Sometimes the stories behind bugs make them scarier than they really are. We’ve all seen a creepy spider movie at some point that left us with the heebie jeebies. The same goes for earwigs, a bug which got its name from the Old English words “ear wicga,” which roughly translates to “ear wiggler.” The story goes that a skinny pest like the earwig can easily crawl into unsuspecting peoples’ ears while they sleep.
In reality, earwigs are pretty harmless. Most of the time, they’re going to do what they can to stay hidden because they’re actually pretty scared of people. They don’t bite, though they can pinch (but they do not have venom). They also do not spread disease like certain other pests.
Even so, earwigs are a nuisance pest that people really don’t want in their home. For that reason, we’re talking about ways to keep earwigs out of your house. We believe that you deserve to feel safe…and comfortable…in your home. That means not thinking about lurking pests.
How to Keep Earwigs Out of Your House
Earwigs love moisture and they love humidity which makes them a common occurrence under rocks, lawn clippings, mulch, or wet leaves. But if they make it into your home, they’re most likely to be found in crawl spaces, in cracks and crevices, in kitchens and basements, and particularly in bathrooms!
As far as how to keep them out, here are a few tips on keeping earwigs out of your house in the first place.
#1: Do a Landscape “Clean-Up”
Because earwigs love to hide in piles of wet leaves or rotting wood, doing a landscape clean-up around your property can eliminate some of their hangout spaces.
Give your yard a nice raking and don’t let fallen leaves linger for long. Pick up any rotting wood, like fallen tree limbs, and keep wood piles away from your home.
You can also make an effort to keep shrubs and plants around your home neatly trimmed. This will eliminate hiding spots for these pests.
#2: Seal Cracks and Crevices
Another way to stop earwigs from coming in the house is to seal any cracks or crevices around your home. Most of the time these pests are coming in through these small openings.
Also look for any gaps or tears in your screens and have those fixed. This will not only help stop earwigs but other pests, as well.
#3: Eliminate Sources of Moisture
Since earwigs love moisture, using a dehumidifier in the basement or other moist spaces can help. You should also repair any leaky faucets inside and outside of your home.
Eliminate areas of standing water around your home, as well. This will not only help reduce your earwig population but your mosquito population, too. Mosquitoes need water to breed and any areas of standing water tend to become mosquito hot spots!
#4: Invest in Perimeter Pest Control
In addition to the three tips mentioned above, you can also stop earwigs from coming in the house by investing in perimeter pest control services.
This service is performed outside of the home as a proactive measure to prevent bugs from coming inside in the first place.
The best way for us to describe perimeter pest control is to use the analogy of a shield. When treating around the perimeter of your home with a pest control product, we are essentially creating a “shield” that keeps bugs away.
In addition to keeping earwigs out of your house, it works on other pests, too. This includes spiders, ants, silverfish, pill bugs and centipedes. That’s all of the different creepy crawlies that you really don’t want lurking about your home.
Perimeter Pest Control in Cincinnati, Dayton, OH and Northern Kentucky
When it comes to getting all the benefits of perimeter pest control services, you want to choose an outdoor pest control company that you can trust.
At Oasis Turf & Tree, our program is thorough and effective, and generally costs less than what others charge. That’s because we use some of the same high-quality products as those that exterminators utilize on a regular basis to treat the exterior of your home.
This means that you don’t have to let the pests win! By creating a shield around your home with perimeter pest control services, you can keep the bugs away and get back to enjoying life as usual.
If you’d like to learn more about perimeter pest control for your Cincinnati, Dayton, OH, or Northern Kentucky home, call us at 513-697-9090 or get your quote online and help us find the program that is best for you, then sit back and relax knowing these pests are being kept away.
