How to Get Rid of Water Bugs (Effortless Methods)

If you come to find that your house has been invaded by weird-looking, alarmingly large insects,aka water bugs, you need to take a chill, and they aren’t as dangerous as they look. In this article, you will find many ways to get rid of water bugs.

What are water bugs?

Water bug is a large species of cockroach. The size of an adult male is approx. (20-30 mm), while the adult female is (20-27 mm) in length. The color of its body is almost black, if not the darkest shade of brown, with a gloss on top. The water bugs are of 3 types, which are as under;

1. American cockroaches.
2. Oriental cockroaches.
3. Smoky brown cockroaches.

Difference between Water bugs and cockroaches

Most people interpret the water bugs and cockroaches as the same, but it is not true; they are different. They sure do have a certain resemblance when it comes to appearance. But has somewhat different characteristics. Some are as follows;

• Size: The bugs and the roaches differ in size. The roaches are usually 1 or 1 ½ inches in size. While the water bugs are a tad bit bigger with a size of almost 2 inches.
• Eating habits:If we look into the eating habits of the roaches and the bugs, they are very different from each other. The cockroaches aren’t very picky about the food they eat, nor do they hunt for their food. Instead, they scavenge for food in the garbage. While the water bugs are hunters, they find their prey and paralyze them with their proboscis; then, they insert a powerful liquefying enzyme that helps them to suck the prey’s insides.
• Temper: The cockroaches are shy creatures, meaning they are afraid of humans and creatures and will also run away from bright light. They usually don’t bite. On the other hand, the water bugs are dangerous and bite when they feel threatened. But the good part is that their bite isn’t very dangerous.
• Natural territory: The cockroaches prefer to be on the land but can survive in water too. While the water bugs spend most of their time in the water and can hold their breath for a long time.
• Pest determination: Cockroaches are considered actual pests as they carry a wide range of diseases with them. On the other hand, the water bugs aren’t considered pests, as they don’t feed on humans but on insects.

Methods to get rid of water bugs

If your house is under attack by these demons (Water bugs), you need not to worry. We got you covered. Below you can find methods on how you can get rid of the water bugs;

Get rid of the food source.

Food is something that attracts insectslike water bugs and water boatmen. So you should try to keep all the food hidden in placesthe bug can’t reach. Some measures that you should take are;

• Keep all the food in a sealed-tight container.
• Keep all the animal food, like dog food, in hard-to-reach places.
• Take out the trash twice or at least once a day.
• Keep all the dining tables clean and tidy.
• Eat away or throw away any leftovers.

If you take these measures, you will surely get rid of the bugs in no time.

Close off all the access points

Water bugs do not intend to come into the house; they usually come by accident. So you should look for the places where there is a slight chance for the bug to enter. Areas could include drain pipes, broken washroom pipes, basement, etc. Find the source of their entry, and then seal those places. If you can’t find the location from where they are entering, simply fill all the entry points you find.

Close or remove all the hiding places

Remember that the bugs and roaches, especially the water bugs hide in moist and dark places. Some ideal places they like to hide are cabinets, especially the cabinet under the sink, the area along the water heater, and the place with outdoor vegetation. So you should try your best to seal all these places with chalk or maybe silicone.

Make the place completely dry

A water bug would love a moist and humid place; it’s like a paradise for them. So if you want to get rid of them, just simply keep all the wet and moist areas dry. Areas may include leaking drains, dripping faucets, damp walls, leaking geysers, humid basements, etc. So try to keep all these places as much dry as possible. Try to fix all the leaking faucets, fix the drains, and buy a dehumidifier to make the moist areas dry.

Use of natural pest killer to get rid of water bugs

Consider using a natural pest killer to get rid of the water bugs. Don’t know how to make a natural pest killer? We got you. Simply mix concentrated distilled white vinegar with equal parts baking soda, sugar, boric acid, and borax. This mixture will destroy the digestive tract of the bugs and kill them. If you want, you can add citronella essential oil to that mixture too.

Use a sticky trap to monitor the bugs

How will you know that your house is bug-free? The simple way to find that out is the use sticky traps. If you think your house is bug-free, think about their eggs. You never know when the egg will hatch and grow up being one more dangerous than the one you killed. How will you know about it? You should consider using a sticky trap to catch and keep track of them. You should remove or change the sticky tape when it loses its stickiness.

Try to use a bait trap

A bait trap has been proven one of the best ways to take down any crawling insect or mammal. The bait installation can surely take down any water bugs with no issue. Make sure to place the poisonous bait in any moist place or a place where you know bugs can exist.

The worst part is that it’s fairly dangerous, so having kids or any of your pets roaming around the house with the bait installed surely does ring the fear bell. So if you install it, try to keep it away from the reach of anyone.

Conclusion

I hope this article has resolved your bug issue and has made your house bug-free. Be sure to inform us in the comments box below if you find any issues regarding this article.