to call a specialist who will help assess the presence air flow. There are several ways to optimize the ventilation system:

• Adjust the ventilation system plastic windows.
• Check the operation of the vents. The shafts can become clogged, preventing air circulation.
• Put special devices for room ventilation.

There are many options, but you need to choose them yourself. Woodlice, photos of which are given in the article, really do not like dry and cool rooms and will try to leave it as quickly as possible.

Prevention measures

It is very important to apply the entire range of measures to definitely solve the problem.

• It is imperative to repair the taps, replace leaky gaskets and eliminate leaks.
• Insulate the bathroom, install additional heaters if necessary.
• You should not dry things on a radiator in the bathroom. This dramatically increases the humidity level.
• The bathroom door should be kept open periodically. This avoids excess dampness.
• All cracks in the floor, walls and baseboards must be sealed with sealant. Then pests will not be able to penetrate from neighbors.

Folk methods of struggle

And now good news: You don't need to buy expensive drugs to get these creatures out of your home. What every housewife has at hand will be sufficient. And the very first on this list is boric acid. It can be bought at any pharmacy in powder or liquid form. The principle of operation of this tool is as follows. You already know what a woodlice looks like. She has a soft shell that is easily damaged. Boric acid corrodes it, resulting in death.

The way to fight is quite simple. In places where pests appear, you need to scatter the powder. Crawling along it, they will catch grains on their shell. This will be the reason for their death. If there is a damp corner in the house where there are many pests, it is recommended to treat it with the following solution: 10 g of boric acid should be diluted in 0.5 liters of water.

Using dry kvass

This is a method proven by our grandfathers to get rid of woodlice. You need dry starter. Fill it with boiling water and spray it in places where pests accumulate. This method has proven itself very well as a preventive measure. As a rule, it is enough just to brew kvass a couple of times and treat the room with it. After this, the pests disappear.

Hot mixture

The mechanism remains the same. All these tools work on the principle contact action. Until the pest takes a walk on them, they will not cause him any harm. There is a special mixture that has a detrimental effect on woodlice. Many years of practice have proven its effectiveness. To prepare this mixture you will need ground red pepper, soda ash and tobacco powder. It is recommended to take 3 g of all ingredients and mix with a liter of water. This solution should be used to treat all areas visited by woodlice.

Salt or lime

These are very simple and affordable means of controlling woodlice. Regular salt can be an indispensable assistant. It is scattered in paths along the baseboards, near the sink and toilet, near the trash can. This is a great method because salt is not toxic to humans or pets. At the same time, it performs its function perfectly.

Used for processing basements, cellars and storage rooms. quicklime. It is scattered on the floor where the appearance of woodlice has been observed.

Instead of a conclusion

Woodlice are not too troublesome pests. In an apartment, they are most often found as individual individuals; only in the dampest corner can a whole brood be found at once. These creatures do not bite or get into food. But they differ in a rather unpleasant way appearance and can spread infection. It is worth noting that the fight against woodlice is not difficult or time-consuming. It is enough to just treat the room a couple of times with simple and available means and eliminate the cause of the dampness, and the wood lice will disappear on their own. Only in damp basements may it be necessary to carry out regular preventive maintenance to prevent the spread of woodlice.