Earwigs are a small insect that you might think of as dangerous given their strange appearance. These long, oval-shaped insects have six legs, long antennae, and a pair of pincers extending from the end of their bodies, but despite these strange appendages, earwigs aren’t as dangerous as they look. In fact, earwigs are mostly considered a nuisance pest.

However, earwigs are also a rather common pest problem inTexas, and they can come back every year even if you’ve tried using do-it-yourself pest removal options which can make them rather frustrating to deal with.

Are Earwigs Really Harmless?

It is possible for earwigs to use their pincers to pinch your skin, but in most cases, they won’t even break the skin. They also don’t generally try to bite humans at all. The main risk with earwigs is that they can harm plants, but overall, they aren’t particularly destructive.

There are many misconceptions surrounding earwigs, and you may have heard stories about these insects that just aren’t true at all. One of the most common myths is that earwigs will crawl inside your ears and lay eggs in your brain, but this is false. While there is an extremely small chance that an earwig, or any other small bug, could crawl inside your ear, they don’t do it on purpose, and they don’t lay their eggs inside of human heads.

While they generally prefer to live outdoors, earwigs will come inside in search of prey or shelter. When living outdoors they are often found hiding under firewood, rock piles, or fallen leaves while inside they are often found under cabinets, in houseplants, or near baseboards. Earwigs also prefer a dark, damp environment. If you have any of the above in your yard, however it can lead them inside.

In any case, while they don’t generally pose a direct threat to your health, an earwig infestation can still be a huge nuisance.

Seven Easy Ways To Prevent Earwigs

While earwigs are mainly a problem because of their appearance, it’s still a problem to have these pests around your property. Earwigs can make you feel uncomfortable in your own home or upset others around you, so you can take some steps to keep them out.

Here are some of the best methods you can use to prevent earwigs in your home:

Make it harder for earwigs to come inside by fixing broken window and door screens.
As earwigs and many other pests are attracted to humidity, fix any broken pipes and faucets.
Remove leaf piles, dead wood, and other decaying organic matter from your property where earwigs like to hide.
As earwigs are attracted to light, make sure outdoor lighting points away from the exterior of the building, not toward it.
Install door sweeps and weather stripping around all exterior doors and windows.
Stack firewood neatly and keep it at least 30 feet away from the exterior walls of your home or business.
Seal up any small cracks or holes around walls and in the foundation using caulk and foam.

How To Get Help With Earwig Problems

Just because earwigs aren’t directly dangerous doesn’t mean you want to have them around your property. Seeing one of these creepy crawlers around can definitely ruin your good day, so if you do have earwigs, let the experts at Innovative Pest Control get rid of them for good. We offer both residential and commercial pest control throughout Texas.

Our professional team will inspect and apply treatments to remove earwigs, so you don’t have to worry about them anymore.. Learn more about our earwig control options by calling us at (903) 326-7395 or requesting a free inspection online.

Categories:

Home Pest Control,
Pest Prevention,
Earwig

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