Who has ever seen a woodlouse, will confirm that this creation does not cause positive emotions. It can be found not only in heaps of rotten leaves in the fall or damp basements, but also in a house or apartment. We will talk about this animal and how to expel it from your home.
Description
Mokritsa, contrary to popular belief, is not an insect. It is a representative of crustaceans. At the moment there are more than 3000 species of this animal in the world. A species that is found in homes in temperate latitudes, called Porcellio scaber, or mumps. 
Porcellio scaber It grows up to 2 cm in length, has a gray, brown or black body, covered with transverse scales. The crustacean has seven pairs of legs and a pair of antennae, which are half the length of the body.
He also has a pair of eyes placed on the sides of the head. Wets need constant humidity and access to food, so in the dwelling of people they can be found in the bathroom, in the kitchen or in the basement. They can also be found in flower pots and greenhouses.
Important! If there are at least some of these animals, you can be sure that soon they will significantly increase their population. This is due to the fact that they multiply very quickly - females can produce offspring three times a year (more than 50 individuals at a time).
They feed mainly on plant residues, cellulose, food waste, in which rotting processes have already begun. Due to this property of the animal, it can be concluded that woodlice are useful inhabitants in the garden plot, as they help to process organic waste.
In the matter of garden sabotage, the fame of these crustaceans is too exaggerated - a small colony will not be able to cause significant damage to healthy plants. If the number of wood lice is striking, then in this case it is worth doing to eliminate them even in the garden. 
How to detect presence
The presence of wood lice in the house can be guessed by their visual identification in the territory.
In most cases, insects are nocturnal, so during the day they can not be noticed. In search of favorable conditions, they can travel long distances - from the basement of a high-rise building to the uppermost floors.
We also advise you to find out how to deal with bedbugs, callballs, moths and cockroaches at home.
To establish the presence or absence of these crustaceans in your home, you should look at their favorite places: under the sink, at the junction of pipes, under the bathroom and in any other place where there is high humidity and there is vegetable and food waste.
The reasons for the appearance in the home
The reasons for the appearance of wood lice in the house is always a coincidence of factors: the presence of a damp, cool place and food. Therefore, in human housing they are attracted to basements, baths, kitchens and any other places that meet the listed parameters. 
If the pipes are leaking somewhere, or the process of removing the damp air due to poor ventilation is poorly organized, you can be sure that the woodlice will appear there.
Did you know? In the ocean, giant woodlice of the genus Bathynomus giganteus are found, the length of which can reach 70 cm.
Woodlice damage
In addition to its unpleasant appearance for man, wood louse does not cause any appreciable harm. The crustacean practically never feeds on healthy plant tissues, and also does not have a jaw apparatus capable of biting through human skin.
But in the presence of a large colony, there is a possibility that on their paws animals can bring some species of lichen or fungus to their home.
The appearance of woodlice is a signal that indoor problems with humidity and cleanliness. 
How to fight: instruction
It is very difficult to get rid of woodlice if there are conditions that attract them. They quickly colonize the territory they like and quickly multiply, so to eliminate them you need to follow a certain plan.
Important! If repair is planned and woodlice were detected, it is recommended to get rid of them before the work. This will give better results than after repair, during which part of the wood lice will temporarily leave the premises being repaired.
Overlap
First of all, it is necessary to block all possible paths through which woodlice could get into housing. For example, seal the gap in the floor and walls. This will help avoid the repopulation of housing by these crustaceans after successfully disposing of them.
If they arrive at a house from their neighbors, then they should either carry out the cleaning work with them, or remove the conditions for their living. Guest-wood lice in this case can not be avoided, but they will no longer linger in a dwelling that is unsuitable for their life.
spring-cleaning
After the paths of penetration of crustaceans have been blocked, it is worthwhile to address the conditions that are beneficial for their living in your home. 
To do this, it is necessary to eliminate the source of high humidity: fix the leaking pipes, adjust the ventilation and dry the rooms using a fan heater or air conditioner.
Ants are quite popular pests. Learn how to deal with them, with: ammonia, boric acid, the drug "Muravin", as well as read how to get rid of ants in the garden with the help of folk remedies.
Also it is necessary to remove all sources of their food: garbage, fungus and mold, to replace rotten boards.
Insect repellent
The elimination of attractive conditions for woodlice does not always force them to leave the territory at this moment, especially if the population is large. There are several types of tools designed to help get rid of these uninvited residents: folk remedies and chemicals.
Folk remedies
This category includes various ways of blocking the path of colonization of crustaceans, as well as mixtures for poisoning their body with harmful substances. The proven and most harmless to people and pets is the use of salt tracks and boric acid solution.
For blocking the paths of penetration, the paths from ordinary table salt are used., poured behind the entrance door and at the corners of the room. 
When salt gets on the body of the crustacean, it causes dehydration, thereby causing the woodlouse to leave uncomfortable conditions.
Did you know? Males of this crustacean when infected with a particular virus can become females.
Boric acid solution - time-tested insecticide, which is based on the destruction of the hard shell of an insect, causing its death.
Bleach. A solution is prepared (40 g per 1 liter of water) and all surfaces of the room in which the wood lice live are carefully processed. This remedy is toxic to them, causing burns and damage to the respiratory tract.
Chemicals
In the market of insect repellents, there are some that also effectively kill woodlice.
The most popular among them are:
- "Tarax" - A remedy that also helps from cockroaches and bedbugs. It is harmless to people and pets. The action of the tool is based on the fact that several woodlice come into contact with this powder-like poison and carry it on their paws to their fellows. Due to this, the remaining crustaceans become infected, leading to their death;
- "Gett" produced in the form of ready-made aerosols or liquid concentrate (the ratio of the solution with water should be 1:10). This tool should treat the surface on which crustaceans were seen. The drug, getting into the respiratory tract and chitin, leads to disruption of the internal organs and death. It is safe for all inhabitants of the home, except for fish. Therefore, at the time of treatment it is strongly recommended to close the aquarium tightly;
- "Varan" - Odorless dichlorvos, which, besides flying and crawling insects, also affects woodlice. It has a nerve-paralytic effect on the body. The disadvantage is that the product must be sprayed directly onto the pests;
- "Tetrix" - quite toxic means requiring compliance with increased security measures in its application: remove dishes and food, use protective clothing and goggles, and children and pets are not allowed near.
Calling Special Services
In the case when it is impossible to cope with woodlice on its own, you can resort to the services of professionals. To call the service, you should contact the local office of the sanitary-epidemiological station or private companies engaged in pest control. Such a service will process housing with drugs, the effectiveness of which is guaranteed. The service is not cheap, but under certain conditions it is the only way out.
Preventive measures
In order not to be confronted with lice again, it is worthwhile to carry out preventive measures designed to eliminate the conditions that attract them:
- timely elimination of any water / sewer leaks;
- airing and drying of rooms with high humidity;
- cleanliness;
- elimination of cracks and faults on the floor, ceiling and walls.
Feedback from network users
Compliance with these simple rules creates an unfavorable habitat for wood lice. Therefore, even if they are found somewhere nearby, they will not be able to settle in a dwelling, where for them there is not a single condition for life.
