Maybe you've noticed these little insects as they've crawled up out of the drain in your bathtub, right before you step in the shower. Maybe you've seen them crawling on the inside of your front door frame, wandering in from the outside. Possibly you've seen them all scatter as you lift a log or wooden board out of the grass, or maybe you've seen them meandering along the foundation of your home, doing damage to your flower beds or vegetable gardens. No matter where you've seen them, the sight of their little pincers and long and narrow brown bodies has probably given you goose bumps, and you've been anxious to get rid of them.
These little insects are called earwigs, and if you didn't know the name, you have probably at least seen them before, as they are common in the Ohio valley region, as well as in Michigan and Western Pennsylvania. They are reddish-brown in color, and when fully grown, are about three-quarters of an inch to one inch long. They have little pincers attached to their tail called 'cerci' which are used for defense and at times used to catch other insects on which they will prey. Earwigs were named for the myth that they crawl into sleeping people's ears and into their brains to lay their eggs.
A very unnerving name fitting for a creepy looking creature, rarely do earwigs ever bite or pinch people, and they have no venom to inject if they do. However, they are considered a nuisance pest because they will damage the leaves and blossoms of your flowers and vegetables in your garden, and because they will take up residence in your home in unexpected places. Earwigs are especially damaging to corn in your garden as well as soft fruits like strawberries or apricots, and you may find multitudes of them in your compost pile. If they find their way into your home, they will be in dark and damp places, including in or around your bathroom sink or shower, or even under pictures hanging on your wall.
Earwigs are attracted to several things around your home and property, and knowing what attracts them can help you identify and destroy them. Earwigs are attracted to dense undergrowth, ground cover and weeds surrounding your flower and vegetable gardens. They can be found in piles of leaves, under wooden boards, and in trash and garden debris. Flower pots and other garden decorations will harbor earwigs, and removing them from your gardening area can help limit an earwig population. If earwigs have nothing to feed on and nowhere to hide, their numbers will decrease.
When temperatures or conditions outside are too hot or cold, or too dry, earwigs will make their way into your home. They will find cracks in your house to enter through and then will find dark and damp places to make their home. They will also hitch rides on anything brought into the house, including laundry left on the line overnight, or children's toys left in the yard for a day or two. Making sure that cracks in your home are sealed and shaking out laundry or toys before bringing them back into the house can help make sure earwigs aren't allowed admittance into your home.
Once you find you do have an earwig problem, it's a good idea to target the infestation in your yard or garden first. If you don't have an earwig problem outside your house, you won't have a problem inside your house. A rolled-up and moistened newspaper placed in your yard overnight can make a good earwig trap. In the morning, shake the rolled-up newspaper out into a bucket of hot soapy water to eliminate the annoying insect. Several of these traps placed near your garden, foundation or other places that you have seen earwigs can destroy a significant number of these pests, but won't totally eliminate the population. Contacting a local pest control company that specializes in residential pest control is a great way to fully eliminate an earwig infestation on your property.
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