Article: Inspect areas around your home that have food that water bugs can feed on, including your kitchen and dining room. Also, be sure to look for food sources inside and outside your home. For example, remove pet food that is left out if possible, as roaches and other bugs can live off of your pet's food. If possible, organize meal times so that your dog or cat will eat all of their food immediately and you can remove and wash the bowl. Outside sources of food can include meat and other organic materials in your compost bins, rotting fruit and veggies in your garden, and garbage containers that are not sealed. Put fresh food in the refrigerator whenever possible. Food that cannot be refrigerated should be placed inside airtight containers, such as canning jars or other containers designed with a seal. Even if a container only has a small opening, bugs may be able to get into it. It's important to ensure that the containers you pick are totally airtight. If you have a very bad infestation, it's probably a good idea to transfer foods that you buy straight into airtight containers. For example, when you bring a box of cereal home, open it up and move the contents into an airtight container. Water bugs can live off of small crumbs that are left around a kitchen. When making food, be sure to wipe off your cutting board and counter right away. Don't leave any food debris behind, as this can become a meal for the water bugs in your home. When cleaning up these crumbs, make sure you include kitchen appliances, such as the toaster, food processor, juicer, grill and other areas where food particles become trapped. If you can keep food in specific areas of the home, cleaning up after meals will be much easier. For example, only eating at your kitchen table will keep food crumbs confined to that area, and the table will keep a lot of crumbs off the floor. You will also limit the infestation to that area, which will help you focus your efforts at getting rid of it and eliminating it easier. It is easier to remove trapped crumbs from hard floors than from carpeting, so try to eat in a room with hard floors. It's especially important to discourage children from snacking in their rooms or in front of the television. They are likely to leave out food that the water bugs can feed on. Use trash cans with very tight fitting lids both inside and outside of your home. If you collect compost, make sure your container is not open or accessible to the bugs. Also, take out trash daily during a water bug infestation. Garbage cans and compost containers are places where water bugs commonly feed and reproduce. Even if you leave garbage exposed for a short time, water bugs can get into it and feed, which will give them more nutrients and promote reproduction. Water bugs cannot live for more than a week without water. If you want to get rid of them, you need to block their access to water. Pet water bowls, glasses of water, and plant saucers can produce inviting places for water bugs. All of these water sources should be removed as soon as you know you have an infestation. If you can't get rid of a pet water bowl completely, just put it out for several limited periods each day and put it away at night. If there are sources of water near your home, water bugs can breed outside and then come inside. To avoid this, turn over bird baths, pots, and other containers that collect water during the rainy season. Also, fill in holes in the ground that collect water and don't drain quickly. Also, remove items that trap water, such as tarps and buckets, that you have stored outside. If you have a pool or hot tub, you don't need to drain it to get rid of your waterbugs. Instead, clean it daily and make sure that the chemical levels are correct at all times. If your infestation is outside, it can be difficult to eliminate all sources of water, especially during wet times of year. However, get rid of as many sources of water as you can to make the area as unattractive as possible.

What is a summary?
Look for and remove all food sources that the bugs can get into. Place all food inside sealed containers. Wipe kitchen counters often to remove crumbs in the kitchen. Limit food consumption to a single room in your home. Keep trash and compost in airtight containers. Dry up or remove any sources of standing water in your home. Eliminate any outside standing water near your infestation.