Water bugs and Cockroaches are both pests found in homes. Both can be challenging to get rid of, but which is worse? The answer is not as clear as you might think. Both cockroaches and water bugs can be disgusting, destructive pests that might give you the willies.
They also have different habits and needs that make each one more challenging than the other to get rid of in your home. Which is worse depends on your situation and how willing you are to deal with either one. Here’s what you need to know about these two household pests so you can decide which one is worse in your particular situation.
What is a Water Bug?
A water bug is any of a number of different species of insects that live near water. The most common water bug that gets into homes in the United States is the palmetto bug, also called a southern house mosquito. They are very common in Florida, where they are known for invading homes.
They are not true mosquitoes but are in the same family of insects as the common household cockroach. There are also water bugs in the western and southwestern United States, called western coniferous bark beetles, that invade homes. These are also not true bark beetles but are also in the same family as roaches and palmetto bugs.
Water bugs are most active at night, when they come out to feed on other insects, agricultural crops, or even bark. Some species like to stay in one place and feed on plant material, while others like to wander and eat insects and other bugs.
Water bugs can fly, but it is not a strong flight. They can easily be blown into your home by wind, or they can fly in on their own by accident. There are many water bug species. Some are pests, while others are beneficial to gardens and crops.
What is a Cockroach?
Cockroaches are pests that can be found in homes all over the world. Most people think of them as being brown, but they also come in black, tan, and even grey or white coloration. Cockroach species also range in size from about one inch long to almost two inches. The average size of a cockroach found in homes is about a quarter of an inch long.
Cockroaches are nocturnal pests, meaning they like to hide during the day and come out at night to forage for food, water, and places to live. Cockroaches prefer warm, humid places, which is why they are common in kitchens and bathrooms.
They are also in wall voids and other hidden areas inside your home. While cockroaches are in every climate, they prefer tropical and subtropical places where they don’t experience freezing weather.
Which is Worse – A Cockroach or a Water Bug?
Both cockroaches and water bugs can be extremely challenging pests to deal with. Both have the ability to feed on almost anything in your home and can reproduce quickly. Both can also make a mess of your home and leave a horrible odor behind.
Cockroaches are more widely known as pests, while water bugs are not as widely recognized, so people often assume that a water bug is a good bug. There are a couple of ways to decide which of these pests is worse in your home.
First, you can decide which pest is more prevalent in your area. Cockroaches are the most common pest across the United States, while water bugs are common in the southeastern United States.
If you live in an area where one type of pest is more common, it is probably worse. If you live in an area where both pests are common, you can look at the different habits of each pest to decide which is worse in your home.
How to Get Rid of Water Bugs: Pros and Cons
Water bugs are among the most difficult pests to get rid of because they like to live in moist places. You might find that you can’t even get your water bugs out of your home at all. That doesn’t mean you don’t have water bugs in your home.
It might just mean that they are in a part of your home that you can’t access. Water bugs will breed in any water source they can find, so you need to eliminate all potential water sources in your home. This includes things like leaky pipes, old faucets, and holes in walls where pipes are located.
You can also use diatomaceous earth to kill water bugs in wall voids. You can also use a steam cleaner to kill water bugs in wall voids. You can also use a disinfectant spray to kill water bugs in wall voids.
How to Get Rid of Roaches: Pros and Cons
Getting rid of cockroaches is a bit easier than getting rid of water bugs. One reason is that you can kill roaches with non-chemical pesticides. You might choose to use a roach killer spray, or you might use something like boric acid to kill roaches in wall voids.
You can also be kill cockroaches with other household items, like vacuum cleaners or dust mops. You can also make your home less attractive to cockroaches by keeping your house clean and removing food sources they like to eat. Keeping your home clean will also help to eliminate odors that make your home more attractive to roaches.
If you have both pests in your home, you might decide to focus on getting rid of the water bugs first. Getting rid of water bugs requires a lot of effort, but it does not require the use of toxic pesticides in your home. It does, however, require that you inspect every part of your home for water leaks and make repairs as necessary.
Conclusion
Cockroaches and water bugs are both pests fond of the warm, humid parts of the country.
Both can be challenging to get rid of, but they have different habits and needs that make each one more challenging than the other to get rid of in your home.
There are a few different ways to decide which pest is worse in your home: Which is more prevalent in your area, or which is more difficult to get rid of in your home.
