Is It a Water Bug or a Cockroach?

Your guide to proper identification, it is not what you think!

You may be shocked to hear that this pest pro. (in my early years) did not know the difference between water bugs and cockroaches! Yep! Just like most people, I grew up thinking cockroaches were “aka” water bugs, so I never corrected our pest control customers when they called with problems of “water bugs” in the house. Fast forward, we still receive many calls for water bugs and now with confidence we can kindly inform them of the difference!

What’s The Difference Between a Water Bug and a Cockroach?

Great question! When you look at the picture below, you can see that although they have a similar appearance, the cockroach and the water bug are quite different.

One distinct feature and difference between the Cockroach and Waterbug is the antennae. Cockroaches have antennae whereas water bugs have a sort of pincer type legs in the front. These legs are used to catch their prey (typically small fish and frogs). As you can also see, they do have a bit of a size discrepancy. The water bug can grow to a considerably larger size when compared to the cockroach, making the water bug one of North Americas largest insects!

So, Is It a Water Bug or a Cockroach?

Another good question! Water bugs typically are found in slow moving or stagnant water which provides their food source and shelter amongst the vegetation, so most likely if you have a “water bug” in the house you are dealing with cockroaches. That is not to say that it is impossible for an actual water bug to be in your house. Most likely if they are, they are there by accident maybe having been drawn to a bright light.

Cockroaches are notorious infesters! They love everything about your home! There is plenty of food, water and shelter. If left untreated, a cockroach invasion can turn into an infestation in the matter of days! Luckily, you are in the right place for cockroach eradication! Using a cockroach bait can get you to the source of your problem. Upon proper placement, the cockroaches will eat the bait and then take it back to the nest, thus eliminating the colony. Check out our How To Instructions page for a step by step guide on how to treat for cockroaches!