How To Keep Earwigs At Bay: Expert Tips For Prevention And Control In Knoxville
No one wants to find insects in their home. Some bite, sting, and ruin food; others can spread harmful bacteria just by walking around on your countertops. But there’s some good news that your Knoxville pest control team wants you to hear. Not all insects that infest your home are horrible. Some are just annoying.
Earwigs are one of the most disconcerting yet relatively harmless pests you can have in your home. Here’s what you need to know to prevent these insects from infesting your house and how to keep them from coming back.
Earwigs Are A Very Creepy Looking Pest
There’s no denying it—earwigs look creepy and can startle you if you’re not expecting to see them in your home. But if you’ve never seen one, you’ll want to know what to look for. Here are some of their most unique characteristics:
- Earwigs are typically dark brown.
- They have long, narrow bodies with a distinguishable head and hind end. They have pincers on their rear end.
- The average earwig grows to between 1/4 and 1 inch in length. These insects are small enough to hide in the nooks and crannies of your garden and your home but large enough to spot if you’re looking for them.
You likely have earwigs in your home if you notice insects that fit this description.
Earwigs Are More Of A Nuisance Than A Danger
Though earwigs in Knoxville look scary, they’re not as harmful as other common household insects. These critters are not known to carry bacteria or spread diseases, so finding them in your house shouldn’t be cause for alarm. Furthermore, earwigs may look like they can bite and do serious damage with their pincers, but those pincers are not as strong as they look.
Most earwigs are fairly docile and will just try to run away if they feel threatened. But they may pinch if you try to pick them up and startle them. In most cases, the pinch is only mildly painful but won’t break the skin.
Simple Yet Effective Earwig Prevention Tips
Dealing with an earwig infestation is always easiest with the help of a professional earwig control specialist, but there are a few things you can do to keep earwigs from taking over your home in the first place. Here are a few proven ways:
- It’s common to find earwig larvae in yard waste and mulch piles. Get in the habit of picking up yard waste every time you work on your landscaping. Remove piles of leaves, excess mulch, and grass clippings to reduce the risk of earwigs congregating there.
- Earwigs often hide in piles of firewood. Move the stacks away from your house, up on a raised platform to keep earwigs from finding an easy way inside.
- Earwigs love damp areas. Keep your gutters and downspouts clean and in good repair to reduce the risk of plant debris collecting in them and attracting earwigs.
These simple prevention tips can help you keep earwigs from becoming a problem indoors, but you’ll want to enlist the help of a professional to get rid of earwigs already on your property.
The Best Way To Get Rid Of An Earwig Problem
The best way to eliminate an earwig infestation is to work with experienced home pest control in Knoxville. At Urbanex, our pros know how to identify and remove an active earwig problem. If you’ve noticed these unwanted insects in and around your home, don’t wait. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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