Earwig Identification & Prevention

What To Do About Earwigs In Your Home

Getting earwigs in your Henderson area home is never fun. The good news is that while these tiny insects may look creepy, they are little more than a nuisance. Still, just because these pests look more menacing than they are, doesn't mean you'll want them running rampant in your home.

What are earwigs?

Earwigs are insects that make up the order Dermaptera. There are about 2,000 different earwig species around the world, and they all have a few things in common. One of the main attributes that earwigs all share is the scary-looking set of pincers on their rear ends. They use these pincers for lots of different things, including competing for mates, self-defense, and sometimes even catching prey.

Are earwigs dangerous?

Earwigs get their name from the idea that they crawl into your ear to eat your brain or lay eggs. This rumor may be unsettling, but it is just that, a rumor. There is no evidence whatsoever to indicate that earwigs have ever harmed anyone by crawling into their ear to devour their brains or do anything else.

Earwigs can use their pincers to bite, but earwig pincers are so weak that they may not even break the skin. Earwigs are also not venomous and do not destroy property. That makes them a nuisance pest.

Why do I have an earwig problem?

Earwig control can be an issue in Nevada because of our dry climate. Earwigs are attracted to tepid, moist environments. These are hard to find in the middle of the desert, which means that earwigs often seek out coolness and moisture from our homes.

Most of the time, earwigs prefer to stay outside. However, during heat waves or droughts, they may have no choice but to try to get into places in your home that have lots of moisture, such as basements, crawl spaces, and bathrooms.

Where will I find earwigs?

If you have earwigs in your house, you will typically find them in places with low foot traffic and lots of moisture. These little omnivores eat just about anything, so you may find them in your garbage. You will likely also find them in first-floor bathrooms and under your house.

How do I get rid of earwigs?

Unfortunately, getting rid of an active earwig infestation is not easy. There are not a lot of earwig repellents or earwig baits on the open market that are capable of getting rid of an entire infestation. They may reduce the population of earwigs or drive them out of a certain area of your house, but for true earwig elimination, you will need to contact the professionals.

Here at Anver Pest Control, our earwig and home pest control solutions are much more effective against entire earwig populations. If you have a house full of these little pinching creepy crawlies, the best way to get rid of them is to depend on us.

How can I prevent earwigs in the future?

The good news is there are a lot of things you can do on your own to prevent earwig infestations. You don't even have to inconvenience yourself all that much. All you need is a few lifestyle changes, such as:

• Fix moisture issues like condensation and high humidity.
• Keep all of your garbage covered both inside and outside.
• Rake and remove leaf litter from trees and shrubs.
• Keep lawn grass trimmed as short as possible. 
• Seal any cracks and holes in your home's exterior.

Combining measures that make your home less attractive to earwigs and harder for them to enter can go a long way to keeping them out. 

If they do get in, don't hesitate to contact us here at Anver Pest Control to learn more about our home and commercial pest control solutions for earwigs.