What are water bugs?

‘Waterbug’ is a name that’s used to refer to numerous types of bugs from the Hemiptera family, an aquatic insect order. There are approximately 1500 water bug species worldwide, but the most common include giant waterbugs (alligator ticks), water scorpions, toe biters as well as the electric light bugs. Some of them use their leg paddles to stay afloat on water while others take advantage of the surface tension of water for the purpose.

These insects can invade your living or commercial space and wreak havoc. Therefore, you should ensure that your place is free from these bugs as they are not only a threat to your health but also affect the serenity of your household. But wait, how do you distinguish a water bug from other insects? Well, here are some of its major characteristics.  

What does a waterbug look like?

Water bugs are mostly confused with cockroaches since they have some resemblance.

However, water bugs are larger than cockroaches; while the latter is 1 inch to 1.5 inches long, a water bug is normally approximately two inches long. Water bugs have straw-like mouths which are sharp and jointed, enabling them to pierce and suck their preys. Water bugs manifest themselves at your home as eggs, larvae or adults since these are their stages of development.  A water bug takes approximately 600 days to develop from the egg stage up to the maturity (adult stage).

• An egg of a waterbug is small, hardy as well as oval-shaped.
• During its larvae stage, the insect doesn’t have wings, but it can bite and hunt its prey.
• Adult water bug is oval in shape black or extremely dark brown in color, has six legs as well as a set of antennas.
• You can easily distinguish them from cockroaches because the latter are orange-brown color and unlike water bugs, they don’t have paddle-like legs.
• A water bug has fully developed wings and so can fly.
• A male adult water bug has approximately 19 body segments and is longer than its female counterpart which has roughly 13 to 14 body segments.
• Unlike other aquatic animals, water bugs do not have gills for breathing, but instead, they directly utilize oxygen from the air.

How to get rid of waterbugs?

Although waterbug extermination is not an easy task, there are various do-it-yourself (DIY) remedies that you can apply to get rid of the bugs from your place. The options include:

• Cold water treatment

Water bugs are used to normal water temperature and so, subjecting them to extremely low temperature is an effective way of rendering them lifeless. First, you need to identify their hideouts so that you know where the treatment will be targeted. Then, take half a liter of cold chilled water or draw tap water added with a few ice cubes and then spray it on the area invaded by water bug. Alternatively, you can spread the water directly to the area using a piece of cloth. Then, leave the water to dry. Do this again a few times at an interval of around 10 to 15 minutes.

The image below provides detailed instructions on how to prepare this spray and how to maximize its use

• Vinegar Spray

Vinegar is very rich in antibacterial properties, and for that reason, it is a killer of the bacterial resulting from a water bug infestation. Besides, vinegar contains elements which kill water bugs in addition to preventing their multiplication. Use home vinegar with the highest possible concentration, about 300ml of it, to kill the bugs. However, you can use a higher amount if it is not highly concentrated. Put it in a spray bottle and then close the bottle and then spray on the areas with water bugs. Don’t bother wiping the excess vinegar on the surfaces.

The image below provides detailed instructions on how to prepare this spray and how to maximize its use

• Synthetic chemical treatment

There are numerous synthetic chemical treatments that are used for killing water bugs by destroying their nervous system on the market. Nevertheless, you should be extremely cautious while using these chemicals since they can have adverse effects on you, your family or pets if their application isn’t done with strict adherence to their respective usage instructions. Some of these chemicals come in the forms of gel, traps and sprays.  The gels and traps attract and kill the insects while sprays are targeted directly on the bugs to kill them instantly.

• Hire a professional water bug exterminator

As earlier mentioned, water bug extermination is not a breeze, partly because the insects can bite you when you attempt to invade their dwellings or due to lack of proper relevant skills, especially when an infestation is serious. It is paramount to seek help from a professional water bug exterminator in case the DIY treatments don’t work or you are skeptical about exterminating the pests by yourself.

 

• Prevent their come-back

Since water bugs are attracted to damp areas with plenty of their food, one the best way of keeping these bugs away from your place is by ensuring that it is free from any food or dampness that can make them come. Here’s are some of the tips you can apply to make your place less attractive to waterbugs:

• Avoiding pet food leftovers.
• Using trash cans with tight-fitting lids.
• Covering your food by putting it in a refrigerator or airtight containers.
• Cleaning the area regularly to remove popular water bug hiding places such as old cardboard boxes, among others.
• Vacuuming on a regular basis to get rid of crumbs and other debris that may attract the bugs.
• Cleaning your kitchen and its appliances thoroughly on a regular basis using an effective disinfectant.
• Turning over outdoor containers that can hold water, for instance, bird baths and pots, during the rainy season.
• Replacing ill-fitting doors and windows with the tight-fitting ones to deny waterbugs any entrance.
• Drying or removing any water that may be trapped inside your house or nearby.
• Repairing all leaking interior and exterior faucets and any part of your basement wall where water may be seeping in.

What causes water bugs in your house?

Although water bugs prefer outdoor settings to indoor areas, they get their way to your building especially if there’s an abundance of food which they can eat or the place is damp. They enter your home or business premises through wall cracks or pipes. They’ll feel at home in moist and dark areas in your home or commercial premises as these are their most favorable hideouts and breeding places.  Therefore, your place is likely to attract these bugs if there are leaky pipes or stagnant water. Besides eating other insects, waterbugs also feed on garbage and decaying matter as well as sweet-tasting food such as some syrup. The presence of such foods, garbage and decaying matter in or near your house may also cause a water bug infestation.

 

Do water bugs bite?

Yes, water bugs can sometimes bite humans, but they’ll do so only when they are provoked. For instance, a backswimmer or eastern toe-biter can bite your bare feet when you step on their habitats. When a waterbug bites you, it injects a digestive juice into your body before extracting liquefied tissue since its mouthpart is created in a way that helps it bite and suck fluids.  You can feel serious pain as a result of the bite, but you are rarely likely to develop a serious health concern. However, some people can develop allergic reactions due to water bug bites and in case that happens, the victim ought to seek medical attention urgently.

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