Many pests invade Texas homes, but few have an appearance as disturbing as an earwig. Earwigs are truly the stuff of nightmares, but why? Today, we will take an in-depth look at earwigs, and see if they are as dangerous as they look.
How To Identify Earwigs
Earwigs are creepy-looking insects with a lot of suspicions and myths surrounding them. They have a distinctive appearance, with two large pincers at the end of their abdomens. These disturbing pests are just over half an inch long and can be black, dark brown, or even reddish in color. Like all insects, earwigs have six legs and a pair of long antenna. Their legs are typically lighter colored than their bodies. Earwigs are creepy pests that can send anyone running in the other direction at first glance.
Are earwigs dangerous?
Despite what you might have heard about earwigs, they aren’t actually harmful to your health or your property. There is an old wives’ tale that earwigs will climb into your ears and lay their eggs in your brain, which is where their name is believed to come from. This belief is a myth that has been spread around for decades but, in reality, these small insects don’t bite, sting, or spread diseases. Instead, earwigs are considered nuisance pests; however, just because they can’t hurt you doesn’t mean you want them in your home.
How do earwigs get inside?
Earwigs are social insects, which means they often invade properties in large numbers. These nuisance pests invade homes to avoid the heat and dry climate of Texas weather. They prefer to hide in dark, damp, and secluded places. Earwigs are both indoor and outdoor pests and will hide just about anywhere that provides moisture and shelter from the light. While outdoors, earwigs congregate in leaf piles, mulch, organic debris, flower beds, and under bricks or garbage cans. Once earwigs invade a home, they can be found in bathrooms, laundry rooms, under kitchen sinks, basements, and anywhere else with excess moisture. Earwigs will crawl around the outside of a home and find gaps along walls, foundations, and utilities as they search for hiding places. And they sometimes come in large groups, which can be incredibly frustrating for any homeowner.
Earwig Prevention Tips
Now that you know why and how earwigs invade, it’s time to implement some pest prevention tips around your property. Understanding what attracts earwigs to your home can help you remove those factors before earwigs have the chance to invade. To prevent earwigs from invading your home, try these simple earwig prevention tips.
- Seal gaps and cracks around the exterior of your home.
- Keep your vents covered properly.
- Cut bushes and shrubs away from your exterior walls so the sun can dry up excess moisture around your foundation.
- Repair any leaking faucets, drains, and pipes.
- Install door sweeps.
- Replace torn window screens.
- Clear leaf litter and other debris from your property.
- Drain sources of standing water.
- Seal gaps around wires, pipes and other utilities that lead outside.
Earwig Control Services
If an earwig infestation has already occurred in your home, you can trust the professionals at Innovative Pest Control to handle it. Our highly-trained pest technicians have years of experience with pest infestations, and will always find the right solution for your pest problem. For immediate pest assistance, don’t hesitate to contact Innovative Pest Control today to get started with one of our comprehensive pest control programs.
Categories:
- Earwig,
- Earwig Control
The post Can Earwigs Hurt You? appeared first on Innovative Pest Control.