Don’t let their name fool you, earwigs are nearly harmless pests. They do not harm people directly, damage only a few plants, and do not pose public health threats, but can be a nuisance if a large infestation is present. DoMyOwn’s selection of professional grade earwig control products will help combat large infestations and prevent plant damage from earwigs.
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Getting rid of earwigs can be tricky since they are nocturnal. Follow these simple tips to trap and discourage earwigs.
If you find earwigs in house cracks and crevasses, indoor earwig control can be as simple as vacuuming the existing earwigs. They can’t survive long without an outdoor food source. Make sure your home is properly sealed to help keep the earwigs out.
Earwigs get their name from an old European superstition that an earwig will climb into your ear and burrow into your brain. This reputation has stuck with them, but earwigs are not interested in humans and earwigs do not go in people’s ears.
Earwigs do not bite unless scared or handled. Rather, their cerci may pinch if you put a finger between them but will not break skin. They use these pinchers to catch prey and sense their environment.
Earwigs eat an omnivorous diet of aphids, mites, fleas, insect eggs, dahlias, marigolds, lettuce, potatoes, corn, hostas, mosses, lichens, and algae. European earwigs cause severe damage on seedlings and soft fruit. They are nocturnal and hide in cool, dark, usually moist spots during the day. They enter homes only to hide and are often mistaken for cockroaches. You can find them hiding under outdoor furniture, near hoses, under garbage can lids and under ill-fitting well caps. Many people have problems with earwigs under well caps (an especially attractive habitat for them). While they do not pose a direct health threat, the bugs can fall into the water, die, and decay, causing harmful bacteria to increase.
On plants earwig damage resembles small holes on fruit, leaves, flowers, or new growth. This damage can be confused with slug, cutworm, caterpillar, and even rabbit damage. If you see damage on your plants during the day but can’t find the culprit, check plants at night. They do not cause damage indoors.
Information via DoMyOwnPestControl.com experts, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, and the University of California-Davis IPM.
Here are some pictures of Earwigs to help you identify them.
Image via Gary Alpert
Image via Jopseph Berger
Image via Gary Alpert
Image via David Cappaert
Image via David Cappaert
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