New Braunfels’ Handy Guide To Earwigs

When enjoying time inside your New Braunfels home, seeing pests can make what should be a relaxing space feel stressful and unclean. While many pests that commonly invade area homes and businesses are just a nuisance, others can be destructive and even dangerous.

However, you might not always realize which pests are harmful and which are not. Earwigs are a pest that might look terrifying, but they actually are not considered dangerous. But, with their large pincers, long bodies, and long antennae, they definitely have an unattractive appearance. Earwigs can also be identified by their reddish-brown color and six, thin legs.

While earwigs are often found outdoors, they can make their way inside when they find dark, damp places that supply them with an ideal place to hide and find prey. When outdoors, they are usually found in firewood or under leaves and rocks. When indoors, earwigs often hide under cabinets, near houseplants, or next to baseboards.

Do Earwigs Climb Into Human Ears?

If you have ever heard anything about earwigs, it’s likely to be the common old wive’s tale that they like to crawl inside of human ears. This myth claims that earwigs like to lay their eggs in our brains, but this is a completely false tale. While any small enough insect could accidentally climb into your ears, the chances of this happening are very rare. Earwigs don’t seek out your ears, and they don’t lay their eggs inside your brain. 
 
While earwigs might look disgusting and perhaps could cause damage, they are really just a nuisance pest. Despite their large forceps-like pincers, they don’t sting or bite humans either, and they aren’t known to spread diseases. However, they can be a difficult pest to remove on your own using over-the-counter pesticides, and they are also a disgusting looking insect to have around.

Nine Earwig Prevention Tips

Because of their disgusting appearance, taking steps to keep earwigs away from your property can give you peace of mind. Here is a list of the easiest ways to prevent earwigs by addressing indoor and outdoor factors that attract them:

• Keep dead and water damaged wood off of your property
• Store firewood 30 feet from the outside of buildings
• Fix broken screens in doors and windows
• Install weather stripping and door sweeps
• Repair any  leaky pipes and faucets
• Use dehumidifiers in humid rooms
• Make sure that basements and crawl spaces are well-ventilated
• Point outdoor lighting away from your home instead of toward it
• Get rid of any decaying organic matter such as leaves and grass piles

What Is The Best Way To Prevent Earwigs

Earwigs might just be a nuisance pest, but they are extremely frustrating and repulsive to find around your New Braunfels home. Luckily, you don’t have to handle these pests on your own. Instead, you can count on the expert pest control services from Pinnacle Pest Defense. Our technicians can remove any current earwig problems and also prevent further infestations.
 
As a licensed and insured company with over 60 years of combined experience, we have the expertise you’re looking for at affordable prices. Give us a call today at (830) 302-3050 to schedule your free home inspection.