“Water bug” is an awkward name for identification because people use it for two very different insects. Oriental and American cockroaches are sometimes called water bugs, but true giant water […]
Why Do Cockroaches Flip Onto Their Backs?
Cockroaches often end up on their backs when weakness, injury, neurological disruption, or death prevents them from righting themselves. A healthy cockroach that is overturned can usually roll or push […]
How to Keep Cockroaches Out of Your House
Cockroaches do not have one universal route into a house. A large outdoor species may slip beneath a poorly sealed exterior door, while a German cockroach may arrive concealed in […]
Does Baking Soda Kill Cockroaches?
Baking soda is frequently promoted as a homemade cockroach killer, usually after being mixed with sugar or another food. It is not a reliable treatment for a cockroach infestation. Published […]
Bed Bug Anatomy: Eyes, Legs, Mouthparts, and Shell
A bed bug’s body is built around feeding on blood while remaining small enough to hide in narrow crevices. Adults have compound eyes, three pairs of legs, a folding piercing-sucking […]
How Far Can Bed Bugs Travel From the Bed?
Bed bugs are often found close to where people sleep, but they can readily travel 5 to 20 feet from a hiding place to feed. Field studies have also recovered […]
Should You Quarantine If You Have Bed Bugs?
Having bed bugs does not normally require you or your household to quarantine. Bed bugs are not known to transmit infectious diseases between people, so this is not a medical-isolation […]
Can Bed Bugs Live in Electronics?
Bed bugs can hide and survive inside electronics. However, they do not eat wires, circuit boards, or electrical components, and electronics are not their preferred habitat. A device becomes useful […]
Best Bed Bug Repellents for Travel
There is no travel spray that can reliably make a suitcase or hotel bed “bed bug proof.” DEET has the strongest experimental evidence for repelling bed bugs, including prolonged repellency […]
Is It OK to Keep Sleeping in Your Bed With Bed Bugs?
During an active bed bug infestation, continuing to sleep in your usual bed is often preferable to moving to another room, unless your pest-control professional or treatment instructions require otherwise. […]