Earwigs got their name from the myth that they crawl into sleeping people’s ears and tunnel into their brains. The long cerci, or clippers, on their backsides easily identify an earwig.
For earwigs infesting your garden, it is best to start by treating plants with a mixture of dishwashing soap or rubbing alcohol and water. This will encourage earwigs to stay away from your plants. To capture many of the earwigs, the trap mentioned above (mixture of olive oil and soy sauce in a small container) can be used. Bury the container to ground level and earwigs will be attracted to the trap.
Earwigs are attracted to light and humidity. They can also be brought into a building accidentally in boxes, bundles of paper, books, or plants.
Earwigs live together outdoors in large numbers. They can be found under piles of lawn debris, mulch or in tree holes. They gain entry to a structure through exterior cracks. They may also be attracted to exterior lighting during the night. In your home, they are often found by sources of water. They can be found near drains or other sources of leaking water
Contrary to folklore, earwigs do not crawl into ears and eat peoples’ brains at night. They do not spread diseases, but their menacing appearance can be alarming to a homeowner. Earwigs rarely bite and are not capable of leaving behind much damage. They may try to pinch with their large pinchers but this typically feels more like them holding onto you rather than a “bite”
If there are earwigs in your home, you can directly treat them with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water to kill the visible bugs. To capture earwigs that may still be hidden in your home use a small container or cup filled with a mixture of olive oil and soy sauce as a trap.
To prevent earwigs from entering your home in the future remove hiding locations outside such as leaf piles, mulch piles or other vegetation. Seal cracks and crevices well to prevent bugs from continuing to enter. Finally, treat the exterior of your home with pesticides.
If the issue continues, have a professional from Arrow Exterminators come out to build a customized plan to stop the infestation in its tracks. Contact us here or fill out the Free Pest Inspection form below.
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