Diatomaceous earth is a safe, fully organic substance that will rid homes of any crawling insect.

I painted my floor black. I haven't notice a bug since!

I've had good luck with catnip. It's a natural water bug repellent, so to keep those nasty bugs out of my house, I fill small satchels with the dried leaves every month or so and put them in cupboards, etc. You can also find catnip in an aerosol spray at most pet stores. Spray it around doorways, window sills, in vents, really anywhere you think they might be coming from. (Of course, if you have a cat, handle this with care!) Also, keep all food sealed away in tupperware and be vigilant about cleaning and emptying the trash can. And finally, don't keep cardboard boxes or paper bags in your place -- they like to eat the glue off the paper. Good luck!

I second diatomaceous earth. Also, make sure none of your appliances are leaking and maybe do a search of hidden spaces (behind appliances, under the hot water heater, under sinks, etc) to make sure there isn't a nest INSIDE your home. If there is any accumulation of debris (sticks, dirt, leaves) around the building, ask the landlord to move them. Doing all of this will rile up the water bugs at first as you destroy their habitats, but they eventually learn there is nothing good in your home and die when they pass the diatomaceous earth line. Oh, and have a garbage can with a lid.

Or, get a brave cat.

Just a note: diatomaceous earth isn't a repellent. They will still try to come in. You will be finding dead water bugs instead of live ones.

Not sure what you mean by water bugs, silverfish? Or roaches as well? When my building was hit by roaches I started pouring boiling water down the drain every night as well as taking out the trash, making sure no dishes were in the sink, wiping down the counters, etc. Wiping things down with vinegar (a repellant) seemed to help too. My building forgot to sent the exterminator to my unit after I reported seeing 2 roaches, but after I did all this stuff I never saw another one again. I don't know much about preventing silverfish, but I'd imagine the boiling water would be worth trying. Have heard of pouring bleach down there as well, although that might be a bit of an environmental concern if you're doing it all the time.

If you're talking about roaches, and in the south we get huge ones that come in from outside, get some boric acid powder to sprinkle in places animals can't reach. After having a pretty bad problem, I put some boric acid out several years ago and haven't seen a roach (big water bug) again.

Sorry, that's not a water bug in Miami, that's a roach of the sort called palmetto bug. It's important to get rid of them fast not only because they're disgusting, but also because they're sickening and destructive. Keeping everything very clean and food-free while immediately crushing every roach you see usually would be sufficient. Learn what their egg cases look like and destroy them on sight, too. Apartments are harder because they come in from neighbors who aren't doing that. The previous comments have useful suggestions. Also, seal all the cracks and holes in your walls. Good luck!

Ditto what Cheri54 suggested. I don't have the critters inside but outside. Makes sitting out on the patio after dark very unpleasant. Boric acid powder works great and it is very inexpensive.

If you haven't already, get rid of any cardboard boxes you might have. Roaches/water bugs love that stuff, so recycle it or list it on craigslist for someone who is moving. If you have adhesive shelf liner, get rid of it, give the cupboards a good scrub, and replace the liners with non-adhesive ones. Roaches love that sticky stuff.

1. A "waterbug" that is found in a house or building is most likely a roach. In the southern states roaches are commonly called "waterbugs" or "palmetto" bugs.

2. Diatomaceous earth is a natural substance which will abrade the roach's exoskeleton which eventually leads to death. This does not deter them, just kills them. While considered generally safe for humans and pets, you should wear a mask when spreading the powder (surfaces should be covered in a fine dust) to avoid inhaling it.

3. DO NOT crush or step on a roach. You run the risk of smashing the egg sac on a female and spreading sticky eggs wherever you walk. If you must crush it, aim for the head and immediately bleach the spot after you remove the bug (put it in the trash outside the house) and whatever you used to crush it.

3. Boric acid is an effective roach poison, which is usually sold as a powder (to be spread in kitchen cabinets, and along baseboards/window sills), or as a gel (used in baits & traps.) It is considered safer for humans than many other insecticides.

I hate to say it, but once a building has roaches it is pretty impossible to get rid of them. A couple of tips to avoid them would be to A.) Never live in a building that has a restaurant or food service establishment, B.) Try for an owner-occupied building (they are more likely to respond to bug complaints), C.) Protect yourself by caulking all baseboards, ceiling mouldings (they fly), cracks in walls & floors (especially around radiators), adding protective screens to the inside of air vents & drains, fixing any water leaks, and always make sure to keep garbage and food tightly sealed.

I just picked up a giant, 40 lb. bag of diatomaceous earth, (FOOD GRADE ONLY!) at my local feed store. I can't wait to dust it all over my Florida home to get rid of roaches, palmetto bugs, and any other invasive crawly thing! The bag was only $26.00, so I'm going to share it, too!

In NYC roaches are a given, but the best way to avoid them is to keep everything clean. In a 20-unit building, some of our neighbors had serious problems, but we rarely saw one. What we did do, though, is act like we had roaches - kept food in containers, everything clean, etc. Also, we never let the exterminator spray our apartment - from what I've heard the poisons they use attract bugs so that they'll eat the poison. Since we didn't have bugs, spraying something to attract them - that's poisonous to boot - seemed like a bad idea.

The only thing that has worked for me is to move to another state (preferably one that doesn't have them). No. More. Flying. Roaches.

that looks like a roach. I've never heard of the term waterbug! (but palmetto bugs yea in FL)

hmm dont have a roach issue but I have a silverfish problem. I found placing in the corners of the cabinets and inside the drawers good ole moth balls keeps them at bay. Supposedly it will keep away roaches as well. When I first placed them around my apt I kept finding dead silverfish. Now I dont see them at all.

pour hot water or bleach down your drain and use drain stoppers to keep them from coming up and out.

Use boric acid around door opening and under say the fridge/oven etc. Make like a barrier line so that if they cross it they will get it on themselves. Ive used this for the ant issue I had but it works on roaches too.

Everyone scoffs me for living in Jersey City instead of NYC but I don't have bugs... hmm

Anyways, I heard once that bleach attracts roaches. Thought I'd share that. That's all.

A. Diatomaceous earth does kill them, but yes not a repellent and also harmful for you or pets to inhale.
B. Soap seems to keep them out. I put a thick line of dish soap along a door that a roach was on the other side of and he wouldn't cross it, even to escape his impending violent death.
C. Seal all cracks with spray foam or with super fine grade steel wool. Around pipes, floor base, radiator pipes etc. You can get white foam (I forget the brand now, sorry! Its in a blue can.). It is actually soft and not too sticky and it cuts away very easy so you can fill the cracks and remove the excess easily and if your stuff is white, its pretty discreet. They move in the walls and up and down pipes between units, so if your place is clean and dry, seal it up to keep them out.
D. Clean EVERYTHING and make sure everyplace is dry. Get rid of clutter or trash. Clear your counters and cabinets, behind and under appliances (don't forget the stove - my aunt had a nest in hers once and she's squeaky clean - eek!), put food/sugar/flour/grains etc into sealed containers (I use large mason jars)
E. Borax powder (laundry aisle) is supposed to work for ants if you mix with peanut butter they eat it and go back to the nest and die, allegedly - maybe that also works?
F. Genuine "water bugs" often come up from dry drains (where the P-trap or floor drain does not have sufficient water to seal the pipe off). If you have fixtures that are not used or floor drains that are prone to drying out, you can use oil to seal it and keep the water from evaporating. City of Chicago code allows for vegetable oil for this purpose. This is only a good idea for floor drains or very rarely used drains. We all know grease makes drains clog when they are frequently flowing and cause a disgusting mess when/if lines back up. An alternative is just use all water fixtures at least once a week and make sure drains don't dry out.

Oh, man, we get those at least once a week in the late summer and early fall down here in Georgia. I was so shocked to see them when I moved here from New York. Down here they call them "Palmetto bugs." Funny how no one wants to call them by their real name: giant f***king cockroaches. Anyway, borax in the corners, and swept all over the floor and rugs then vacuumed up really helps. I don't think clorox down the drain does anything. Get rid of paper bags and boxes (they like to lay their eggs in there), keep all food sealed in glass jars or in the fridge, and take empty beer and wine bottles outside immediately (they love beer and yeast). My cat loves hunting these things, but leaves them on their backs, thinking they are dead. Then my boyfriend and I show up with a rolled up newspaper or a shoe. God, I hate them. I'm all for natural remedies, but down here most people have the outsides of their houses sprayed on a quarterly basis. My landlady has this place done, but when I called the pest control to complain about getting 2-3 a week, he said that was normal.

PS Maybe they come up through the drains in NYC, but down here they come through cracks in the wall from outside, where they live in piles of leaves. UGH.

Please Please Please do NOT pour clorox down your drains to keep these things away. Boiling water and either vinegar or borax will keep them away and are eco-friend-lier than the bleach. They also help keep your drains clear and clean of any build-up! Also if you live in an older building in NYC that may have metal pipes rather than PVC water pipes pouring bleach down them is SOOOO not a good idea (has a tendency to allow leeching of the not-so-good minerals into the water supply). I live in Upstate NY and have always used a vinegar and water mixture to clean just about everything in my apartment especially floors and windows and counters and I have never seen one waterbug, roach, OR ant in my apartments ever.

Roaches hate moving air/breeze and love moist and humid places. So open up that window in your bathroom! Had a big problem in our last building (that building was roach paradise) and decided never to live in a place again without a bathroom window.
Also, if you see one, don't crush it! You'll spread (possible) eggs. Learned that the hard way; crushed one in the tub and had roach baby's some weeks later. -Instead use hair spray to 'fix' it and once it doesn't move, you can pick it up with a piece of toilet paper and flush it.
Finally, you can probably guess places they come from. In my bathroom, it was an air exhaust (how gross!), so I sealed it with tape, and problem gone (although it sucked when we showered, that's why you WANT a window in your bathroom!)
Be aware of cardboard, like others advice. They lay their eggs there, so skip the free moving boxes adds on craigslist!

The water bugs here in SC (We call them Palmetto Bugs but are the same thing) are huge and prolific and they fly! Ugh. The best way to keep them down is to be really really clean. No dirty dishes left out, ever...a tight-fitting trash can lid, even dirty laundry can lure them in. They live outside so also making sure any cracks and crevices are caulked helps too. I'm not entirely sure about the pipes, but I do know the sink should be kept nice and clean. And, Unlike the other roaches, if your house is cleaner than your neighbor's, they will go there instead.

I lived in an english basement apartment in DC many years ago that had water bugs in the kitchen - yuck. It seemed like one day I had none, and the next there were about 20 running around in a panic when the light went on - horrible.

An entomologist friend suggested getting rid of my stash of paper grocery bags (they like the glue) and setting out jar lids or other low-sided containers with a combination of boric acid and confectioners sugar. Worked like a charm in less than a week!

palmetto bugs aka water bugs are not roaches, but a cousin to roaches.

you have cockroaches, sweetie. you need to plug the access points: add one of those door sweeps to the bottom of your front door, plug any holes in walls with steel wool or stifstuf gap filler (get on the floor and put your head on the floor and look for holes you can't see standing up) and put screens in all your windows.

this is the time of year when the humidity drives roaches out onto the streets. they'll be coming in open windows and doors in their wanderings.

no building is "hit" with roaches. they are always present. they just prefer to stay out of sight. they harbor in warm, damp, wooden places. the inside of your walls is ideal. they are not ants, they don't work together. they rest together for mating purposes. other than that, it's every roach himself scavenging.

to make your place less attractived: wipe down surfaces and dishes with bleach cleanser every night. put all food in airtight containers. drop a capful of bleach into your toilet bowl and tank every time the bowl will be left standing for awhile (before bed, before leaving). this poisons the water so they can't drink it. and let the exterminator in every month.

Diatomaceous earth will work if they can be force away from water. I went to the store a bought 5 gallon bottles of bleach and simultaneously dumped each gallon down the various drains in the condo,the toilets, the kitchen sink and then ran the water for about a minute or two. Then I waited and listened to the screams from the nieghbor ladys as the bugs began flooding into other peoples condos. The real problem was a bad guy who knew the lady upstairs was bringing them into the condo complex and purposely infecting our areas pipes, because I caught him doing it and told the cops. That fixed the problem too. If you can find the bugs running out an outside vent, you can dio-earth them. It was on Narbonne Ave just south of PCH in Lomita Ca, about the year 1990.