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MARCH 21 2022 / PEST AND TERMITE
Do you get an invasion of earwigs every fall? Do they start appearing in your basement or, worse, in other areas of your home? Then it only makes sense that you would ask why.
These are creepy bugs with a creepy reputation of crawling into the ears of humans and laying eggs. Let's take a look at this problem and see if we can bring it into focus.
No, it is not likely that an earwig will ever crawl into your ear, and it's impossible for an earwig to eat your brains, as the myths about these insects suggest. They can, however, get into your ear. They like moist, warm places and, unfortunately, your ear is one of them.
But it is not a common occurrence. You are more likely to find these bugs in your cellar, basement, or in the crawl space under your home, especially if there is soil or moisture.
Earwigs are drawn to moist soil and decomposing organic matter. If you have wet, rotting wood on your home, earwigs will come to explore it. If you have moist soil next to your home, due to overflowing gutters, you are more likely to have earwigs in your home.
If you have a wood pile next to your exterior walls, you're going to have more earwigs crawling on your foundation walls and looking for entry points to exploit. This problem of earwigs probably began with a condition that drew them into your yard and up close to your foundation.
If you have lots of earwigs crawling around next to your home, it only makes sense that you would have a higher chance of getting them inside. All those earwigs have to do is find a tiny little hole to squeeze in through. But, while this reveals why earwigs are likely to enter a home, it doesn't show the motivation.
Why do earwigs want to invade our homes in the fall? When conditions outside are not preferable, earwigs can enter homes. If it is too dry, too wet, or too cold, these bugs will look for a safe place to escape these bad conditions. And, as you can probably guess, it gets cold in the fall.
That is usually the reason earwigs come in. But, whether or not they do come in, depends on how easy it is for them to do so.
At American Pest, we provide year-round pest control plans that keep a wide range of household pests, including earwigs, out of the homes we service. If you want fewer earwigs next to your home, there are some things you can do to make your home less attractive.
If you want to seal them out, there are some things you can do to fill in the entry points. But, when it comes to making a barrier they cannot penetrate, it is best to hire a professional. If you're in our service area, contact us to get your barrier in place today.
