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  • Earwig Miscellaneous

    Earwig
  • Earwig
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Elimination

It is best to apply pesticide when Earwigs are young. The best time can vary from year to year, but is usually in June and occasionally July. It is essential to wait for the pests to appear before starting treatment, since insecticides are not a prevention method. Timely application prevents the formation of a second generation. There are good outdoor treatments available for controlling Earwigs. We suggest a natural treatment of organic insecticide soap diluted in water and applied late in the day wherever Earwigs hide along foundations; in wall cracks, aluminum door tracks, and gardens; on sidewalks, fences, stacked wood, tree trunks, tree forks, and asphalt surfaces; under shrubs and outdoor mats; and around outdoor furnishings (picnic tables, swings, patio chairs, etc.), swimming pools (in-ground or above), and sheds. The soap will have no aftereffect, but it is important to make contact with the insects for it to work. For a total spray effect, use a garden sprayer or a compressed air sprayer.

Finish the job with Maheu&Maheu Insecticide Dust once the surfaces have dried (e.g., the next morning). The dust, given its long term action, will eliminate any Earwigs that "escaped the shower" of insecticide soap.

Inside, it is often enough to spray door and window frames with Maheu&Maheu Crawling Insect Killer to eliminate attempted intruders into the house. Those that do manage to get in will be unable to reproduce once there.

Actions

  • Spray or treat the outside perimeter of the building with an insecticide
  • Spot treat with insecticide indoors if insects get in

Prevention

  • Seal the outsides of windows, doors, eaves, chimneys, etc. as completely as possible

Description and development

Earwigs (Forficula auricularia L. ) are insects of the Dermaptera order and the Forficulidae family that originated in Europe. Reddish-brown in color, they molt four times as they grow. Young Earwigs look like adults and are said to have undergone an incomplete metamorphosis (heterometabolous). Adults are about 19 mm (3/4") in length. The male has a big pair of curved pincers at the tip of its abdomen, while on the female, the pincers are smaller and almost straight. Although the pincers may appear impressive, they are harmless.
Each female can lay up to 60 eggs, in small nests about 4 to 5 cm (2") under the ground. The eggs are white and round. She usually does this in the fall, and only the eggs and several females make it through the winter. The female looks after her young for the first two weeks of their lives. The young leave the nest in search of food once they attain a length of about 6 mm (1/4"). They become adults after 10 weeks. Earwigs live for one year on average, with most of them dying during the winter. Those that survive are mostly females who will die the next summer after taking care of their offspring.

Habits

Earwigs are nocturnal insects, although they are sometimes encountered during the day when present in large numbers. They are known to attack fruit, flowers, and vegetables, and particularly seedlings. They can cause serious damage to gardens. The roots of young shrubs are often their primary target, but since they have no specific diet, they are practically omnivorous. They can be found all around the house searching for food and shelter, and even climbing the walls. They can get in anywhere and live in cracks and crevices.

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