Earwigs Are Misidentified And Misunderstood

What is that bug? We have a lot of people ask for assistance in identifying bugs of all shapes and sizes. So much so that we have a page on our website that is dedicated to identifying bugs. There’s a short form to fill out and a place to upload a picture of the bug in question, and then you just submit it to us and soon enough one of our experts will peek at it and get the identification process rolling! Believe it or not, one that we are often questioned about ends up being an earwig. Earwigs are a misidentified and very misunderstood insect. Let us give you some truths about this insect and some pointers about how to handle them coming into your home or business.

They are at the center of a false wives’ tale.

Earwigs get their name from the false myth that they have an affinity for crawling into people’s ears and eating ear wax, then continuing on to the brain. This is absolutely false. Earwigs have no interest in ears, ear canals, ear wax, or the brains of people. Their pinchers are not very strong, and they don’t use them to chew through human ear wax or ear canals. While they can use their intimidating looking pinchers on us humans, it’s not usually very painful nor is it frequent. They only use them as a last resort when they are feeling threatened. They do not and cannot bite or sting.

They like the night life.

These are nocturnal creatures that prefer dark, damp and cool environments. Outdoors, they live in different types of decaying plant matter and debris. They are often found in common places like under the bark of decaying trees, in mulch, and on plants and flowers. Inside, these dark-loving insects hide away during the day in cracks and crevices and come out at night to hunt for food. They are most usually found in damp, dark places such as basements, in bathrooms, in storage areas, and under sinks.

They eat just about anything!

They are in a minority in the insect community, in the fact that they are omnivorous; but they also hunt for food. They eat decaying animal and plant matter, but also dine on insects such as flies, plant lice, butterflies, and centipedes. They aren’t particularly picky about their diet.

Having an earwig free home and business is easy!

Keeping earwigs out is pretty much the same as keeping many common insects out of your house or business. Here are a few easy tips:

• Seal the exterior up as much as possible.

• Repair, fill, or caulk any holes, cracks, or crevices in the exterior walls of your home or buildings.

• Be sure that all screens in windows, doors, and vents are free from damage.

• Check your door bottoms and make sure that your door sweeps or weather-stripping are whole and functioning properly, if not, replace them.

• Sign up for a year-round pest control program from the pest control specialists here at All-American Pest Control.

Keep earwigs and other common pests outside where they belong with one of our affordable programs. Sign up today for our free evaluation and see just how easy and affordable a pest free life can be!