Updated on March 8, 2023
Cockroaches paying a visit to some obscure and strange places in your house is based on the fact that they have initially gained entry from one of the available openings at your entrance.
It could even be due to some unclean activities in the house. Leaving dirty dishes in your dishwasher a long time, not getting rid of food crumbs on the floor. They can even show up in your refrigerator or microwave of all places!
The kitchen sink, bathroom sink, bathtub, and even toilet bowl are possibilities. Cockroaches don’t need large openings to get in. Most times, when they stay in the toilet bowl, you find them in the corners of the bowl, places under the seat, particularly.
Is It Normal for a Cockroach to Be in a Toilet Bowl?
Roaches cannot climb into your toilet from the toilet tank or from the bottom drain. This is because they do not have gills or swimming organs that can make that possible; they only came into the toilet via an opening on your toilet lid.
You might be able to simply flush them down the toilet, but you will also need to have it at the back of your mind that roaches are capable of holding their breath for half an hour. In the process, they could find a means of escape. On the other hand, they are unfit to remain under the seat for a long time since they have things to do needed for survival.
Causes of Roaches in a Toilet Bowl
There are several reasons for finding a roach in a toilet bowl, but the main cause is an unclean toilet (yes, this means urine or poop). A toilet that’s regularly used but not regularly cleaned is ideal for roaches.
Additionally, a leaking pipe or other water source near the toilet can be an attractive environment for roaches. Finally, if the house has a problem with roaches in general, they may find their way into the toilet.
Related: What Does Cockroach Poop Look Like?
How to Get Rid of Roaches in a Toilet Bowl
If the roach is low enough in the toilet bowl, simply flush the toilet. Immediately after, properly apply toilet bowl cleaner and let it sit there for a few minutes. This not only helps clean the toilet, it prevents the cockroach from climbing back out of the water in case they weren’t fully flushed down the drain.
If the roach is too high to flush, shoot it with roach killer spray or bleach to knock it into the water (then flush).
With either method, you’ll want to use a toilet brush to clean the toilet. Finally, mix a gallon of water with a cup of bleach and clean the remainder of the toilet and tile floor.
Can You Flush a Cockroach Down the Toilet?
Yes, you can flush a cockroach down the toilet, but it’s not a guarantee it’s gone for good. It’s best to be sure that it is completely dead before flushing. It may surprise you, but roaches are capable of holding their breath for an extended period. So they may make it to the sewer pipes without dying.
Their eggs are not exempt either. Cockroach eggs are wrapped in a silky and slippery natural material which helps to prevent them from attacks and harm. Therefore, if you are not killing them before flushing them down your toilet, you risk the possibility of them breeding and multiplying.
What Happens if You Flush a Cockroach Down the Toilet?
Flushing a cockroach down your toilet will take it into the deep chambers of your sewer. It is a place beyond pipes’ reach, making it rare for it to make it back to the top (but it’s possible). The force from the flushing shoots it into your home’s sewer pipes.
It may not die in the sewer because of their love for dark, dirty, and stinking areas, of which you have just taken it to. Hence, you just found it a new abode to have a good time, lay eggs, breed, and have lots of fun-filled and a great time with excreta and any other organic material.
It is a flushed roach that likely gets to meet others in the sewer and their presence becomes more potent. Over time, they may find their way up.
Can Cockroaches Come Up Through The Toilet?
No, they cannot. Research has shown that it is uneasy for roaches to drown in water because they can hold their breath for a while, but water-caused death is inevitable.
Nevertheless, they don’t have the ability to swim. So even in the event of a backed-up toilet, they would not be able to make it back up to clean air. And with modern toilets, the water trap will be too complex for them to climb up to the line.
Can Cockroach Eggs Be Flushed Down the Toilet?
Yes you can. All of them go down the toilet pipes, straight to the sewer. Notwithstanding, not all the eggs will be killed due to this action.
A slippery material is always around the outer body of each roach eggs; hence, unless these eggs are thoroughly smashed and killed before flushing them down the toilet, they might end up breaking out the shell and breeding in their numbers. A little bit of maturity comes in no distant time, and the way is found up the pipe for entry into your house.
How to Pick up a Dead Cockroach
To pick a dead cockroach, put on a disposable glove or use toilet paper or a paper towel. A broom and dustpan is another option.
Do not pick them up with your bare hand. Both dead and living roaches are carriers of diseases that can affect humans. It’s best not to transfer any germ or disease to your skin where you can then subsequently transfer it to another surface or person.
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