How to Get Rid of Waterbugs

How to stop water bugs from coming up the drain

When you need to get rid of water bugs, you’re probably talking about a sort of roach, palmetto bug, or large water insect that congregates in and near water sources. While these bugs are of many types, they are all drawn to food and water, thus the best approach to keep them at bay is to keep food and water out of the open. However, if you have an infestation either inside or outside your house, you may need to attempt a number of methods to get rid of it. Cleaning up waste in the area, making house repairs, sealing and storing food, and using chemicals to eliminate existing pests are all examples.

1. Elimination of Food and Water Sources

1. Look for and eliminate any food sources that the bugs may access. Inspect locations around your house where water bugs might feed, such as your kitchen and dining room. Also, keep an eye out for food sources both within and outside your house.

• For example, if feasible, remove any pet food that has been left out, since roaches and other pests may feed on your pet’s food. Organize meal times so that your dog or cat eats all of their food right away, allowing you to remove and wash the dish.
• Meat and other organic items in your compost bins, decaying fruit and vegetables in your garden, and waste containers that are not sealed are all examples of outside food sources.

2. Place all food in airtight containers. When possible, keep fresh food in the refrigerator. Food that cannot be refrigerated should be stored in airtight containers, such as canning jars or other sealable containers.

• Bugs may be able to enter a container even if it has a tiny entrance. It is critical that the containers you choose be completely sealed.
• If you have a severe infestation, it’s generally a good idea to store things you purchase in airtight containers. When you bring a box of cereal home, for example, open it and place the contents in an airtight container.

3. Wipe down kitchen countertops often to eliminate crumbs. Water bugs may survive on little crumbs left about the kitchen. When preparing meals, be sure to immediately wipe off your cutting board and counter. Leave no food detritus left, since this might become a feast for your home’s water bugs.

• Include kitchen equipment such as the toaster, food processor, juicer, grill, and other spots where food particles get lodged while cleaning up these crumbs.

Tip: Wiping down your kitchen surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner-soaked cloth can assist remove all of the crumbs and food residue.

4. Consumption of meals should be limited to a single room in your house. Cleaning up after meals will be lot simpler if you store food in particular locations of the house. For example, dining solely at your kitchen table keeps food crumbs contained to that area, and the table keeps a lot of crumbs off the floor. You will also be limiting the infestation to that region, making it simpler to concentrate your efforts on getting rid of it and removing it.

• Because trapped crumbs are simpler to remove from hard floors than from carpeting, try to dine in a room with hard flooring.
• It’s particularly crucial to keep kids from nibbling in their rooms or in front of the TV. They are likely to put food out for the water bugs to eat.

5. Trash and compost should be stored in sealed containers. Use garbage cans with tight-fitting lids inside and outside your house. If you gather compost, be certain that your container is not exposed or accessible to pests. Also, during a water bug infestation, take away the garbage on a regular basis.

• Water bugs often eat and breed in garbage cans and compost bins.
• Even if you leave trash out for a short period of time, water bugs may get into it and eat, providing them with extra nutrients and promoting reproduction.

6. Any sources of standing water in your house should be dried up or removed. Water bugs cannot survive without water for longer than a week. You must prevent them from accessing water if you want to get rid of them. Water bugs may find a home in pet water bowls, glasses of water, and plant saucers.

• All of these water sources should be eliminated as soon as you suspect an infestation.
• If you can’t get rid of a pet water bowl entirely, simply leave it out for short periods of time each day and put it away at night.

7. Remove any exterior standing water in the vicinity of your infestation. Water bugs may reproduce outdoors and then come inside if there are water sources near your house. Turn over bird baths, pots, and other containers that collect water during the rainy season to prevent this. Fill up any holes in the ground that gather water and don’t drain well.

• Remove any things that collect water, such as tarps and buckets, that you may have kept outdoors.
• You do not need to empty your pool or hot tub to get rid of waterbugs. Instead, clean it on a regular basis and ensure that the chemical levels are always right.
• It might be tough to eradicate all sources of water if your infestation is outdoors, particularly during rainy seasons. However, remove as many water sources as possible to make the place as unappealing as possible.

2. Cleaning Up Water Bug-Attracting Spots

1. Clean up any clutter, grime, or waste in your house. Roaches, palmettos, and other water bugs often reside in areas that are seldom cleaned or relocated. To get rid of an infestation, you must clear up all of these uninfested areas and eliminate any objects that they may reside in. The following are examples of common sites that need cleaning:

• Newspaper stacks: Recycle newspapers once a week. Check that your interior recycling bins have tight-fitting lids.
• Food containers: Immediately clean up food containers after using them. Even leaving them out for a single day might lead to an increase in your infestation.
• Old cardboard boxes: These are common hiding places for pests and should not be stored in your house if you have an infestation.

2. Remove any rubbish from around your house’s perimeter. Some water bugs may reproduce outdoors and then enter your house. This is why it’s critical to remove any mounds of leaves, logs, timber, or other yard waste that are near to or directly on the walls of your house.

• Examine any cracks or gaps in your foundation and make sure there are no suitable nesting places nearby. Repair these gaps and holes to prevent pests from entering.

3. Soft surfaces around the infestation should be washed or vacuumed. If you have an active infestation in an area with carpets or rugs, clean those carpets and rugs as soon as possible. Vacuum the surfaces and crevices of fabric-covered furniture like sofas and chairs as well.

• Water bugs may get food by devouring crumbs that have been spilled in furniture cracks. It is critical to vacuum out these cracks to eliminate any food that may be present.

4. During an infestation, vacuum your house on a regular basis. Vacuuming may remove both food for the bugs and eggs that might hatch into new bugs. Vacuuming areas where food is eaten, such as the dining room, is very vital. This reduces the quantity of food accessible in your household.

• If you have children that dine at home, it’s a good idea to vacuum after each meal if feasible. This will get rid of any food they may have left in your house.

5. At least once a year, shampoo your rugs or carpets. Regularly cleaning your rugs and carpets will remove any eggs that may have been left in the fibers, preventing a new generation of the bugs from being produced. It will also remove any food that has been trapped in the carpet that water bugs may consume.

• You have two options: rent or buy a carpet cleaner and do it yourself, or engage a professional carpet cleaning.

3. Making Home Repairs

1. Repair leaking faucets both indoors and out. Examine all of your faucets and turn them on and off to ensure that they are all waterproof. This includes faucets in the bathroom, kitchen, and on the outside of your property. Make a note of any leaks and add them to your to-do list right away. The majority of leaking faucets may be readily repaired simply changing the gaskets. However, they may get worn out and need to be completely replaced.

• Cockroaches can survive for a long period provided they have a consistent supply of water.
• Look for leaks behind sinks and behind appliances. These concealed leaks provide ideal hatching grounds for water bugs.

2. Look for and close any gaps around doors and windows. Cockroaches may enter your house by squeezing through tiny spaces around doors and windows. Fill holes with caulking, foam, or other sealing materials to keep pests out. Individual doors and windows may also be replaced if gaps cannot be successfully covered.

• There are many methods for sealing gaps around doors and windows. Among these include, but are not limited to, the use of expanding foam, wood shims, or metal flanges.
• Consider installing a draft sweep at the bottom of your exterior door if there is a gap there.

3. Fill up any gaps in your insulation and walls. This will eliminate potential entry points for water bugs to establish a nest in your house. Inspect all of your walls, including the basement if you have one, as well as any access points for pipes and utilities, as well as any cracks or structural problems. Examine each surface with a flashlight to see if there are any spots where you can feel air coming in from the outside. Fill any holes that you detect using a patch, expanding foam, or another sort of filler.

• Pay special attention to the areas of your home’s walls where pipes enter. These are not often adequately sealed and provide an easy entry point for water bugs.
• Filling holes in concrete will also limit water buildup, which will aid in the survival of water bugs.

4. Install screens on all of your windows and doors. Water bugs may enter via any open window or entrance that lacks a screen. To prevent this, invest in tight-fitting screens and keep them in place at all times while your windows are open. Install a screen door on any doors you want to keep open.

• To begin, measure the width and height of the aperture to ensure that you acquire a screen that fits perfectly. Then, go to your local home improvement or hardware shop and look for a screen that will fit exactly.
• If none of your local retailers have anything that matches the bill, you may need to buy a replacement online.

Tip: When you have screens on your windows and doors, you may open them to encourage circulation in moist regions. Water bugs enjoy wet environments, so installing screens and keeping your house drier and more aired helps keep them away.

4. Using Chemicals to Kill Bugs

1. Determine the location of the nest or nests. This will assist you in eradicating the water bug issue in a timely and focused way. Take note of where you see the bugs. Then, in that region, seek for fissures and hidden nooks.

• If it’s not evident where they live, check for them at night. Turn on the light after a room has been dark for many hours to watch where they spread. This is the area where you should concentrate your eradication efforts.

2. If you find a nest, use borax or boric acid to clean it up. If this is a filthy location, such as an unfinished basement, either one might be placed directly on the ground. If it is a completed space, either one may be placed on a piece of cardboard or a tray. When water bugs walk over it, the sodium tetraborate in Borax or the boric acid in the boric acid will soak into their legs and kill them.

• Borax is somewhat less dangerous to use in the house than boric acid. Even Borax, however, should not be consumed or breathed. If you’re using
• Borax or boric acid to get rid of an infestation, keep young children and pets away from it.
• Most large box and hardware retailers carry borax.

Tip: Water bugs dislike huge clumps of Borax, so apply just a little sprinkling.

3. Pour 2 to 4 cups of distilled vinegar (470 to 950 mL) down each drain. Water bugs often reside in sewers because they are excellent sources of water and provide safe havens. If you have the bugs in your drains, you can kill them or at the very least render the drains inhospitable by pouring vinegar down every drain.

• This should be done every day until the waterbugs are gone.
• In addition to your sinks, remember to treat your dishwasher, bathtub, and toilet drains.

4. Set traps in regions where you’ve noticed bugs. Glue board traps or box traps with a concentrated poison inside may be used. Water bugs are drawn to both and perish once caught within the box or on the glue board. When a dead insect is found in the trap, dispose of it in your outside trash can.

• The poison is usually included in box traps. To set them up, just follow the accompanying instructions.
• If you want to use traps outdoors, be sure the traps you purchase state that they may be used outside.
• There are several types of these traps available. They may be found at your local large box or home improvement shop.

5. Hiring an exterminator to get rid of the pests and avoid infestations is a good idea. If your home is infected with water bugs, a more harsh chemical treatment may be required. Make an appointment with a local exterminator to check your house. If they believe your property requires pesticide treatment, you will have to leave it for anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the chemicals used and the severity of the infestation.

• In most circumstances, your exterminator will come to your house many times. The first time will be to treat the issue, and the second time will be after a week or two to ensure that the infestation is gone. Many exterminators will return after a few weeks to confirm that there is no re-infestation.
• After using insecticides to cure your condition, clean all kitchen and other exposed surfaces before using them as usual.