What Are Earwigs Looking For?

Moisture

There are many conditions that can allow the soil around your home to become moist. Broken or obstructed gutters let water flow down the side of your home instead of being channeled away from your foundation. Bushes and shrubs can create shaded areas where the sun can't dry up the moisture after it rains. Compacted areas of ground can hold rainwater. Slants can run the rain toward your home instead of away from it. All of these will make the ground moist and lure earwigs in. Correcting these conditions and keeping things dry is the first step toward resisting earwigs.

Rotting Wood

Moisture conditions usually lead to rotting wood, and rotting wood attracts many bugs and wild animals that chew on rotting wood. When holes develop, earwigs feel right at home. In nature, earwigs can be found living in tree holes. And they can't tell the difference between your home and a tree.

Leaf Litter

If you rake up a pile of leaves, you will create the perfect location for earwigs to live and breed. These insects love the moisture and shade. They will also take advantage of several leaves laying on the ground. That is why it is always a good idea to do fall clean-up.

Wood Piles

Whether you have firewood, construction materials, or a pile of sticks, earwigs will love you for it. These are all ideal locations for earwigs to lay their eggs and grow their populations. It is always a good idea to keep wood piles away from your home so that earwigs don't accidentally find their way into your home.

Flowers, Plants, and Gardens

Do you have a green thumb? If you do, you know that earwigs and vegetation go together. This is because they feed on vegetation and tiny insects that feed on vegetation. A garden or flower bed is highly attractive to the insects. And, if earwigs have been drawn into your yard because of your plants, it sets the conditions for them to come into your home when it gets too cold, too dry, or too wet outside for them. And, yes, we said too wet. While earwigs are moisture pests, they can be driven out of the soil if the ground becomes oversaturated. If they find cracks in your foundation or exterior walls, they may exploit them to find refuge from the rising water.

Humidity

Inside a home, earwigs will look for all of the above. Homes that have a crawl space underneath or a basement that has a dirt floor are more likely to have these insects stay. Sealing your crawl space, adding a dehumidifier, and keeping firewood outside of your home, can help to make earwigs feel unwelcome. But earwigs love to explore. Earwigs can get into every part of your home as they search for ideal harborage and food options.

How To Avoid Earwigs

Controlling the conditions above can help you resist earwigs and make your home less interesting, but exclusion requires more effort. If you want to keep these bugs out, you're going to need to do a detailed inspection of your home and seal any gaps, cracks, or holes you find. Inspect all of your door sweeps and weather stripping to make sure they make a good seal. And examine your windows, especially basement windows, to be sure you don't have any holes in your screens or cracks in your frames. It doesn't take much of a hole for an earwig to get in.

There are lots of bugs that like to get into our homes. The best way to keep them out is with ongoing pest service from an educated and experienced professional like All-American Pest Control. Reach out to us today if you're in our Middle Tennessee pest control service area. Life is so much better without bugs. Let's make your home a bug-free zone, starting today.

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