Why Do I Have Earwigs in My Home?

Although their long pinchers make them look scary, earwigs aren’t a threat to humans—but that still doesn’t mean you want them living inside with you and your family. This post from your pest control experts will cover everything you need to know about why you might have them inside your home, and what you can do about it.

Why do they come inside?

The good news is that earwigs typically prefer to live outside. The bad news is that they’ll gladly come in and share our space. Here are a few reasons why:

• Weather: The main reason earwigs enter your home is to escape adverse outdoor conditions. They prefer a warm, moist environment. You’ll likely find earwigs trying to get inside in the winter or during a drought.
• Food sources: An earwig’s diet consists of everything from vegetables to dead insects. While they’re typically fine with finding food outside, they won’t pass up a free meal in your kitchen. They’ll go after crumbs or spilled liquid in your home.
• Exterior lighting: Like many bugs, earwigs are drawn to light. Keeping your porch lights on all night is basically like putting a “vacancy” sign on the outside of your home. Even if you don’t get earwigs, you’re much more likely to have insects like moths hanging around.

How do they get inside?

If they’re determined to do so, earwigs don’t have much trouble entering your home. These are a few of the common ways they can sneak inside:

• Poorly sealed windows and doors: Just like with any other insect, a small crack around a window or door allows plenty of room for earwigs to slip inside. Seal any noticeable cracks with caulk to deter these pests.
• Foundation cracks: Since they’re more likely to live in the basement anyway, a crack in the foundation is the ideal entry point for an earwig. Again, a tube of caulk is your best friend in this situation.
• Hiding out in plants: Earwigs can often be found living in potted plants outside. When you bring these plants in overnight or in preparation for the winter, you can accidentally bring in some earwigs.

How can I prevent an earwig infestation?

Avoiding an earwig infestation is easy if you know what to do. In addition to sealing cracks, follow these steps and you’ll never have to worry about finding these pests in your home:

• Hire a pro: Bringing in a pest control company is the best way to deal with earwigs. The exterminators will apply a preventative spray to deter all sorts of pests from the get-go.
• Remove leaf piles: Be sure to get rid of all those raked-up leaf piles in your yard. There are likely earwigs living in them, and they can easily make the move indoors if they feel like it.
• Clean your gutters: There are bound to be a few earwigs living in your dirty gutters. Clean them out twice a year to help remove earwigs from your property.

Whether you’ve noticed earwigs inside or you’d rather never see these crawly critters in the first place, hire our team at Pied Piper Pest Control. From insect prevention to removal, we specialize in all forms of pest control. Call today to get your free quote!

Categorised in: Insect Control

This post was written by Ken Perry