If you own a pool and throughout the summer you’ve noticed that you’ve been sharing your property’s oasis with these cockroach-looking bugs that are more active at night, keep this in mind: They’re not cockroaches, they’re water beetles.

You’ll be glad to know that they’re not that harmful, although most people have the propensity to get freaked out by them especially when there are too many diving into the pool. You don’t really need to worry much about them because they will likely fly away before becoming a nuisance. However, if you’re wondering why you’re seeing more of them these days and you want them gone, a Modesto pest control company has rounded up 10 things you should know about water beetles.

1. They can grow up to two inches long – yes, they are relatively big for bugs.

2. They use their long hind legs to swim. Those hind legs serve as oars propelling them in whichever direction they like.

3. Predaceous diving beetles live in ponds and they feed on aquatic insects found in ponds as well as tadpoles, small frogs, and snails.

4. They can live up to three years and they ensure their population by leaving their eggs in the stems of underwater vegetation, where their larvae pupate and become adult water beetles within a month.

5. They are strong fliers, which is why they end up in people’s swimming pools quite often.

6. They do like murky water, which is similar to the water quality in ponds. Therefore, if you don’t keep your swimming pool clean, expect to find water beetles sharing the pool with you.

7. If you wish to prevent water beetles from invading your backyard swimming pool, make sure it’s free from all kind of debris, such as dried leaves, twigs, and other dead bugs.

8. Keeping your pool properly treated with chlorine and other disinfecting chemicals can repel water beetles.

9. To prevent the water beetles that you have caught from making their way back to your swimming pool, drop them in a pail of water mixed with some oil (you can use cooking oil or some other kind). The oil will weigh down the beetles and cause them to drown.

10. If you no longer want these creepy insects diving into your pool, one of the smartest things to do is to regularly spray the area with insecticide.

Water beetles are easy enough to control especially if you hire the pros to handle the job. If you need more methods or pieces of advice on how to keep these bugs out of your swimming pool, call your local Modesto pest control company. They’ll recommend the best tactics and advise you on what products on the market are effective against water beetles.