Home Remedies to Get Rid of Water Bugs

• Water bugs resemble giant cockroaches.Huge Cockroach image by fotodewan from Fotolia.com
  
  Water bugs look like big roaches. They look for any water source they can find and can creep easily into homes. They sting and the sting can be very painful. They are difficult to prevent and difficult to kill. However, there are home remedy options that can help you in your fight to rid your home of these creepy insects.
  
  

Prevention

• The most effective remedy in getting rid of water bugs is to discourage them from entering your house by creating a hostile environment for the bug. One easy preventive measure is to keep unused areas of your house cleaned out. Empty boxes and clutter are ideal homes for water bugs. In addition, trim foliage away from your home entrances and windows. Foliage can create moist shade that is inviting to the water bug. If you have a pet, keep the animal's feeding area clean. Water bugs are drawn to pet food. Another easy prevention option is to use window screens. These help keep the insects from entering your home.
  
  

Vinegar and Borax

• One option to rid your house of water bugs is to use vinegar. Vinegar repels these bugs. Just pour it down all the drains in your house and garage. Another easy solution is to use borax. Do not use this option if you have pets or small children. Simply sprinkle borax in cracks, on baseboards and outside your home. Borax sticks to water bugs' legs. They then take this substance back to their den. This powder will eventually kill all the insects in the colony.
  
  

Detergent

• Swimming pools are obviously a big draw for water bugs. They are attracted to the water and more likely to enter a home that has a pool or other water source nearby. In order to rid your pool of these creatures, put a couple of tablespoons of dish detergent on top of the water. The dish detergent needs to sit on the water until dark. Turn off the swimming pool pump so the surface is smooth. Then turn on the swimming pool light. Light attracts the bugs. As they come to the surface for air, the detergent traps them under water so they cannot breathe. In the morning, you will simply need to scoop up the dead bugs off the surface. The soap detergent will be neutralized so will not affect you when swimming.