Yuck! How to Get Rid of Earwigs in Your House

Creepy crawlies are disgusting, but unless you already know how to get rid of earwigs in the house, you may create new problems in the process. This misunderstood insect can motivate homeowners to take measures immediately into their own hands, spreading needless chemicals throughout their homes or creating a huge mess without reason. It’s true that earwigs are creepy—even their name is unsettling—but ugly is not the same as dangerous in the insect world. If you see one of these pests, you have time to plan an appropriate and responsible strategy for insect control.

Follow these simple tips to nip your earwig infestation in the bud:

Learn about the earwig life and lifecycle.

Stumbling onto an earwig in the bathroom or the basement can be a scary thing, especially if it happens in the middle of the night. We’re used to seeing ants. We aren’t used to seeing ant-like creatures with pinchers on their tail ends. The human brain is very effective at making connections, but the first connection you might make when you see one of these creepy crawlers is with the scorpion. Thankfully, earwigs are not at all venomous, and their pinch is rarely painful, and strangely enough, they’re more like humans than many insects in that mothers protect and nurture their young through several stages of growth.

What attracts earwigs?

Earwigs are drawn to moist conditions and rotting matter. They like old food or wet boxes and paper. Damp basements, bathrooms with humidity problems, and even gardens in temperate climates are common places to find the bugs. Unless defending their young, earwigs aren’t likely to pinch. Also, earwigs are technically solitary insects, similar to centipedes, but because they stay with their offspring, it’s easy to uncover a group of earwigs living together. And yes, it may seem as though they become aggressive if you try to kill them. An attacking earwig is most definitely the mother of the group.

Earwig facts give you the advantage.

Knowing these facts puts you in a position to prevent infestations before they begin and to effectively fight them once in place. First, it’s essential to clean up any wet conditions. If you have leaky pipes or a wet basement, it’s time to put measures in place to solve those water problems. It’s not just a good idea for managing earwig populations, but to ward off other insects as well. Second, either get rid of old boxes, papers and similar materials or store them securely. Like with water, without a food source, earwigs won’t come to your home. Finally, find an affordable and effective way to address infestations already in place.

Contact the professionals.

While earwigs aren’t seriously dangerous, they are difficult to deal with. Disturbing families can leave you scrambling to get away from an angry female. However, because they only travel at night, you may have trouble even finding them. A professional pest control expert can help.

Call 770-475-7419 for a free pest control quote and to talk with North Fulton Pest Solutions to learn how to get rid of earwigs in your house without making your family sick.