The Secret Hiding Spot for Bugs in Your Home: Seldom Used Drains

July 10th, 2017

Finding bugs in your house is never a pleasant discovery. This is especially true when you can’t determine exactly where the bugs came from, and they just won’t go away! There is one specific place in your home that might have become a breeding ground for bugs without your knowledge at all: seldom used drains. If you have any tubs, showers, or sinks in your home that aren’t used on a daily basis, they could be the culprit.

Understand the Anatomy Of Your Drain

Take a glance below your kitchen or bathroom sink, and you will see a U- or S-shaped curved pipe that comes down from the drain opening. This portion of the piping is called the drain trap. Every time you use a faucet, the drain trap is designed to keep a small amount of water in the trap. This standing water serves an important purpose: it seals the drain, keeps sewer gasses from entering the home, and even keeps bugs out.

Drain traps exist even where you can’t see them easily. Showers, toilets, tubs, and washing machines also use drain traps. It is essential that you use each drain regularly, or else the water inside of the drain trap will dry out, leaving your pipes, drain, and home unprotected.

Why the Drain?

Bugs are clever creatures, and they will use any entrance they can find to enter your home. If you haven’t used your garage sink or guest shower for weeks or months, bugs like cockroaches will crawl up your drains and enter your home without any resistance from the drain trap. Since this entry and exit method is virtually invisible to the untrained eye, it makes an infestation in your home feel like a mystery.

Fortunately, this problem has an easy solution. Run the water down seldom used drains on a regular basis to keep the drain trap filled. That one preventative measure will significantly minimize the roaches that make their way into your home. If your infestation requires professional attention, don’t wait to call Green Solutions Lawn Care & Pest Control in Tampa, Florida. The experts at Green Solutions are dedicated to using environmentally responsible solutions to solve all of your pest problems. Call (813) 684-7336 today to get started.