TERRIFIED OF HUGE WATERBUGS! Need some advice!

Hi, I joined yesterday. I found this site when searching for images of wasp, yellow jackets and what I thought was a hybrid bumble bee. Every day when I am out watering the yard and also filling the bird bath, I become a very good friend to a wasp. I am not afraid of wasp or what I thought were yellow jackets. In fact, if I see a young wasp struggling to get out of the cat water bowl, I will dump it out gently and the wasp will finally get dried somewhat and start flying again. The one insect that terrifies me and sends me running the other way in shear panic is a big water bug. I have this one humongous water bug living on my patio. I only see him at night but when i go out there and turn on the light, he comes after me. I kid you not, he will climb the wall and turn around and face me as to dare me to move. Tonight, I went out to check the cat food bowl to see if my favorite feral cat had been there to eat. I look down and see this monster of a water bug sitting on a brick about 2 feet away from the bowl. I picked up the bowl and that thing turned around and ran after me. I dropped the bowl and ran. Now, I have many plants on my patio and today I had moved everything around and spray cleaned with water everywhere thinking I would discourage the beast. It did not work. I have an ant-proof cat bowl to keep the insects out. I have never see the water bug in the food. I change the food 2 times a night. I do not want to spray poison out there because I do not want to get any other animals or insects killed.
I just do not understand why I am so scared of these things. I am not talking about a water bug that is 1 or 2 inches. This sucker is 3 or 4 inches long and runs really fast. They also fly. I swear if it fly at me and landed on me, I think I would have a heart attack.
Does anyone have any suggestions. I am not found of finding insects inside my home and I am not going to say that I will pick them up and let them go outside either. I will do that for a lizard or something.

I am not open to any suggestions that urge me to overcome my fear and pick one of these things up. I do not know what I want really. I just hate being so afraid of them. Please Help!!!!

Contributed by viper61 on 11 July, 2011 - 12:54am

Late To The Party, But...

Okay, I know this is an old topic, but given that a fairly recent poster admitted to having a similar problem with 'waterbugs', I'm going to plow ahead regardless...

First, I'm going to assume that the 'waterbug' we're dealing with here is actually the American cockroach. I know it's a common name used by many folks who are plagued with these things 'down South' and have a hard time picturing it being a genuine water bug if the bug in question moves noticeably fast and has long antennae. I also know from personal experience that 'waterbugs' can look a LOT bigger than they're supposed to be. When visiting Atlanta, Georgia years ago, one toodled casually across the floor of a shower I was using and I could've sworn the thing was the size of a mouse! So yeah, I can imagine that in appearance alone they can be pretty alarming to some. The flying doesn't help either, does it? I suspect that the one poster's account of his bug running up the walls to get above him was actually flight-related, by the way. The waterbug may well have become alarmed and scuttled up to get into a better take-off position, and I agree, that is indeed strategizing of a sort...a strategy to preserve the insect's life when threatened!

As for how to counter the fear, I've always found that knowledge is the best solution, and once you get to know your 'enemy', you may even start to develope a certain appreciation for them, if not actual liking. For example, did you know that many insects are capable of a high degree of associative learning? That they can form simple associations after only three or four repetitions, which is better than what some dogs I've known could manage? I suspect that this is what was going on with the original poster's story of how his waterbug would typically appear when he checked his catfood bowl out on the patio. His going out and then he himself might well have come to mean FOOD to that particular insect, which is why it remained in sight and even seemed to approach him. In which case, you've got a wild pet on your hands, not a pest. Think of it as having tamed a six-legged chipmunk. You wouldn't be afraid of a chipmunk, would you?

Fear can also be conquered IMO with humour, and I can't think of a better piece of humour involving waterbugs than the ridiculous Joe's Apartment, a movie about a guy learning to coexist with about a gazillion American cockroaches in his filthy, reeking hovel of an apartment. Not a horror movie. These roaches are downright lovable and can talk, sing and dance, and if you can get through this one and come away STILL afraid of waterbugs, then I dunno, I guess it's hopeless. At the very least you should come away somewhat desensitized since the waterbugs look pretty realistic and will probably press all your YUCK buttons, despite being played for laughs. Following is a link to a trailer for this movie--you ought to be able to find a full copy to watch online on various sites, if you like. Also, do view the trailer with caution if you are a bit phobic. There are lots of waterbug close-ups!

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi698941721/

And that's all I have to say on the subject of waterbugs.

… Heimchen, 27 September, 2013 - 11:42pm

Terrified of huge water bug

I'm more concerned that you are feeding a feral cat. Have you any idea how many birds, lizards, and other wildlife they kill?

… Dave Smith, 20 September, 2013 - 7:16pm

Waterbug

Could it possibly be a June Beetle? They are very large and are
attracted to lights at night. When they do come to the lights,
they do fly erratically like a moth does at lights.

… Lynn Murphy, 17 September, 2013 - 8:28am

Perspective

There are really very few bugs that want anything to do with us. These would include mosquitoes, ticks, black flies, horse flies, and other blood feeders.

As for the rest, no matter how big they might be they simply have nothing to gain by "charging" something many thousand times their weight. That's suicide--and suicidal bugs do not survive to leave descendants. What you are interpreting as an attack is most likely the bug's desperate attempt to simply get away from you.

Perhaps keeping this in mind will help to lessen your fear.

… Ken Wolgemuth, 11 July, 2011 - 10:12pm

Aggressive Cockroach

First of all, I want anyone to know that reads this that I am not sharing my experience to argue with you or question your expertise. I appreciate any information that I can learn from any of you. I am just telling you what I have experienced. I say this because it kind of sounds like the posters here do not believe what I am saying.

If this was a one time incident, it would be no big deal. Over the years, many people have told me the that this was also their experience with this bug. Many people that I have talked to have told me the same thing that this bug runs after them. Last night a friend of mine told me that it was because they had bad vision. However, I learned since then that they have 2000 lenses and can see anything in a 360 peripheral of their body, because they can smell through there mouth and have the added benefit of their long antenna.

When I go onto my patio at night, if one is out there and I have turned the light on, instead of running away from danger, it will climb the wall to a height above me and then run towards me. It just doesn't seem like something that a innocent bug would do. I know this sounds a little nuts but, I believe they strategize. I have seen it on too many occasions. I have heard many other peoples frightening encounters with them as well.

It is ok if on one wants to add any further replies to my comments. I have enjoyed looking over this site and have some really good wasp pictures to add.

… viper61, 12 July, 2011 - 1:07pm

Question

I know you didn't ask for ID help, but names like "water bug" are sometimes applied to more than one kind of bug, so before offering information, I'd like to make sure we're talking about the same insect.

Is this the general type of bug you're talking about?

http://bugguide.net/node/view/17559

If not, in what way is it different? Or are you talking about a cockroach? I've heard people call them "water bugs," too. A cockroach would probably have very long antennae, unlike the bug in the link above.

Also, where are you located? Sometimes geographical location is important.

… John Schneider, 11 July, 2011 - 12:06pm

It did have antenna and very dark in color

I am located in Irving, Texas. It is possible that it is an American Cockroach but, everywhere I read about it says that it only gets to 43mm. I do not going around killing insects or anything else as far as that goes. For some reason, I am so scared of these that I can see myself getting injured just trying to run from them. The other poster says that they are harmless. They may be harmless if they actually catch you but, they are very aggressive and charge you. I am certain that it is just as much afraid of me. I pulled half of the stuff out of my garage today in 100 degree heat trying to see if he was still in there. I did not find him and since last night when he ran me out of my garage and the door to my kitchen was wide open, he probably came inside here with me. I know that I will have another sleepless night. I do not even know what I hope to gain in sharing my information, I just wanted for someone to tell me that he this bug is not going to jump me. Every time I feel my hair touch the back of my neck, I totally freak out. It did not help that right before I encountered him last night in my garage, I had already been looking on this site and others trying to see if I could find another one just like him. I also know that when you encounter a cockroach, they do try to make themselves look really big. He/she does have very long legs and long antenna. I might be wrong but, I think it only has four legs. Looking at him from the back you can see his long legs extend out from underneath his shell or body or whatever you call it. The water bug in the picture you linked to me does not seem to have antenna and his coloring is a smokey grey when my bug is a dark brown almost the color of dried blood. I just do not understand why they charge you if you just happen to see one. It must sense that I am very afraid and since it does, I would expect it to run the other way. Thank you for anything you can tell me to help me try to overcome this intense phobia.

… viper61, 11 July, 2011 - 8:18pm

Some Information

The American Cockroach, if that's what it is, is certainly a pest, and a pest control professional, especially one certified by the Entomological Society of America, could tell you if that's what it is and offer suggestions.

You describe your condition as phobic. This site's policy is not to give medical advice, which should come from your doctor. But for what it's worth, cockroaches aren't venomous, and they don't want to bite you or cause you harm, or even scare you. If they run toward you, they might just be trying to hide and be perceiving you as a relatively large object that can provide cover.

Best of luck, sincerely.

… John Schneider, 11 July, 2011 - 10:19pm

We do not offer pest control advice.

These Water Bugs are not dangerous, and only bite in self defense. If you are not willing to overcome your fear or tolerate them, you won't find much more advice here. We do not condone people killing insects or arachnids without good reason, and in my opinion, fear is not one of them. These creatures are harmless, only biting if harmed, and for that reason you don't really have a right to kill them.

I'm sorry you are frightened of them, but unless you were actually in danger, we can't possibly give you advice how to kill them or even condone it.

I have overcome my severe phobias of insects that can actually harm me, and I believe that anyone else can. Killing something just because you are afraid of it, no matter how severe that fear is, is just not ethical.

Sorry, but if you're looking for advice how to kill them, you're unlikely to find it here. If you are looking for advice on how to tolerate them and humanely relocate them, then we may help.

… Cassie Novak, 11 July, 2011 - 11:51am

I knew there was a reason I could not go to sleep

Last night, I thought that water bug was left outside but, he got into my garage. I could not go to sleep so I started to clean and do some things around here. I go out into the garage about 5am and this huge bug runs out after me. Anyway, I was only half dressed. I run out the garage because he is in between me and the the door going into my kitchen. I made a shirt out of a trash bag and tried to make myself go back in through the garage but, I could not. Finally, my neighbor puts his trash out about 7am and I was able to talk him into going inside to get my car keys so I could get into the front door. I drive around to the front and go in and find a shirt and my bug spray (Home defense Ortho). I doused everything inside and out in the garage with the poison and I still do not see him anywhere. I am now pulling 11 years worth of stuff out of my garage. If I cannot find him in there, I will have to do the same inside. I will not be able to sleep until I know he is a dead bug. I know he is still around I can just sense it.

… viper61, 11 July, 2011 - 8:13am

Water Bugs Fobia

Hi, I just wanted to let you know I totally empathize with you. I do not only dislike these insects but I am terrified of them. I know what you go through; especially with those big ones. People say they are harmless, but besides their horrifying appearance they DO carry diseases. So, I am sorry what I am going to say offends any one, but I do kill them, I try to keep them far away from me and my house, but if they do come to sight they will surely DIE, and I don't feel bad about that...

… Guadalupe Esquivel, 9 September, 2013 - 6:13pm

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