It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like several hundred years ago. Without all of the knowledge we have today, people believed many crazy things. For instance, did you know that it was common practice for people to use leeches to cure patients? Even crazier than this, earwigs were thought to crawl inside of people’s ears while they slept and lay eggs inside of their brains. If you have ever seen an earwig in real life then you can understand how terrifying this assumption must have been. Thankfully, this myth has long been proven to be false. Unfortunately, there are still several other problems earwigs have been known to cause. Let’s take a look at these problems now and talk about some effective ways you can control earwigs around your home.
What Are Earwigs?
Earwigs are social pests that live outdoors in large numbers. Groups of earwigs can typically be found underneath piles of lawn debris, beneath mulch, or inside tree holes. When weather outside is unfavorable, earwigs will often seek shelter within the structure of a home or outbuilding.
Earwigs can be identified by their inch long slender bodies and distinct brown coloring. Earwigs are also equipped with 6 yellow legs and a painful-looking pincher at the end of their hind section.
As for diets, earwigs love feeding on leaves, flowers, mold, insects, and fruits. Because of this, earwigs are considered yard pests more often than home invaders. If you own a garden or flower bed, be extra cautious about earwigs being around as they can seriously damage plant growth if given the opportunity.
How Dangerous Are Earwigs
As dangerous as earwigs look, they are in fact harmless, they are much more scared of you than you could ever be of them. Just so you know how harmless they are, earwigs are not capable of biting or stinging their prey. The worst you can expect is a pinch from their rear pincher. In addition to this, earwigs are not known to spread any dangerous diseases, pathogens, or parasites. Besides being a nuisance inside of homes, the only two real problems earwigs can cause are with the smelly liquid they produce during self-defense, and the damage they do to plants when feeding.
Prevention Tips For Earwigs
Most often earwigs will enter into homes to avoid inclement weather outside. To ensure earwigs stay outdoors where they belong, here are some tips our experts recommend you try around your home.
- Use a caulking gun or liquid cement to seal up gaps and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation as well as spacing around window and door frames.
- Make sure your home’s pipes and fixtures are not leaking and do your best to keep humidity down indoors. Addressing humidity problems can be done by using a dehumidifier.
- Remove clutter from your yard that might be holding down moisture such as wood piles, leaf piles, and other organic debris.
- Keep vegetation trimmed around your home so that sunlight can keep it as dry as possible.
- Replace mulch with a dry material that is less likely to soak up water.
Finally, consider getting the professionals here at Innovative Pest Control involved. We have advanced methods for removing and keeping earwigs off of properties and would be happy to help you with any pest problems you are having. To find out more about how we treat earwigs, or to schedule your property for a detailed inspection, give our team a call today. We would be happy to help you find the solution you are looking for.
Categories:
- Earwig,
- Earwig Control
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