Content:
- What is an Earwig?
- How To Identify Earwigs
- Where Do Earwigs Live?
- Are Earwigs Dangerous To Humans?
- Insecticide for Earwigs: Best Solutions
- Conclusion
Earwigs are insect pests that feed on soft plant shoots, foliage, flowers, and crop plants. These animals are a part of the ecosystem and greatly benefit the environment. They are also scavengers, i.e., they feed on dead, decaying organic matter like snails, aphids, and other bugs.
Earwigs also cause considerable crop damage and can be a concern, especially for gardeners or farmers. Thankfully, in this article, you’ll learn more about these insects, the best insecticide for them, and how to get rid of your earwig problem. Read on to discover more eye-opening information.
What is an Earwig?
The most common earwig, Forficula auricularia, is a nocturnal insect member of the order Dermaptera. In the United States, there are over 20 species of this insect, and they spend the entire day hiding, preferably in cold, moist areas, and primarily feeding at night.
But then, they can cause problems and wreck your garden or farm when infested.
How To Identify Earwigs
Earwigs have slender bodies that are 0.75 inches long. This body is often reddish-brown, and the insects can be distinctly recognized by sharp pincers at the bottom of their abdomen.
Female earwigs have straight and pointed pincers, while males have thicker, curved pincers that are widely separated. These insects use their pincers for mating purposes or to capture their prey. Some species have two pairs of weak wings that aren’t used for flight. Instead, they crawl and sometimes enter homes accidentally.
Where Do Earwigs Live?
The criteria for an ideal habitat for an earwig often include the presence of humidity, water, and darkness. You’d typically find an earwig under leaves, tree openings, or mulch during the day, and at night they feed on ripened fruit, flowers, molds, insects, and leaves. They can also move to other areas of your home and are especially drawn to bright light.
Earwigs come into homes through cracks in the wall, door, or windows and are found near water sources like kitchens with leaky taps, bathrooms, and laundry rooms; therefore, if you are dealing with an earwig infestation indoors, the best place to check are these places with water damage.
Are Earwigs Dangerous To Humans?
Earwigs may look scary because of their rigid exoskeleton and pincers, but they are harmless to humans. Contrary to popular opinion, they don’t crawl into humans’ ears and shovel through their brains. They also don’t carry any pathogens or spread diseases.
The only damage they cause is to garden plants and vegetables, and many of these insects can lead to huge damage and sometimes the death of plants. They release a chemical in self-defense when they sense danger or a predator.
This liquid chemical has a foul odor that gives house owners cause for concern, and it is one of the reasons most people want to get rid of earwigs in their homes. Here’s how to achieve this:
Insecticide for Earwigs: Best Solutions
An effective way to get rid of earwigs is to use repellent sprays. Indeed, these sprays can be used in many ways. If you are dealing with an earwig infestation, here are some ideas.
- Direct spraying on plants
- Spraying directly on the insects
- Direct spraying on the home’s exterior
When searching for the best insecticide for earwigs, there are some factors you must look out for, including the following:
- The ingredient list
If you aim to repel or eliminate an infestation, the choice of ingredients in your spray will greatly differ. For repelling, ingredients like peppermint, vinegar, lemon, cedar, and geraniols are all great choices. Others, such as bifenthrin, permethrin, deltamethrin, and lambda cyhalothrin, are best for total elimination.
- Moisture resistance
As already established, earwigs live in moist places, so if you’re using an insecticide spray for these insects, it should be water-resistant; otherwise, it won’t work perfectly.
- Frequency of use
The frequency at which you’re required to use an insecticide says a lot about the type of spray you’re using. The ideal sprays have less frequency of use. If you have to reuse the soap multiple times per day, it’s a sign that its active ingredients aren’t potent enough.
- Target area
This is a huge factor you can’t overlook, and it depends on your earwig situation. If you have an infestation indoors, you’ll use a spray different from an outdoor insecticide. Therefore, if you’re getting insecticide sprayed, look for the target areas and see if they match your current situation.
Thankfully, some sprays have combinations of the ingredients we have discussed above. They include the following:
Mighty mint spray
Mighty Mint Spray is a natural pesticide and a known brand to get rid of earwigs. The active ingredients in the spray include geraniol, rosemary oil, and peppermint oil.
Geraniol and rosemary oils have compounds in them that help repels earwigs. Peppermint has a compound known as menthol that’s responsible for the repellent effect.
Mighty Mint Spray is used outdoors for garden plans and can be sprayed directly on plants without causing harm or damage. The frequency of use is every 7–10 days at first, and when your earwig problem is gone, you can apply every three weeks as a preventative measure.
Wondercide Spray
Wondercide Spray is also a natural product suitable for indoor or outdoor use to prevent and eliminate earwigs and other pests. It’s made of cedarwood kerosene, sesame oil, and peppermint oil. It also contains sodium lauryl sulfate, a chemical surfactant that helps the product stick to surfaces.
It can be used on bedding, flooring, furniture, kitchen, bathroom, and for houseplants and garden plants. It works well when sprinkled in tiny cracks in your walls that you suspect are hiding places for these insects.
Its frequency of use is twice a week for elimination and once a month for prevention.
Ortho Home Defense Spray
The active ingredient in this is bifenthrin, which is an excellent earwig eliminator. This spray is used mostly indoors but can also be used on the perimeter of your house to keep these insects at bay.
This spray has a strong odor, so you’ll have to remove every pet and move your family before spraying. When the spray dries out, it is safe for anyone to enter. The spray claims to last 12 months, but this is only in ideal conditions.
It lasts about three months outdoors, but this can also be shortened with rainfall and other environmental conditions.
Essential oil spray
Essential oils like lavender, lemon, clove, rosemary, basil, eucalyptus, and peppermint can make an essential oil spray. All you need to do is get a spray bottle and fill it with a few cups of water. Depending on how many cups of water you use, add 15 drops of essential oil per cup.
Earwigs have sensitive senses of smell, and these essential oils can help eliminate them. You’d have to reapply this about once per week for effectiveness.
DIY scent-based sprays
You can make your DIY spray using common ingredients, and it doesn’t take too long. Here are some options you could try:
Cinnamon spray
Earwigs are completely repulsed by this ingredient, even though it’s sweet.
- Add a tablespoon of cinnamon powder to one cup of water.
- Spray this mixture around problem areas. Put the mixture in a spray bottle.
Vinegar
Vinegar has a pungent, acidic smell that irritates the ears.
- Add 1 part vinegar to 1 part water and mix.
- Add liquid dish soap for extra shine and stickiness.
- Put the mixture in a spray bottle.
- Spray on outdoor surfaces
- Reapply once a week for maximum effectiveness.
Conclusion
Earwigs are harmless to humans but can cause irreparable damage to soft crops, flowers, ripened fruit, and leaves. These insects can also gain entry into homes and are attracted by water and food sources. Thankfully, some effective strategies to help you get rid of earwigs have been discussed in this article.
Also, you should remember to keep your surroundings tidy, seal all entryways, and fix any leaks in pipes to prevent reentry after elimination. Good luck!
