Contrary to what was once a popular belief, earwigs aren’t trying to get in your house to lay eggs in your ears at night. Even still, if you have them around your home, you might want to know how to get rid of earwigs (just to be on the safe side). In reality, earwigs don’t want anything to do with humans at all. People just don’t like them because 1) they are quite ugly looking and 2) they can do damage to flower beds and vegetable and fruit gardens. Here are a few tips that might help you if these little critters are becoming a nuisance.
Earwigs like dark, moist places to hide. If you want to rid your home of earwigs, then you have to get rid of their hiding places. Allow outdoor mats to dry thoroughly after it rains, eliminate cracks that may be around the outside of your house. Some people have found that surrounding the base of their homes with decorative pebbles is helpful in deterring these insects, especially if they are starting to come into your house.
Try a little vegetable oil in a small, flat can by your garden. Earwigs love to hang around the garden because it’s like a resort for them. It’s damp, there is plenty of cracks and crevices as dark spaces and there is a readily available food supply. Placing some oil in the can is supposed to attract the bugs and drown them.
Check the weather stripping around the doors of your home. If they are getting in your house, you have to eliminate the earwigs point of entry, and this is a common problem area.
If you keep potted plants around the outside of the house, try to keep them away from the doors as well.
There are also a plethora of chemical options available for disposing of these sort of bugs. If you have any pets or small children though, you should be sure to read the ingredients, instructions for use, and any warnings for the product very carefully before purchasing them.
Getting rid of earwigs can take some work on your part, but is worth the effort if they give you the creeps or are having a negative impact on your garden. For more tips on how to get rid of earwigs, you might want to search the Internet or talk to a home and garden pest professional.