NYC Waterbug Exterminators: Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens
Waterbugs are relatively cleaner than cockroaches as they do not carry harmful diseases to humans. None-the-less the NYC sewer system teams with these unsightly pests enabling them to become an eye-soar to house guests, and customers.
Waterbugs
3.8cm long (1.5 inches), Tan to black with yellow figure-eight pattern on the back of the head.
Most people group waterbugs and cockroaches in the same family due to their similar features. Both have flat, oval-shaped bodies, antennae, and wings, but they’re entirely different insects. A common species of waterbug is the Giant waterbug, also called the toe-biter, alligator tick, or electric-light bug. People often mistake the American Cockroach and Oriental Cockroach for waterbugs.
Waterbugs live up to their names and are mostly found nesting in or near water sources and rotting debris. They’ll enter homes through cracks, holes, and faulty pipes and tend to disappear into drains. Waterbugs can be found outside in trash cans and sewers during the warm seasons. In cold weather, they seek warmth inside homes and businesses. They tend to prefer in basements, damp areas, or near water sources.
These pests have a lifespan of one to four years, can survive four weeks without food, but will die in two weeks without water.
