The Earwig is an outdoor pest which will occasionally come indoors. The name ‘Earwig’ comes from the mistaken belief (a myth really) that these insects enter the ears of sleeping people and bore into their brain!
As you can see in the picture below, adults are about ½-1” long and color varies from pale brown to a reddish brown with paler legs. They are easily identified by the pincer-like appendages on the abdomen. These can be used defensively but are harmless to humans.
Earwig Habits
Earwigs are primarily nocturnal and prefer to hide in areas that are dark and moist. Outdoors they can be found in mulch, under stones and splash blocks, rotting logs, and under stored items. They have been known to occasionally damage flowers, shrubs and even trees. Indoors they are usually found in areas with high moisture like basements and crawl spaces.
Earwig Prevention
Like most pests, reducing moisture around your foundation, keeping the rain gutters clean, reducing leaf litter, keeping shrubbery trimmed and reducing ground cover vegetation can make the area around homes and buildings less attractive to this pest.
Earwig Control
If you have an Earwig problem, Burgess Pest Management's team of experts can develop a custom treatment plan to reduce and eliminate Earwig populations in and around your Massachusetts homes. Contact us today or click here to request a FREE Estimate.
