Earwigs

There is no denying that the earwig is an extremely interesting insect. It is so interesting that it has been studied by many for years. Despite this, people are still discovering unique and interesting things about these funky crawlers every day. Think you know everything there is to know about the earwig? As a pest management pro, we can likely tell you that you are mistaken. Why are knowing these things more than trivia? Everything you learn here will only go towards your detection and elimination efforts.             

Why Many Refer To Them As Earwigs

It has been a well-documented fact for many years that the earwig hails from the Dermaptera order. However, most people don’t know that the Dermaptera order is a combination of the Greek words, meaning skin and wings. The derma portion of the name means skin, while the ptera portion means wings.

The name itself comes from old familiar folklores about bugs crawling into people’s ears and laying eggs inside the brain. While the earwig does have two long pincers that protrude at the end of their bodies, this is a complete myth. Some cultures commonly refer to the creepy crawler as a pincher bug, which makes sense when all things are considered.

What Does The Bug Eat?

Another very interesting fact is the fact that the earwig is nocturnal. What’s even more interesting is it’s a nocturnal scavenger, meaning it sleeps during the day and hunts and eats at night. Despite this, they are a rather anti-social bug that doesn’t belong to any colony or follow any queen. This is, however, a good thing for you, as it means a large earwig infestation would be an extremely rare occurrence. These creepy crawlers spend most of their lives searching non-stop for hospitable environments where they can hunt, thrive, and feed.

While they do have those pincers that were mentioned above, they pose no natural threat to people. They only use them for hunting and feeding purposes.

They Don’t Live Long

If you do suffer from an earwig infestation, you won’t have to worry because you won’t have to put up with them for a long time. In fact, the average lifespan for the average earwig is only a year. The mating season takes place starting in autumn and lasts into winter, with the eggs typically being hatched in the spring. Earwigs do undergo a metamorphosis process in which the eggs change from nymphs to adults. Another thing that must be noted is these pincers must transform or molt five times during the process before they reach the adult stage.

Other Uses For The Pinchers

The earwigs do have a set of pincers that have been mentioned several times throughout this article. So far, you’ve learned that these items are used for defensive and feeding purposes. With these utilities being located at the flexible abdomen, these are not the only purposes for them. They actually have multiple uses and are oftentimes utilized during mating rituals. They can be useful when identifying the sexes of the bugs as well. A male will have two distinct curved pincers while the females of the species have two or more narrow, straight pincers. The important thing to remember here is, as intimidating as these pincers make the bug appear, they are completely harmless to both humans and pets.

Why Earwigs Are A Problem

From everything you’ve heard here so far, you are probably wondering why earwigs are a problem in the first place. Most people are probably even wondering why you need to worry about removing them from the home. While this might be the case for some people, these creepy crawlers can be extremely intimidating for others. Some people become so enarmed with the pests they find themselves unable to sleep in the home with the bugs.

In addition to this, these pests could be an indication of other problematic underlying moisture conditions. These bugs are attracted to high moisturized areas. The presence of the bug could mean moisture problems. Either way, these are all things we can help with. All you must do is give our offices a call.

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