Don't Wig Out About Earwigs In Your Memphis Home
5/28/2020
It is not fun when you find bugs crawling around inside your home--and we have lots of bugs in Memphis that accidentally get in. The earwig is one of them. Unfortunately for earwigs, their scary appearance causes homeowners to take immediate, and often drastic, measures to get rid of them. But these measures can be more dangerous that the earwigs themselves. If you see earwigs inside your Memphis home, you don't have to wig out. These insects won't crawl inside your ear and lay eggs, or feed on your brains. Though an earwig can get into your ear, and it is certainly uncomfortable, they rarely do this. And they're never going to lay eggs or feed on your brains. Your ear canal is not a suitable location for an earwig to lay eggs, and they don't have the ability to tunnel to your brain, even if they wanted to—which they don't. The greater concern is what will happen if you attempt to spray pesticides on these scary bugs. It can make you and your family very sick. Here are a few tips that will help you deal with these pests naturally.
Attractants And Habitat
One of the reasons earwigs are getting into your home is that they are near the exterior of your home. There are a few things that attract these insects. Some of them can be reduced to help get control of earwig populations.
- Rake leaves away from your foundation wall and out from underneath exterior structures such as decks and porches.
- Remove grass clippings and straw.
- Store firewood and construction materials well away from your exterior.
- Remove objects that provide dark, damp places underneath.
- Reduce dampness near your home by having your gutters cleaned and plumbing leaks fixed.
- Keep exterior lights off at night. Some species are attracted to light.
Entry Points
Another reason earwigs are getting into your home is that they are finding tiny holes or cracks. These entry points will be near the ground.
Search for:
- Gaps around pipe and wire conduit
- Gaps in the weatherstripping around doors
- Damaged or missing screens
- Cracks in your foundation
- Gaps around the outside of your door and window frames
- Holes created by wood-damaging pests (earwigs don't damage wood, but they take advantage of holes created by other pests)
- Chipped mortar around bricks
- Unprotected weep holes
Humidity Control
Once you've addressed the outside of your Memphis home, it is time to consider the inside. Earwigs will be located in humid or damp areas of your home. You can kill them, or drive them out by reducing the humidity.
- Reduce humidity and dampness in your home by:
- Installing fans or dehumidifiers in humid locations
- Using the fan in your bathroom every time you take a shower or bath
- Fixing issues of condensation
- Fixing leaky faucets
- Encapsulating the crawl space underneath your home (if you have one)
Results
If you do the above, you can get complete control of the earwigs in your home without using chemicals. The results will be long-lasting and eco-friendly. If these methods do not resolve your problem, it is likely that you have conditions that are making it difficult or impossible for you to adequately address attractants, habitats, entry points, and humidity. This is where the service team at Dart Pest can help. We can give you valuable insight, and apply appropriate treatments where, and if, they are needed. We also use many eco-friendly products such as sticky traps to get control of pests without the use of chemicals.
If you have questions or you'd like to request service in the Greater Memphis area, connect with us today. We're always standing by to assist you with your pest control needs.
Tags: home pest control | earwigs
