How to Get Rid of Waterbugs in Your Home
- 1). Remove any areas of moisture in the home. Repair all leaking pipes or roofs. Make sure that basements and crawl spaces are dry.
- 2). Caulk all areas of the house to prevent waterbugs from entering the home. Caulk around toilets, showers, bathtubs and sinks.
- 3). Store all food in airtight containers. Never leave dirty dishes in the sink. Clean up spilled food or drinks immediately. Remove the trash nightly.
- 4). Dust all crawl spaces, closets, cracks and crevices with boric acid, diatomaceous earth and silica aerogel. All three substances work to damage the insects' exoskeleton and cause the insect to dry out and die. If they consume boric acid during grooming it will also quickly kill them.
- 5). Place bait stations in areas such as under the sink, in crawl spaces or inside the basement. Use bait stations that contain sulfluramid, hydramethylnon, boric acid or abamectin for best results. Bait stations are available at most home improvement stores. Follow the directions on the label when using.
- 6). Apply gel baits along crevices or in the corners of rooms where waterbugs frequent. Gel baits can be easily injected into small, tight places where they are safe from children and pets but the waterbug can easily consume the poison bait. Purchase gel baits at most home improvement stores.
- 7). Place bait traps in kitchen cabinets, behind refrigerators, in the bathroom or other locations where poison baits are a hazard, according to the University of Florida. Bait traps attract the waterbug into the small box but it quickly becomes stuck in a sticky residue tape inside the trap where it dies. They are relatively safe to use around children and pets compared to poison baits.
