4 Pests That Can Crawl Into Your Home Through Your Toilet

1. Rats

Rats are attracted to the pipes in your toilet. If your toilet and garbage disposal are on the same pipe, they are more likely to find their way in. Rats can bend and hold their breath for several minutes and swim through the pipes.

It is best to never flush food down the toilet. Without food in the pipes, rats will have no reason to enter your home's sewage system. In addition, you should keep the toilet lid closed at all times and install a rat repellant.

2. Snakes

Snakes like cool, damp, and dark places. That is why they like to crawl into toilet pipes. However, what attracts them to the sewer is the leftover food. After eating, they will find a way out and the pipes are the easiest and fastest way.

However, you don't need to worry too much because snakes that get into the toilet are usually harmless. They are usually thinner than venomous ones and can get through drinking pipes.

3. Spiders

Spiders can't get into your pipes, but they can get into the bathroom through other ways. They can spin webs outside the toilet. This usually only happens in outdoor toilets that are not plumbed and not connected to the sewer system.

That's where poisonous spiders thrive because there are lots of flies that they can catch for food. That's why you need to check the toilet seat carefully before using it.

4. Lizards

Lizards getting into toilet pipes is quite common in the southwestern United States. These creatures love water and they try to find food wherever they can. Crickets and other insects (like flies) can be found in abundance in the plumbing of your toilet if it is not kept clean.

How to prevent these creatures from crawling into your toilet?

- Keep your toilet clean

Cleaning your toilet regularly is the easiest way to prevent these dangerous creatures. In addition to disinfectant cleaners, you can use vinegar, white wine or baking soda.

- Keep it dry

Since most pests love moisture, they will be attracted to a wet bathroom floor. So you need to remove all standing water from the sink or floor after taking a shower. If you find any leaks in your plumbing system, call a technician to fix them immediately.

- Clean the pipes

A simple way to clean the pipes is to use a bowl, add sugar, water, vinegar and 5-10 drops of dish soap. Then you mix it all together and pour it down the toilet or bathroom sink. Or you can pour some boiling water into the toilet.