Pest invasion is one of the least attractive aspects of home ownership. Insects like water bugs are unsanitary and carry diseases, like dysentery, that can harm your health.
Ever wondered why these insects come around? The short answer is, you’re probably not cleaning enough because water bugs are most attracted to garbage, left-over food droppings, and moist areas.
Read more to learn what attracts water bugs and how to keep them off.
What Attracts Water Bugs?
Often, most people confuse water bugs with cockroaches. Even though both are pretty similar in habit and appearance, they are not the same. Water bugs get attracted to various things, including:
- Damp and moist areas
- Old food and leftovers
- Garbage
If you see a lot of water bugs in your home, look around and observe your living areas to see if they are dirty or cluttered. Vacuum or sweep up any crumbs on the floor, take out the garbage, and check for water leaks.
How To Keep Water Bugs Off Your Home
You can discourage water bugs from your home through basic home maintenance and routine cleaning. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
Seal Everything
Water bugs will only come into your house when attracted to moist areas or leftovers. Otherwise, these insects live outside. You must seal everything up to ensure it’s almost impossible for a water bug to enter your house.
Ensure your doors and windows remain closed at all times. For fresh air, use window screens without holes in them. Using caulking, tour your home and seal any openings, such as wall cracks.
Proper Lawn Maintenance
An overgrown lawn can make perfect homes and breeding grounds for water bugs. It would help to mow your lawn often to keep it short. That way, you get rid of their living environment close to your home.
Trap Water Bugs
Sometimes water bugs will somehow get through a hole into your house. If you set traps, these pests won’t get much further. You can buy various chemical roach-bait traps and put them all around the outdoors of your home. You can place these traps near doors and windows to kill water bugs.
Do not put these chemical-bait traps inside your house, as you don’t want to risk your pet’s life if you have any.
Clean More Often
One significant way of discouraging water bugs from coming around is by keeping your home as clean as possible. Old food and leftovers attract water bugs, including the small portions that drop and you forget to clean.
Vacuum your rugs more often. Also, move your coaches to clean the floor beneath and any food particles that fall.
Avoid Dampness
If you have moist environments inside your home, water bugs must visit you. Make sure you repair leaked pipes and avoid leaving your sinks wet. Be attentive to the trash area close to your home. Don’t allow leaked trash bags and cans to stay there for long.
Drain Off Stagnant Water
Remember, the aim is to eliminate all moist areas in and around your home. You must ensure there’s no stagnant water to attract water bugs in your home. Recycle your cans and bottles after dumping out the food inside. Rinse and dry them before taking them outside.
Wrap Up
Water bugs love living around human dwellings and can neither fly nor climb on smooth, vertical surfaces. Water bugs can enter your house through openings in your exterior walls.
They can also get in through holes in your window screens, gaps under your doors, and cracks. The above measures will discourage water bugs from coming around your home.