Did you know that there are over 2000 species of Earwig in the world?
Earwigs are found in abundance in almost every part of the earth apart from the polar ice caps. When people see earwigs in their houses they are often anxious that it is a bad sign and that like termites they will cause damage to their home.
What is the truth about earwigs? Do you need to be worried if you see them in your house? Read on to find out.
What Is an Earwig?
If you have only recently started to see earwigs in your house, you are probably wondering what is an earwig?
Earwigs are very common bugs that reach up to one-quarter of an inch in length. You can easily recognize them as they have a large set of forceps at the rear of their body.
These forceps have led to many stories about these bugs crawling into people’s ears and laying eggs. Throughout history, there have been alternate names for the earwig such as earwigs or ear creatures. But are earwigs actually dangerous?
Are Earwigs Dangerous?
Despite the evil-looking pincers on their bodies, earwigs are of no danger to humans whatsoever. They contain no venom or poison and do not bite. In fact, they usually avoid human contact where possible.
If cornered, an earwig may use its pincers to grasp onto your finger. However, as it is a tiny insect, it rarely hurts or breaks the skin.
Just to set the record straight, the scary story that earwigs look to enter people’s ears and lay eggs is just that, a story. There is no record of this being part of their regular activity.
Where Do They Live?
Earwigs love being in moist, dark, warm environments where they have plenty of food. Because of this, you can often find them in garden mulch patches and under piles of leaves.
If you spot an earwig it is likely because you have upturned a log or some leaves. Generally, earwigs are not social and like to keep to themselves.
Earwigs are primarily herbivores and only occasionally eat other bugs and larvae they find in their natural environment.
Occasionally though, you might start to see earwigs in your house. How did they get in your house and why?
How Did They Get In My House?
If you start to see earwigs in the house and living areas, you may want to start looking for the nearest moist dark locations. If there are any cracks, gaps, or holes in your home’s wooden exterior this is likely their point of entry.
To keep them out, simply stop up these holes and ensure that you keep screen doors closed when not in use.
Despite their love of dark locations, strangely earwigs seem to be attracted by house lights. They may make their way through holes in rotten wood to get closer to the sources of light.
Ironically, one of the main ways that earwigs enter into a house is human activity. If you store boxes in dark moist garage areas or bring mulch into your home for decorative purposes, there is a pretty good chance that you have brought earwigs into your house.
Seasonal Changes
Many insects, such as ants, try to enter into houses at certain times of the year. This is also true for earwigs. If weather conditions outside become inhospitable for them, they will seek out new places to live and may find their way into your house.
If you live in a location with cold winters, you may start to see more earwigs in your house in late autumn time. On the other hand, if you have a damp dark basement, they may decide to drop in at any time of the year.
Don’t Like the Indoor Life
If you find earwigs to be scary, gross, or downright creepy, the good news is that they do not actually like to live indoors with humans.
Humans generally like dry light conditions and are constantly moving. This is the opposite of the conditions that earwigs thrive in.
Tips for Keeping Earwigs Outside
Even though we have established that they are harmless, you probably still want to know how to get rid of earwigs.
If you find that you have an infestation of earwigs and are worried that they have moved in to stay it would be good to get professional help. We are able to remove earwigs safely and quickly to give you back peace of mind as soon as possible.
However, there are also some practical steps that you can take to prevent earwigs from entering your home.
- Avoid creating ideal homes for earwigs close to your home. Remove stones, logs, and anything they can live under from your garden
- Ensure that your gutters are working efficiently and clean. Any debris that sticks in your gutter is a possible home for earwigs
- Inspect the exterior of your home and look for easy access points for bugs of any kind to your house
- If you have a damp basement, install a dehumidifier or improve the ventilation to dry it out
Taking these simple steps will prevent earwigs from finding their own way into your home. However, you should also take care that you are not bringing them in unintentionally with items from outside.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Earwigs and Much More
Earwigs are one of the most common pests that you can find in a home. By applying the principles we have discussed today you can learn where they come from and how to get rid of them.
If you are concerned that your house has other pests hiding away, what can you do? Why not check out our services to see what a professional company can do for you. Feel free to contact us for more information.