Wacky Pest Wednesday: Earwig

Happy Wednesday, Tri-County Pest Control fans, and welcome to our latest edition of Wacky Pest Wednesday!  Today, we invite you to join us as we cover a creepy looking critter: the earwig!

At first glance, you may be terrified by the earwig.  And hey, we’re right there with you, because these critters look absolutely bizarre.  They look so freaky in fact, that several, terrifying myths were drawn up about these critters during the Middle Ages, as the Europeans believed that they could crawl into your ear and feed off of your brain, which is where its namesake comes from.  However, we can happily point out that the earwig does not crawl into ears and eat brains.

Indeed, despite it’s frightening appearance, there isn’t really all that much that you need to be worried about if you see one.  These pests are primarily nocturnal, and they are voracious eaters, chowing down on everything from plants to decaying food to other insects.  With this combination, you’re most likely to find them in a damp environment with decaying cellulose around. So, if you have a few old cardboard boxes in your basement which has a leaking problem, you have just created an earwig’s paradise.  If you frequently cook oily or greasy foods, you may also find earwigs close by, as those types of dishes gives off an intoxicating scent that earwigs just can’t resist.

So, if you find one in your home, what do you do?  Well, don’t run away: while they can technically bite, they seldom do—just don’t let those big pinchers convince you otherwise.  Instead, you can just sweep them out the door with no fuss. Earwigs typically work solo, so don’t worry right away about a massive infestation lurking in your basement.  However, should you see a couple in your home, you should give us a call, as this may be indicative of a larger problem. 

Enjoy your Wednesday!