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How to Make Water Bug Traps
How to Make Water Bug Traps. Water bugs can become a nuisance if they begin infesting your swimming pool or other water features. They have piercing and sucking mouthparts, feeding on liquid food, such as blood. On the underside of the head is a rostrum, which is a feeding tube containing two stylets. The stylets are fine, hollow needles that are...
Water bugs can become a nuisance if they begin infesting your swimming pool or other water features. They have piercing and sucking mouthparts, feeding on liquid food, such as blood. On the underside of the head is a rostrum, which is a feeding tube containing two stylets. The stylets are fine, hollow needles that are used to inject saliva into unsuspecting prey, liquidating internal tissues to give the water bug a filling meal. Water bugs give a painful bite, so it is a good idea to trap the bugs and get rid of them. Making water bug traps is relatively simple, and you only need a few items to complete them.
Things You'll Need
Outdoor lights
Buckets
Dish detergent
Sugar
Corn syrup
Wax paper
Dish Detergent Trap
Fill a bucket with water.
Place the bucket near an area where you have a water bug problem, or just near a large body of water, such as a pool, small pond or fountain.
Squeeze some drops of dish detergent into the water so that it forms a film over the top. As the water bugs land in the water they will eventually come to the surface for air. The film of soap traps the bugs.
Place an outdoor light by the bucket or suspend it over the top. Turn the light on and leave the bucket out overnight. Check it in the morning for trapped water bugs. Repeat this process until you no longer have a water bug problem.
Sticky Trap
Fill a bucket with water.
Cut a circle out of wax paper to fit in the bucket so it can rest on the water with about 2 inches of water around its circumference.
Boil together equal parts of water, sugar and corn syrup until it reaches a sticky consistency.
Lightly and evenly spread the sticky mixture over the wax paper circle.
Float the trap on the water in the bucket and put it near an area where water bugs gather. This may be near a pool, pond or fountain.
Place an outdoor light next to the bucket or suspend it over the top. Leave overnight and check the trap in the morning. Continue setting the trap every night until you no longer catch any water bugs.
