What Every Greensboro, NC Resident Should Know About Earwigs

Legends have made earwigs a thing of nightmares for people across the world. Since ancient times, the idea of these insects has been enough to scare school children into their best behavior. These bugs are disturbing looking even without the legends, so they may earn an unjustly scary reputation.

While the earwig is a pest that assuredly belongs outside, they are about as harmless as a bug can get. Here’s everything you need to know about the myths surrounding earwigs, what attracts them, and how to get rid of an earwig infestation in your home.

What Do Earwigs In Greensboro Look Like?

The earwig is an occasional invader most likely to come indoors to survive harsh weather conditions or by accident. Their favorite places indoors are humid environments. As they prefer to live in dirt and leaves, an unfinished basement floor may be the perfect place for an earwig city to grow to its full potential.

Earwigs range in size from a quarter of an inch to an inch in length. They are usually dark brown with lighter, yellowish legs. Their carapaces are shiny, and they have two sets of wings that fold over each other. They have long, threadlike antennae that are about half the length of their bodies. However, the most notable physical feature of earwigs is the intimidating set of pincers on their tail ends.

While many people fear an earwig bug bite, these insects are physically incapable of biting. Also unlikely, there is such a thing as an earwig pinch. An earwig pinch might be painful, but it will rarely break the skin, and there is no risk of venom, disease, or infection. An earwig bug bite isn’t possible for people, but these little guys are a pretty significant threat to garden plants.

What Attracts Earwigs To Your Greensboro Home?

Earwigs don’t need to come inside for survival during the winter, but during climate changes or food shortages, they may come in through cracks in your home’s exterior, making them occasional invaders. If you have a high humidity problem indoors, earwigs are much more likely to settle in. Places like bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, and basements are the most likely areas for an earwig infestation in Greensboro houses.

The best way to solve these issues is to install dehumidifiers, fix leaky pipes, and ensure humid areas are well ventilated. In addition to keeping your indoor environment dry, you should seal openings around the outside of your home with silicone-based caulk or steel wool. Make sure doors and windows seal properly and that their screens are free of holes. This should block most invaders who come in on their own.

Five Myths About Earwigs

Earwigs are almost completely harmless, but they’ve been built into monsters through an ancient legend. Here are five myths about earwigs that you can finally put to rest:

1. “Earwigs go into your ears.” Earwigs do like to live in burrows, but they are no more likely to go in your ears than any other insect.
2. “Earwigs can burrow into your ear canals.” Again, earwigs have no interest in your ear - regardless of their name.
3. “Earwigs will lay eggs in your brain.” Earwigs eat materials from the garden. If an errant earwig happens to crawl across your ear, it is heading for more appropriate surroundings and will not be sticking around to lay any eggs!
4. “Earwigs can bite.” Earwigs do not have mouthparts capable of biting people.
5. “Earwigs are dangerous.” Earwigs don’t carry any venom or disease, the only risk of danger from these pests is a slight pinch if they are picked up or threatened.

How To Keep Your Greensboro Home Earwig-Free

The best way to keep your home free of earwigs is through prevention, including the methods mentioned above. Some other home maintenance methods that can be useful to reduce the insect population around the outside of your home, include:

• Mow your lawn often.
• Don’t leave decaying leaves or mulch in gutters or your yard.
• Don’t store piles of wood near your home.
• Make sure soil and vegetation are at least six inches away from your home’s foundation.
• Trim trees and shrubs to reduce the amount of damp, shady areas in your yard.

When prevention doesn’t work, or if it’s too late to start now, the best way to get rid of earwigs in Greensboro is through Go-Forth Home Services. With several pest control service packages available, you can have the level of protection that’s right for you at the price you can afford.

Even Go-Forth Home Service Basic service plan is satisfaction-guaranteed against common pests with indoor treatments at no additional charge. 

To get rid of earwigs now, and protect your home against future home invaders, call Go-Forth Home Services to request a free quote today.