Earwigs. You typically don’t give these little pests much thought, until one scrambles out from under the plant pot you just picked up off the front porch. You jump at first as you stare at this strange little creature and then a movement near your hand catches your eye. You thought there was only one, but now you realize that there are dozens of them falling, scurrying, and scrambling from the planter in your hands. Instantly grossed out you quickly drop the planter and jump back. Those bugs are so quick – and so strange – almost prehistoric! They look as if they could take quite a chunk out of your skin. Are they dangerous? Do they bite? Do they carry diseases? What do they eat? Why are they a problem?
So many great questions! Let’s see if we can answer them. First of all, earwigs, or pincher bugs, are small reddish/brown insects that have “pinchers” that protrude from the end of their abdomen. These pinchers, or cerci, are basically used to grab and hold food. They do not typically “bite”, but they will pinch you with their cerci if they feel threatened. The pinch can be painful; however, they will rarely break the skin of a person. They are not known for carrying diseases or transporting germs from place to place; therefore, they are considered to be mostly a nuisance pest.
Secondly, they are very shy creatures and will ‘scurry’ quickly for cover when they are found. Earwigs prefer dark, moist, undisturbed places close to dirt so they can easily find food. They do not tolerate dry sunny conditions for long and will search for a cool, damp place like your garage, shed, basement, bathroom, or kitchen to escape those conditions. They will sometimes enter your home in or on newspapers, boxes, outdoor furniture, or plants that you bring inside. Most often, however, they come in through cracks and small holes in your foundation, tears in your screens, or under worn door sweeps.
Lastly, these odd little creatures eat mainly decaying organic matter; although, they will eat live plants – especially the tender young ones. It is true that no one likes to have these creatures running through their homes and invading pantries and cupboards, but the greatest danger from earwigs is in their ability to damage or destroy gardens, flower beds, and ornamental shrubs and trees. They are particularly fond of corn! They can certainly wreak havoc in these areas and cost you time and money as you work to replace plants and suffer the loss of crops.
When you are faced with an earwig infestation on your property, it is a wise decision to contact a professional pest control expert like Active Pest Control. Here at Active Pest Control, we have been helping our friends and neighbors protect their homes and businesses from insects, like the earwig, for nearly 40 years. You can count on our technicians to accurately identify pests, eliminate them, and then determine the access points they are using to infiltrate your property. Once that is done, we will offer helpful solutions to eliminate those access points and prevent these pests from returning. Pest free peace of mind is what it’s all about when you partner with us, because when bugs are gone, it’s Active Pest Control.
Life With Earwigs in Georgia
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