Pest Guide for Earwigs
Despite common belief (and their name), earwigs don’t actually burrow into your ear while you’re asleep and they certainly don’t lay eggs in your brain. Instead, earwigs actually are found outside in dark, cool, moist places like underneath mulch or yard clippings, in compost, in tree holes, and more. It’s rare to find them in your home or office, but if you do, they may have been brought in through bags, newspapers, cut flowers, lumber, and more or they may have crawled through loose windows or cracks in your walls.
Looks and Habits
Adult earwigs have long slender bodies with wings that are flat and are reddish-brown or black in color. They also have pincers at the ends of their bodies for defensive purposes and these pincers are one of the easiest ways to identify an earwig. Young earwigs have shorter bodies than adult earwigs and are a light green or whitish color.
Because they’re flat, earwigs can easily get in and out of tight spots like under trash cans, behind furniture, under boxes, and more. Since they’re also attracted to moisture, you may find them in bathrooms, kitchens, or basements. Earwigs will hide during the day and will gather together at night. Some species are attracted to the light and many times, you can find them assembled near a bright outdoor streetlight, porch light, or deck light.
Detection and Prevention
Earwigs rarely thrive indoors, which means finding a large earwig infestation is pretty rare. However, here are some signs you may have earwigs in your home or office:
- Adult earwigs can be foul-smelling and may release a yellowish-brown secretion from their scent glands, so you may have earwigs if you smell a strong odor.
- Earwigs feed on decomposing plant material and dead insects and wait until night to look for food, so you likely won’t see them during the day. Instead, look for these pests at night.
- Check cool, moist places like your basement for signs of earwigs.
To prevent an earwigs from entering your building, make sure all points of access (such as small cracks, holes, and crevices as well as loose doors and windows) are sealed and remove leave piles, compost piles, and other vegetation from around your home. Also make sure your firewood is covered and stored several feet from your home.
If you do have a problem with this pest, don’t hesitate to call our pest control company and have us handle it.
