There are many different types of water bugs, and many are confused with roaches. So some can fly, and others cannot (interestingly, some roaches can fly, but not all<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we’ll look at the most common water bugs and house bugs and explain whether you need to worry about them buzzing your head in your sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n To answer the simple question, can a water bug fly may cause a bit of confusion, because it is yes \u2014 and no. Even though water bugs have wings, they don\u2019t always necessarily use them, as we\u2019ll see below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water bugs hang out in and around bodies of fresh water with lots of vegetation, such as lakes, ponds, and rivers, although they also love swimming pools, which is why they are also found in many backyards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water bugs use the vegetation near the surface of the water to hold onto, so that they can prey on other insects, small fish, and frogs to feed. It is only in the evening that water bugs will become more active, and they will start flying around looking for more light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During the day though, water bugs don\u2019t fly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is only in the evening that water bugs will become more active, and they will start flying around looking for more light. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n During the day though, water bugs don\u2019t fly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned, water bugs need the vegetation around watery areas to hold on to. They also need air to breathe, so will suffocate if they are in the water for too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, the first thing you should do is remove any plants growing near your swimming pool. This will get rid of their resting and nesting places, as well as stop them from hanging around the area of your pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next thing you\u2019ll need to do is balance the water chemistry in your swimming pool by scrubbing off all the algae from the bottom and the sides. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, you\u2019ll need to wipe these down with bleach or hydrogen peroxide, which will oxidize the algae. With no algae available, the water bugs won\u2019t be able to lay their eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And although water bugs only fly at night, they can migrate to other areas of standing water, such as a large puddle, by crawling around during the day. Y<\/p>\n\n\n\n ou can stop this from happening by sprinkling borax around the pool decking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing this will reduce the chance of water bugs crawling from one body of water nearby to your swimming pool. If you have pets like cats or dogs, though, you\u2019ll want to keep them away from the borax, as it can cause them to have an upset stomach or digestive irritation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lots of people get water bugs and cockroaches confused<\/a>, especially because both tend to be nocturnal creatures with beetle-like shells. However, they are different types of creepy beasts, even though they both are known to hang out in moist, humid, and watery areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For starters, although they may look similar at first, on closer look their differences are easy to see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Water bugs have varying outer shells that are darker in color, whereas cockroaches have reddish brown and shiny thoraxes, along with long protruding antennae<\/a> that are very noticeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water bugs also tend to be larger than the average cockroach, with some being as big as four inches in size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And as you now know, a water bug is simply a type of insect that generally hangs out near bodies of stagnant water, whether that be a swimming pool, lake, pond, river, or stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this slow-moving water where vegetation can grow, water bugs will take shelter on any plants living near the water\u2019s surface, where they\u2019ll prey on other bugs like mosquitoes, as well as small fish and frogs, which some water bugs do eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diet is something that also definitely distinguishes water bugs from cockroaches. Everyone knows that cockroaches are crazy creatures<\/a> that will feed on just about anything<\/a>, including poop, garbage, cardboard boxes<\/a>, and any food that is left out unwittingly or by mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water bugs, however, are a completely different kettle of fish. They mainly eat the eggs and larvae of mosquitoes, frogs, and any other species that spend a lot of their time in watery areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This includes crustaceans like crabs, small fish, and guppies, other insects like crickets and ants, as well as lizards and turtles. That is if the water bug is large enough to kill it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And some do grow to be as big as the size of an average palm, like the Giant water bug, which holds the title of the world\u2019s largest insect — and also a fearsome bite<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larger water bugs will kill their prey by biting into them and depositing venomous enzymes into their flesh, which ends up dissolving their body tissues. The water bug then feeds by sucking up the mushy and liquified tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another big difference between water bugs and cockroaches is that water bugs aren\u2019t known for spreading disease, even though they do bite and secrete venom when they feel threatened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And although a water bug\u2019s bite can hurt because of the venom, it won\u2019t cause sickness or disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water bugs even eat mosquitoes that carry malaria! So in essence, they help to prevent <\/em>the spread of disease and illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cockroaches, on the other hand, are well known for being chaos-causing disease spreaders, especially where there is a sudden infestation<\/a> in kitchens that prepare food for the public, somewhere you definitely wouldn\u2019t have a water bug problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nCan a Water Bug Fly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nKeeping Water Bugs Away From Your Pool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWhat\u2019s The Difference Between a Water Bug and a Cockroach?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nClean Slate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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