How Do I Get Rid Of Earwigs Around My Home And Garden In Knoxville?
Have you spotted an unusual insect scurrying through your kitchen? Or have you noticed some unsightly creatures rummaging around your basement or bathroom? There's a good chance you're dealing with a rare earwig infestation, one of Knoxville's least-loved occasional invaders.
Before you start panicking about what to do next, you should know that what you've heard about earwigs probably isn't true. These pests don't crawl into your ear at night and are not venomous to humans or pets. They are, however, a distasteful sight and can make living in your Knoxville home anything but comfortable.
Thankfully, getting rid of earwigs isn't a complicated process. As long as you're willing to use some prevention steps (or at least contact a professional home pest control company for treatments), you can see an immediate reduction in their activity and restore your home to an earwig-free state.
Before you jump into any treatments, however, you should know exactly what these pests are.
What Are Earwigs?
Earwigs are a type of occasional insect from the order Dermaptera. With a whopping 2,000 species from 12 different families, there are all sorts of different kinds located right here in Knoxville.
You can identify earwigs by:
- Their dark brown to burgundy carapaces (or shells).
- Their long, curling 'pincers' (called cerci).
- Their long, segmented antennae.
- Their six yellow legs.
- Their thick, straight body shapes.
Keep reading to learn about the problems caused by an earwig infestation in your house.
Why Are Earwigs A Problem?
So, if earwigs can't crawl into your ear at night, what other sorts of problems can they cause?
Earwigs are a nuisance pest. When they get into your home, they can reproduce and overrun areas in your home. They can also use their cerci to pinch, though injuries from earwigs are minimal to nonexistent.
Aside from being unsightly, earwigs can also sometimes get into your pantry and contaminate your food, including grains like flour and bread. However, these pests are more likely to keep to themselves and feast on a diet of decaying plant matter.
The best way to keep earwigs out of your home is to use verified prevention measures. Let's take a look at a few earwig control steps below to keep your property safe.
How Can I Prevent Earwigs In My Home?
If you want to stop earwigs from getting inside your home, you need to reduce or eliminate potential attractant factors. This includes:
- Removing decomposing plant matter from around the sides of your home.
- Bagging any leaves in the fall and composting, burning, or throwing them away.
- Eliminating excess moisture both inside and outside, starting with dehumidifiers.
- Repairing clogged drains and leaky pipes to stop earwigs from finding water sources.
- Sealing cracks, gaps, and fissures as often as possible.
Contacting a professional Knoxville pest control company like Urbanex for help.
Whether you're facing an embedded earwig infestation or just need a one-off service, you can trust the team at Urbanex to help you get rid of earwigs fast.
What's The Best Way To Get Rid Of Earwigs?
Earwigs can create an unwelcoming presence in your Knoxville home. With Urbanex, you can set up scheduled treatments for your lingering infestation and get the support you need to rid them from your home.
We specialize in managing occasional invaders and a host of other pests. This means you can get back to doing what you love – without earwigs getting in the way.
You can start working on earwig control today by contacting Urbanex for local pest control services. We're looking forward to helping you get rid of earwigs and take back your home from pest activity.
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