Scary Looking Earwigs Entering Maryland Homes

Have you heard the phrase “you can’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, this statement couldn’t be more true when it comes to earwigs. Earwigs are a type of insect that look very intimidating, they have a long lean body with two pinchers coming off of their backend, giving them a very threatening appearance. But, despite their looks earwigs are in fact not a dangerous pest, they are a type of nuisance pest, that unfortunately for them, have received a very bad reputation.

One of the biggest reasons that people fear earwigs is because of a story that is often spread about them. The story states that earwigs will enter into your ear, burrow into your brain, and lay their eggs inside of it, let us assure you that this story is completely false, earwigs only lay their eggs in soil! People also are intimidated by earwigs because of their pinchers. The good news when it comes to the pinchers is that they aren’t really strong enough to pierce the skin of a person, or to cause any real, significant pain. They have pinchers to defend themselves against each other, not to aggressively pinch people’s toes!

Earwigs are not dangerous, but this does not mean that we should open our doors and allow them inside of our homes with open arms. Earwigs can enter into homes in large numbers and become a big annoyance for people and that can become a stressful situation to deal with.

Earwigs usually enter into homes if the weather becomes too hot and dry, or the ground becomes too saturated with rain. Earwigs can enter into homes accidentally after being brought in on boxes, potted plants, newspapers, and other like items. They are also attracted to light and may gather on decks and porches finding their way inside underneath of doors and through other small openings.

Once inside they will hide in basements, laundry rooms, in cupboards, around bathtubs, and underneath of houseplants. Speaking of houseplants earwigs feed on and can damage houseplants when living inside of homes, but they do not present any health risks to people or pets living in the home.

The best way prevent problems with earwigs inside of your home is to put into place a year-round home pest control program. At American Pest our home pest control programs provide the routine services needed to prevent earwigs and other common household pests from being able to enter into your home and become a nuisance.

Our Preferred Care programs provide a thorough inspection of your home, treatment to get rid of any current issues with earwigs, and preventative services to stop future problems with earwigs! Give us a call today to get started protecting your home from the very annoying, but not dangerous earwigs!