What does it look like?
The earwig originates from Europe. The head and abdomen are brownish-red, the thorax is light brown. Its body is waxy and shiny. The antennae and legs are contrasting yellow. The earwig’s body is thin, flat and very flexible. This allows the earwig to hide easily in cracks and crevices. The adult is 15-25 mm long.
There is a pair of tongs at the end of its abdomen, very characteristic of this specie. The male tongs are stronger and curvy whereas they are thinner and straighter in females. The adult earwig has wings but rarely uses them.
Call an expert Ask an expert » Get a quick quote »Does the Earwig represent a risk for me or my belongings?
The earwig is a harmless insect. It has a scary look but it is not aggressive. It does not bite. The musculature of its tongs is not strong enough to pierce human skin.
The earwig gets lost once it has entered the house. It does not eat our food. The earwig does not reproduce itself and will not try to establish itself inside. Its nuisance is more an esthetical matter.
Call an expert Ask an expert » Get a quick quote »What are the signs of its presence?
The earwig is active at night but it can be observed during the day when there is an infestation. It feeds on soft body insects such as other insects eggs, spiders eggs, aphids.
The earwig will also feed on rotten fruits and vegetables and decaying plants. The earwig does not damage plants. In fact, it is a great cleaner. The earwig can climb on walls and get into houses by weepholes, windows and door threaholds.
It can also be brought in accidently through gardening containers, flower pots and toys. The life span of the earwig is about 1 year.
Call an expert Ask an expert » Get a quick quote »What should I do if I have Earwigs in my house?
If there is only a few earwigs in the house, vacuming can be sufficient. Seeing several earwigs day after day could indicate an infestation, which in this case requires treatment.
The earwig population has cycles. They originate from Europe. They were brough in accidently by merchandise, boats. Earwigs have therefore few natural predators in Canada. There are years where we don’t need to intervene and there are other years when we need to treat earwig infestations.
There are several advantages to call our biologist, to learn about these facts and fing out if an intervention is required. SOS Bugs provides professionnal and efficient services…
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