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July 30, 2008
How common are Waterbugs?
My husband and I recently viewed a co-op in a limestone building. While looking at the building's basement we noticed a large waterbug crawling on the wall. We were told by the realtor that the reason for this waterbug was that the building is in the process of putting in a new boiler. Are waterbugs something that should hinder a bid on a co-op? Are they common to most prewar buildings in Brooklyn? We are first time buyers and would greatly appreciate any feedback.
Comments
water bugs are nice
Posted by: slumlord at July 30, 2008 11:55 PM
Waterbugs are in basements everywhere. They definitely should not hinder your bid, unless you are buying the basement, lol. Nevertheless the co-op can take steps to migigate their presence, like putting down stickyboards to trap them.
Posted by: denton at July 31, 2008 6:22 AM
I wouldn't be concerned about waterbugs. If you see a roach though, run.
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at July 31, 2008 8:52 AM
Agreed, but if I were on the coop board I might be concerned about a buyer who's so concerned with such trivia. I mean, get real...ask about extermination policies, maybe, but to not buy a place because of one benign bug?
Posted by: cmu at July 31, 2008 9:56 AM
But they are so ugly! It's NYC, they're everywhere and thankfully they don't come upstairs very often. In which case the cat has fun doing them in. But maybe the buyer's concern is more toward how well the building is maintained and if the waterbug is an indication it's not. She was just asking- why jump all over her for that?
Posted by: bxgrl at July 31, 2008 10:45 AM
See denton's July 28 post on Renovations. He has a cat that eats waterbugs. maybe he'll lease him out. But I want a commission.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 31, 2008 11:19 AM
Waterbugs are not something to be concerned with, even though they are horrifying.
The smaller cockroaches are the ones which indicate you have a "roach" infestation.
Waterbugs find their way inside and are attracted to water and humidity. Boric Acid, a dehumidifier in the basement and large roach traps are the main ways to keep them in check.
They are more a summer thing. I've never seen a waterbug in our basement in winter when it's cold and dry.
Posted by: 11217 at July 31, 2008 11:31 AM
I had a friend who lived off the grand Concourse and her apartment was infested with huge crawling enormous bugs that looked like roaches. I assumed those were waterbugs but maybe they were something else?
Posted by: bxgrl at July 31, 2008 11:58 AM
Didn't quite mean to "jump all over her," but I see so many posts where people are overly concerned about routine issues.
It was meant more of a warning to OP to not appear too picky and maybe get turned down by the board.
Fwiw, I grew up in a country where bugs were very much the norm, so little bothers me now.
Posted by: cmu at July 31, 2008 12:35 PM
Bugs are not my friend. don't know why they have such a ewwwww factor for me. Mice- no prob. rats- don't scare me. teeny tiny spider- shriek, throw hunter/cat at it and slam the door.
Posted by: bxgrl at July 31, 2008 12:46 PM
I always thought "Waterbugs" were actually roaches - Arent they just a different species of cockeroach?
What do these things look like?
Posted by: newsouthsloper at July 31, 2008 2:18 PM
nss, they're a lot bigger. You don't normally see them in apts. THey have a nice 'crunch' when you step on them. They will occasionally 'glide', which really freaks people out.
Posted by: denton at July 31, 2008 3:02 PM
What's often called a waterbug in the northeast, is usually called a palmetto bug in the south. Both are the same critter and, entomologically speaking, are American cockroaches. The smaller insect that most New Yorkers are familiar with are German cockroaches. Waterbugs are often a year-round problem in NYC tenement apartments, but for most brownstones I agree with others that they are a summertime thing (because of cellar humidity), and not a major concern.
Posted by: vinca at July 31, 2008 5:53 PM
oh G-d- that was just too much information. I mean about the sound effects.
Posted by: bxgrl at July 31, 2008 7:54 PM
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