Earwigs

m8man

Moderator
Gosh where to start. Since we moved out in the country about 5 yrs ago (new house) we have had earwigs here and there. I noticed if I kept the grass cut and trimmed around the foundation of the house regularly it helped. Also don't leave dishes in the sink, no half full glasses of water out either and blah blah blah. I've also sprayed the foundation with wally world brand of insecticide every week.

This year seems to be just horrid with the amount of earwigs. Here and there we'd kill some and whatever. You'd find some maybe in the shower or sink in the morning but only here and there. This year it is nuts. At night maybe 11pm or so they come out in droves. Last night was it, I literally killed about 25 in an hour on one side of our home. It seems they come out of the ceiling fan mount to the ceiling and the smoke detector mount as well. They come from the crawl space above the house. I've read a ton on google about them and with kids and a dog I didn't want to get to crazy with my death plot for earwigs. It is recommended to use Boric Acid. Has anyone used this or any other stuff that's helped. It is not just us, I've talked with 3 other neighbors and they have them bad as well. My parents live in town about 4 miles away and don't have any...

any ideas for me?

m8man
 

dcsnomo

Moderator
Huge problem this year. I finally wrote a check to Orkin to get some professional help. They laugh at the wally world insecticide, I think they use it as an aphrodisiac.
 

anonomoose

New member
Yes, they are a nice little import from back in the 1970's...got here from shipping pallets, don't yah know.

It is absolutely critical to keep vegetation away from the foundation.

I have found that they do NOT like dish soap. So take heavy concentrations of dish soap and load in your pump up sprayer, and hit the foundation and 4 feet around it.

You have to do this again after each rain, cause the rain will wash it away, but this keeps them well away from the house and also kills the eggs. This will keep thousand leggers away too.

It isn't toxic to kids or dogs/pets.

I read that a wide spraying of diozinene (sp) or similar kills them out too, but that isn't something I like using where I live. (might cause a leg to fall off or worse yet..your hair to fall out)

If anyone finds an attractant for these things, let me know...I have experimented with all sorts of things with little good...so far.

BTW they will bite yah, if they get into your bedding.

I was also thinking that a strip of black plastic about 3 inches wide put all along the foundation up a few inches off the ground with some of that sticky stuff John Dee mentioned for deer flies might be the ticket...if they get stuck in it, they will be killed by the sun and prevented from reproducing every year.
 

snoluver1

Active member
Attractant?

They sure are attracted to my wifes rose bushes. They are eating the crap out of them. Even in the broad day light - full sun, if you walk up and shake the bush they fall off and scatter. They are out of control this year.

BTW, I here earwigs breed like crazy just before a long, cold, and snowy winter! LOL.;)
 
FYI....an earwig is BENIFICIAL to ALL HUMANS....its only job is to eat INSECTS....the pincers are for holding insects to devour...they avoid humans at all costs....if you have earwigs i KEEP THEM cause it means there is an overabundance of spiders/cock roaches/wood roaches/mosquitos/centipeds/rolly pollys/and many more...never kill an earwig or erradicate them....you will then be overrun with wood roaches and all other sorts of insects that DO BITE HUMANS and love the taste....thank god earwigs dont like flesh or blood eh....also the very HUGE mosquito looking things are look alikes...the eat nothing BUT mosquitos and are huge to get over the top of mosquitos without the mosquitos noticing it....i put them in all my tents when out camping.....life is good with those 2 around....its a common misconception....as is alot of things....go look em up if ya doubt me
 

m8man

Moderator
I WILL NOT KNOWINGLY SLEEP WITH EARWIGS IN MY HOME CRAWLING AROUND ME AND THE FAMILY. I WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KILL THEM ALL.

m8man
 

anonomoose

New member
FYI....an earwig is BENEFICIAL to ALL HUMANS....its only job is to eat INSECTS....the pincers are for holding insects to devour...they avoid humans at all costs....if you have earwigs i KEEP THEM cause it means there is an overabundance of spiders/cock roaches/wood roaches/mosquito's/centipedes/rolly pollys/and many more...never kill an earwig or erradicate them....you will then be overrun with wood roaches and all other sorts of insects that DO BITE HUMANS and love the taste....thank god earwigs dont like flesh or blood eh....also the very HUGE mosquito looking things are look alikes...the eat nothing BUT mosquitos and are huge to get over the top of mosquitos without the mosquitos noticing it....i put them in all my tents when out camping.....life is good with those 2 around....its a common misconception....as is alot of things....go look em up if ya doubt me

Actually earwigs can carry round worms, and mites. While they do eat very tiny insects, the only larger insects such as roaches/mosquito's, and centipedes they would eat, are dead ones. They primarily eat vegetation, and prefer rotting materials...such as grass clippings, and such. They will eat fruits and vegetables, and yes they will eat up your rose bushes.

The pincers can inflict a "bite" like irritation on your legs or body, which can get infected. While they don't really bite, they defend themselves with those pincers and you will feel like you were bitten. Insects that crawl around in dark wet places have the propensity to bring with them, other infectious diseases and bacteria so you should wash the area and disinfect any place you know one has been crawling.

While they have been around for a long time, the varieties that inhabit the northern climates have only become abundant since the mid to late 1970's

They have an annual life cycle, so a good spraying in the late fall after you have raked up the leaves and other vegetation that has died off, would go a long way to killing them off when the kids and pets are less likely to come in contact with the sprays. Then in the summer you will have fewer numbers to deal with. Remember that NO spray is totally safe and dozens have been removed over the years even though they THOUGHT them to be safe initially.
 
I WILL NOT KNOWINGLY SLEEP WITH EARWIGS IN MY HOME CRAWLING AROUND ME AND THE FAMILY. I WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KILL THEM ALL.

m8man

the only problem is it means you have a LARGER, more hidden problem than earwigs......i hate to tells ya....and if you get rid of them all, be prepared for an onslaught of another creature next year that you will hate 20 times more than a harmless earwig....enjoy
 

jr37

Well-known member
Thanks for clearing it up for me. At first I thought you guys were talking about the stuff that grows out of the ears of old men that don't groom very good. lol
 

mezz

Well-known member
Like I suggested last night, "Ortho Home MAX". This works indoors & out, safe around kids & pets. Spray around perimeter of home inside including the basement, spray exterior perimeter starting at the base of the siding down the foundation to gound level. You may even try to get into the area's of the attic space, also check your exhaust vents for kitchen & bath & spray them as well. This stuff does work & for a variety of insects, ants, spiders etc... Lasts for 12 months, even outdoors.-Mezz
 

yamahachick

New member
Like I suggested last night, "Ortho Home MAX". This works indoors & out, safe around kids & pets. Spray around perimeter of home inside including the basement, spray exterior perimeter starting at the base of the siding down the foundation to ground level. You may even try to get into the area's of the attic space, also check your exhaust vents for kitchen & bath & spray them as well. This stuff does work & for a variety of insects, ants, spiders etc... Lasts for 12 months, even outdoors.-Mezz

I used the same and found no more spiders or anyother insects in my basement or bedrooms. Under 12.00 and well worth it.
 

hoosierblizzard

New member
I went to spray my foundation and wood siding the other day(been seeing big black ants(carpenters I think) moving up and down on it) when I noticed one of them was carrying one of these earwigs. I have had a ton of them also, around old wood and plants/flowers. Needless to say, I did not spray that area right then and thanked the ant for its helping hand(pincher). I understand the ant is probably doing more damage, but on that day it was earning its keep. Wish more of the ants would help fight the cause!!
 

field_mouse

New member
For plants and flowers "Seven" works really good. You can get this at any hardware or box store, i.e Lowes.
Years ago I used to mix fifty-fifty water and vinegar in a pump sprayer and spray the foundation of my house, it did not seem to kill them but it did seem to help deter them from being around!
Now I use Max Ortho, last year I was spraying for spiders and noticed that the earwig population was down!
 

racerx

Active member
Prof PC..on the crane fly subject, right from that wikipedia link:

"Despite their common names, as adults, crane flies do not prey on mosquitoes, nor do they bite humans. Some larval crane flies are predatory and may eat mosquito larvae"

so where does it show that these guys "the eat nothing BUT mosquitos and are huge to get over the top of mosquitos without the mosquitos noticing it...." as you wrote.

I may be missing something but what I cut out about was right in the link you posted.
 

m8man

Moderator
Mezz, it worked good. Did a major treatment with it and did the indoor foggers. Most all earwigs are gone and I've asked the neighbors to tell me if I start glowing in a week.


wooo hooo


m8man
 
Prof PC..on the crane fly subject, right from that wikipedia link:

"Despite their common names, as adults, crane flies do not prey on mosquitoes, nor do they bite humans. Some larval crane flies are predatory and may eat mosquito larvae"

so where does it show that these guys "the eat nothing BUT mosquitos and are huge to get over the top of mosquitos without the mosquitos noticing it...." as you wrote.

I may be missing something but what I cut out about was right in the link you posted.

the reason you always say that about crane flies is because it consumes mosquito larva and sometimes eats mosquitos as an adult and it is ALWAYS confused and looks just like a real mosquito hawk which lives in the forest....so unless your a naturalist and a biologist and can tell the difference between these 2 then its safe to generalize TO KEEP ALL THE BIG AZZ LOOKING MOSQUITO THINGY'S IN YA TENTSKI....OTAY?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxorhynchites

all these thing say larva.....but it is known that they eat adult mosquitos....they prefer larva the most....just like you like steak, but will sometimes eat brussel sprouts.....so in wikipedia on your discription it would list steak as whjat you mainly eat....not brussel sprouts....capeesh

a small price to be mosqutio free to sleep with a few crane flys and mosqutio hawks.....its the lesser of 2 evils

PS....why i do i always have to explain shiite to you dudes like your a 5th grader???????? arent you dudes like wildnerness dudes???????
 
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