Small Bugs in the Bathroom That Only Come Out at Night

Waking up in the middle of the night is already a nuisance, but if you find yourself stumbling into your bathroom to see small bugs in the bathroom that only come out at night, you may think you're living in a nightmare. Although seeing insects scurrying around your bathroom is less than ideal, you can get rid of most nocturnal insects yourself or call pest control to get the job done.

Silverfish, also known as ​Lepisma saccharina​, are small, silvery-colored, hard-bodied insects. They move side to side, and you'll often see them around bathtubs, in a laundry room or on a basement floor — really anywhere that is a high-moisture environment. Not only do they have long antennas on their heads but they also have three appendages on their rear end. While they don't have wings, they do have six legs in the middle of their body.

You're likely to find silverfish in your bathroom at night because they are nocturnal insects. Silverfish prefer to live in dark areas because they're sensitive to light, and when they come out to look for food at night, they can get around using their sensitive antenna. Silverfish are not predators, so they don't eat other insects, but they need starches, carbohydrates and protein to survive.

Although they're not venomous and they don't carry diseases, they can be super destructive. You must contact your local pest control to get rid of the silverfish invading your bathroom. Pest control will also help you create a plan so the silverfish won't come back.

Centipedes are elongated creatures that have flat, segmented bodies with a pair of legs per segment. These creatures can vary in color and pattern, but the most common colors are brown and reddish-orange. They can vary in size, ranging from just over 1/8 inch to 2 inches long, depending on their species. Centipedes also have a pair of long and sensitive antennae on their head and can have between 15 and 177 pairs of legs.

Although they have small mouths, they have large, clawlike structures that have a venom gland. Since centipedes are carnivorous creatures, they use their venomous claws to paralyze other insects. House centipedes prefer damp and dark environments, and since they are nocturnal, they like to hunt for their food at night. You can find them in basements and closets as well as tubs and sinks in the bathroom.

Normally, centipedes will move into homes because they can't survive the cold. If you notice centipedes crawling out of shower drains or running around your bathroom at night, try to control the humidity in your bathroom, clean your shower drains and declutter your bathroom so you can deter other pests that centipedes like to eat. Unfortunately, if you have a large infestation, you will need to call pest control.

Other types of insects that you can find in your bathroom at night are drain flies. Drain flies like to breed in drains because drains are wet and full of food sources. To prevent flies from hovering around a drain, you need to create an environment in which they won't thrive, especially during the colder months. Most important, try to reduce moisture in your bathroom.

If you don't have an ceiling vent fan, purchase a dehumidifier. Another essential task is to fix any drain or plumbing issues. Plumbing issues can cause an increase in insect activity in your bathroom. Try to clean your bathroom regularly and seal any openings.