Earwigs are interesting and a little creepy all at the same time. There is an old rumor floating around that they will enter a person’s ear, burrow into their brain and lay their eggs. It has also been rumored that their pincers would give you a terrible pinch. They can pinch you, but they don’t have the strength to break the skin much less carry a lethal poison. The truth is that earwigs do not enter the brain and are not dangerous to humans at all. They can become pests in your vegetation and will enter homes on occasion.
Earwig Identification
Earwigs are nocturnal and hide in dark, moist crevices during the day. Earwigs are very small in size. Normally about 1/5 to nearly an inch long with leathery wings and pincers or forceps protruding from the abdomen. Their body is usually smooth, narrow and flattened, which are adaptations for fitting into small crevices. Some earwigs have wings, others do not, and they rarely fly.
Earwig Damage to Gardens
Earwigs will eat other insects and plants. If they sense danger, they will not bite, but mildly sting to defend themselves. They tend to live around humans in search of food and because we have moist places where they can live. They become pests in gardens because they can cause seedlings to die and no further growth can occur. The seedlings are eaten up in the ground as the gardener patiently waits for them to germinate. Earwigs are attracted to lights making them a nuisance on porches and patios during the summer months. Earwigs will enter homes through doors and windows and cracks in the foundation. Once they are in your home they can be found anywhere.
How to Prevent Earwigs
While they aren’t as menacing as rumors had led people to believe they are, they are still intimidating if you find your home infested with them.
• Make sure you take care of any areas of moisture in your home as it will attract them.
• Make sure gardens with rocks and mulch are not right next to your home.
• Keep bushes trimmed back away from your home.
• Keep gutters are free of leaves and debris.
• Try and reduce some of your outdoor lightings
• Always inspect any items you have stored outside before you bring them into your home to make sure they aren’t harboring any earwigs.
Removing earwig habitats is very important to the control of all insects, including earwigs. Pest control treatments can be applied around the building foundations, flower beds, mulch areas and turf within a couple of yards of the building.
Earwig Occasional Pest Invader Control & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park, Texas
While they aren’t as scary as they look, it can be alarming to see groups of earwigs crawling on the floor. Have you found earwigs in your home? A-Tex Pest Management can help you remove them and set you up with a year-round pest prevention plan. This will keep all the pests that attack at different times of the year away at an affordable rate. Give us a call today!