Small Bugs Near Water in a Bathroom

Depending on where you live geographically, you may encounter one of a variety of small bugs that enjoy inhabiting a damp, warm and steamy bathroom. You may not be able to completely get rid of these little bugs without calling an exterminator, but you can decrease the bug population by getting rid of boxes, bags and prescription medications in the bathroom area.

The tiny red bugs that are often seen in a bathroom are usually red flour beetles. The beetle's antennae resemble clubs with three segments. The red flour beetle is most commonly found in the Southern states. This beetle has a reddish brown, shiny body that is ovular in shape. Red flour beetles are attracted to food sources that are often found in bathrooms, such as hidden dog treats, cat food or litter boxes. They also are attracted to prescription drugs, boxes of soap, detergent boxes, bath salt boxes, septic system treatments (powder or flake form), rodent poisons and rice bag heating pads. Clean out all drawers and vacuum the area completely. The eggs hatch into small worm-like larvae. The adults and larvae are more easily removed, but the eggs and the pupa require a complete vacuuming.

German cockroaches are pale brown or tan with two parallel black streaks on the pronotum, or the shield-like segment behind the head, according to E-bug Online. According to the site, German cockroaches are the most common household insect found in the United States. This cockroach usually infests kitchens and bathrooms that are dark, heated and wet. With enough moisture and food, one female has the ability to produce over a million descendants within a year. German cockroaches feed on soap, wood, soap boxes and anything else they can consume that has nutritional value.

American cockroaches feed on decaying matter, such as wet toilet paper, damp boxes or feces. These cockroaches can fly from one area to another and deposit their egg capsules in damp, protected locations. They enter homes through plumbing traps and are found near bathtubs, basements and clothes hampers.

Pill bugs, commonly called rolley-polley bugs in the South, will roll themselves into balls when bothered. These isopods breathe with gills, so they inhabit damp and wet areas, such as basements, damp garages or bathroom drains or floors. Old homes especially can find pill bugs around damp floors near sinks or plumbing pipes. You can trap pill bugs by placing half of a cantaloupe upside down into the area where the bugs inhabit, according to Pest Control Canada Online.

Small water bugs enter bathrooms through plumbing pipes and collect around drains. When threatened, small water bugs pretend to be already dead. Contrary to popular belief, water bugs are not related to cockroaches that are sometimes nicknamed "water bug." These water bugs are truly aquatic insects that also inhabit ponds, lakes and streams. Giant water bugs also grow to be between 2 and 3 inches long.