How to Get Rid of Waterbugs in an Apartment?

Have you recently moved into a new apartment and can’t wait to start decorating it to perfection?

Congratulations, this surely is an exciting time for you!

Unfortunately, as you start to settle into the apartment, you notice something truly dreadful – bugs, lots of bugs.

Waterbugs and other pests have a tendency to make the small nooks and crevices of apartments their home.

Don’t worry, though; we will tell you exactly how you can get rid of them once and for all!

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How to Get Rid of Waterbugs in Your Apartment?

Waterbugs are often confused as cockroaches due to their similar appearance.

However, regardless of whether you have waterbugs or roaches in your apartment, you need to get rid of them ASAP.

Below are the steps to get rid of waterbugs from your apartment.

Step 1 – Clean Everything Out

Cleaning is the most important step when you’re trying to get rid of waterbugs. Your entire apartment needs to be cleaned thoroughly from top to bottom.

So, put on some comfortable clothes and get to work!

While cleaning out your apartment, be sure to dig in deep and clean out EVERYTHING.

While cleaning, grab a notepad to make a list of all the spots where you found evidence of waterbugs.

This list will help you go back to these spots and place bait or pesticide to ensure all of the waterbug population is eliminated successfully.

Step 2 – Inspect Your Apartment

Once your apartment has been thoroughly cleaned, it is time to go over everything once again and inspect.

Look for any holes or crevices in the walls and doors where the waterbugs may be hiding.

You should keep an eye out for any dead bugs or roaches, too, as they give you an indication of where to look for more.

Check all of the doors and windows too. You can use sticky traps in the locations you listed in your notepad.

These sticky taps will help you detect where insects are present, and you can then spray these spots down with insecticides.

Step 3 – Attack the WaterBugs

There are many different at-home remedies you can try to kill waterbugs instantly.

From using cleaning agents like bleach to baking soda and insecticide dust, they all do wonders to get rid of waterbugs quickly.

Once you have deep cleaned your apartment, just apply the insect-killing agents in the areas where you found most of the waterbugs.

Also, be sure to apply a thin layer of an insecticide dust to any cracks in the walls or crevices in your grout.

These are all places where the waterbugs could be hiding.

Attacking the insects with full force is the best way to get rid of them for good!

Tips to Keeping Waterbugs Away from for Apartment

If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of seeing a waterbug in your apartment, you know just how icky and unwanted they can be.

While it’s impossible to keep them from ever entering your home, there are some steps you can take to minimize their presence and make them less likely to stick around.

Here are a few tips to help keep waterbugs away from your apartment.

Use Boric Acid

Did you know that boric acid, or borax, can help you get rid of all the pests in your apartment in just a few days?

Yes, you read it right. Boric acid is a powerful pesticide that you can use around your apartment to kill off waterbugs and any other insects.

Since boric acid doesn’t attract insects by itself, you will have to mix in something sweet to the powder.

Fine sugar works well and will ensure that all the nearby pests are attracted to the boric acid powder.

Since boric acid can be dangerous to human and pet health if ingested, you must be extremely careful when using it.

Wear gloves when you’re working with the boric acid powder, and be cautious with how you use it.

You can create a boundary of boric acid powder and place a sweet substance inside the boundary.

Waterbugs and other pests will be attracted to the sweet substance, causing them to walk through the boric acid.

Upon exposure to the boric acid, the waterbugs will start to die because it acts as a stomach poison for pests.

You can also make a boric acid-based bait to attract pests and waterbugs. Mix the boric acid powder with flour and confectionary sugar.

Add in a few splashes of water and kneed it into a dough-like substance while wearing gloves.

Place this dough in your wall cracks and around the damp areas of your apartment. You can also add it to any crevices where you think waterbugs may be hiding.

Keep Your Lawn Well-Maintained

An overgrown lawn won’t just have your neighbors complaining because it looks messy. It can actually be the reason why you have been finding waterbugs in your apartment!

If your apartment comes with a lawn, it is essential that you mow it often enough to maintain a short height.

Waterbugs reside in long grass and are probably hiding out in your lawn right now.

As soon as they find a damp spot or some food grains, they will invite themselves inside and make your apartment their home.

Dealing with a waterbug infestation can be quite a nuisance.

Therefore, once you have cleaned out your apartment and gotten rid of all the pests, make it a regular practice to mow your lawn.

The shorter your lawn grass, the lesser chances of waterbugs living in it and entering your home!

Essential Oils Drive Waterbugs Off

Essential oils aren’t just great for relaxing in a warm bath or before you head to bed.

They can also offer you the peace of mind of knowing that your apartment is free from any waterbugs!

All you need to do is create a solution of 7-9 drops of essential oil mixed into a cup of warm water.

Add this solution into a spray bottle for your convenience and spray it into all of the crevices, cracks, and other hidden spots around your apartment where bugs could be present.

While essential oils don’t necessarily kill waterbugs, they do drive them away. This is because all kinds of pests find the smell of essential oils quite offensive.

Here is a list of the most effective essential oils to use when you’re trying to get rid of waterbugs:

Peppermint oil
Oregano oil
Eucalyptus oil
Cedar oil
Tea tree oil
Rosemary oil

Set Traps with Bait for Waterbugs

If you don’t have control over the lawn around your apartment or you’re worried about some other way that waterbugs might come inside, you can set traps indoors.

There are numerous chemical bait traps available in local stores. These traps are designed to attract all pests, including waterbugs, roaches, etc.

They have a chemical pesticide mixed into the bait to kill the pests.

You can place these traps around your apartment, including under the doors and around the windows.

However, if you have pets or little kids in your apartment, be careful not to place any bait traps inside.

These traps are a health hazard and can lead to poisoning if ingested.

Create a Diatomaceous Earth Barrier

If you don’t want to use boric acid for safety reasons, or you simply can’t find any, here’s a super simple alternative. You can use diatomaceous earth!

Diatomaceous earth is made of diatoms that have been fossilized in nature. You can get the food-grade version from your local store.

Be sure to pick out the food-grade powder instead of the pool-grade powder, as it is safe to use around people and pets.

This makes diatomaceous earth significantly safer than boric acid, especially if you have kids or animals around.

Diatomaceous earth can be used in the same way as boric acid.

You just need to mix the powder with a sweet substance, like sugar or sweetener, and spread it on the entrance points.

It is important to note that diatomaceous earth won’t kill the waterbugs instantly.

Instead, it exposes the insect’s internal regions by damaging the outer protective layer on its body. Thus, the insects slowly dehydrate and die.

When using diatomaceous earth, you should remember that the powder needs to be reapplied every few days.

This is because the powder slowly becomes ineffective with time. Also, ensure that the powder doesn’t become damp as it will lose its pesticide properties.

Eliminate Damp Areas

Much like their name suggests, waterbugs thrive in damp areas inside your apartment.

Therefore, one of the best ways to get rid of a waterbug infestation is to eliminate any dampness indoors.

You can do this by going over your apartment and checking if there are any spots that appear to be damp.

These are likely to be located near exposed water pipes, near your water tank, or in the bathroom.

Make sure you check the kitchen, patio, attic, basement, and all other areas for dampness too.

After you’ve done this, get all the leaking pipes fixed by a professional plumber.

Also, get rid of any standing water around your apartment, as it will attract waterbugs to come in from outdoors and waste your cleaning efforts.

Once you’re done with the pipes and the standing water, make your way to the drains in your kitchen and bathrooms.

If there is any debris accumulated in them, clean it off as it can quickly become a feeding ground for waterbugs and other insects.

So, there you have it. If the idea of living with waterbugs is not your favorite thing in the world, give these tips a try and see if they help!

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