As a homeowner or property owner in the Fort Worth area, you will probably deal with many pests over the years. Some of these pests are dangerous or destructive, but many pests in the area are just plain nuisances.
One of the common nuisance pests in the area is the earwig. However, because they have a strange, scary appearance, it can be easy to think they are dangerous. Earwigs are small, thin insects with six legs and a large pair of pincers at the bottom of their bodies. They are a reddish-brown color. Because of their large forceps, they look like they could sting, but in reality, they don’t sting or bite.
While outside, they are commonly found in dark, damp places like under leaves and stones or in firewood piles. Because they prefer undisturbed, humid, and cool places, once inside, they are usually found under cabinets, near houseplants, or around baseboards.
Debunking Myths About Earwigs
One of the first things that might come into your mind when you think about earwigs is the myth that they commonly climb into ears. This tale has led many people to believe that earwigs look to crawl into human brains to lay their eggs, but this is completely untrue. Earwigs don’t lay their eggs inside of human ears. While any small insect could accidentally climb into your ear, the chances of this happening are extremely low.
Earwigs are nuisance pests because they don’t cause any real harm to humans, and they also don’t damage property. Earwigs aren't known to spread any harmful pathogens, and they also don’t cause any known allergies or asthma attacks.
So, while they can contaminate food, just like any other pest or animal, they aren’t a health concern. However, they can still be disruptive to have around.
Some Simple Tips To Prevent Earwigs
Even though earwigs are harmless, they can still be creepy to see around your Houston property. Luckily, there are some simple tips you can follow to help keep them out of your home or business. Many of these prevention steps center around making your property less appealing to earwigs by fixing moisture issues.
Here are some of the best ways to keep earwigs out:
- Keep dead wood off of your property.
- Store firewood away from the exterior of your building.
- Fix broken screens to make it harder for earwigs to get inside.
- Make sure any outdoor lighting points away from the building, as lights can attract earwigs.
- Turn off porch lights and other outdoor lights as much as possible when it's dark.
- Install door sweeps and weather stripping.
- Make sure that crawl spaces and basements are well-ventilated.
- Fix leaky plumbing such as faucets and pipes.
- Discard any dead leaf piles or other decaying organic matter.
Assistance With Earwig Problems
While earwigs might just be a nuisance pest, nobody wants to have insects crawling around their home. They aren’t pleasant to share a house, so taking steps to prevent them is a good idea. The best and most effective way to prevent and control earwigs around your Fort Worth property is to contact the experts at All-Safe Pest & Termite. We have over 30 years of experience, and we even offer free estimates. Give us a call today to learn more.