Pest Of The Month: Earwig
In 1907, the first earwig was identified in Seattle, Washington. Due to myths and old European superstitions, it was given this rather unnerving name. Contrary to what people originally thought, though, the earwig is relatively harmless. Their pincers aren’t even large enough to agitate the human skin.
Earwigs generally live outside in compost piles or any other moist area. They very rarely come inside homes. If you do find one inside, it’s usually for two main reasons: There’s inclement weather they’re trying to shelter from, or they were accidentally brought into your home through a plant or something of that sort. For example, you may be repotting some plants to get them out of the cold and an earwig was likely living there.
An earwig is actually pretty harmless. They’re omnivorous, and will normally eat decomposing vegetation, such as leave, algae, mold, and fungi. If they do make it into your home, you’ll probably just find them eating your trash.
They have a life cycle of about one year, with autumn mating ending in the females laying up to 80 small, white eggs.
Again, earwigs aren’t dangerous to humans. They can be a little creepy and a nuisance, though. To prevent them from getting into your home, make sure all of your windows and doors are sealed properly. If you bring anything in from outside, especially plants, check them thoroughly.
ABBS PC is your hometown pest control, ready to take care of your pest control needs! Call us at 405-582-2114 or visit our website to schedule a free consultation today!
