If you find an earwig in your bed, The first question you ask yourself is “ why are there earwigs in my bed?”. Well I did not know the answer before. But I found out why and how to prevent them from crawling to the bed. The thing is Not many people are educated on these and hence they end up making stories about the earwigs.
So, from this article we are going to cover all the basic information about the earwigs, the ways of getting rid of them.
Why are there earwigs in my bed?
You could commonly find earwigs in your beds as they prefer to hang out in the dark spaces. In fact earwigs love occupying your cozy pillows and in your blankets. Literally they find them as ideal places to hide out as well. First of all, to briefly explain what these earwigs are, these are the most unpleasant insect types you would find in your house.
They have a quite scary appearance and an ominous name as well. Besides, they are mysterious too.
That characteristic enhances the fierceness the people have towards the earwigs. Having said that, earwigs are not the type of insects you need to worry a lot too.
Earwigs can simply climb into your bed. Some earwigs consist of wings. However , those wings are not quite beneficial for flying. However, they would be quite effective for short flights.
How to identify earwigs?
You can easily identify the earwigs by their unique color. In fact, they would be brown to reddish brown in color. Earwigs’ body is long and slender. They have pincers or the cerci and you can identify them from this characteristic. They will form on the back of their abdomen .
When they mature, they will be about 5/8 of an inch long. Having said that, there could be some different earwigs which can grow up to about one inch in length. Chances are that they may comprise wings depending on the species.
How do I keep earwigs out of my bed?
The best thing you could do to keep the earwigs away from your bed is by vacuuming them up. Besides, ensure that you vacuum their eggs also. When you complete this you can get rid of the vacuum bag. Alternatively, you can empty the vacuum container into a bucket of soapy water so that it will make them drown.
Moreover, you can spray the surrounding of your bed with a mixture of dish soap and water. You may use a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water also for this purpose. Alternatively, you can also trap them by placing a dish filled with olive oil and soy sauce closer to the bed. Since they are attracted to the smell, they will reach there and end up drowning there.
You can apply the boric acid powder given that there are no kids or pets in your house. However, if you practice this method , ensure that you adhere to all guidelines when you apply them.
Further , ensure that you do a proper background search before you apply any of this method, so that you will be rewarded with the best results.
Finally, on a long term to keep away the earwigs, you need to ensure that you keep your bed less attractive for the earwigs so that you do not have to go through this hassle. Additionally ensure that all the gutters and spouts in your house are well cleaned and no excess water is retained there. Ideally, they need to drain the excess water away from your house. You need to always keep an eye on the spots where there is any potential for risk of water damage.
If you come across any spot like that, ensure that you attend to it and get that rectified.
Check whether you could find any cracks in your home and seal them also up. Ensure there are no gaps once you shut all your doors and windows. Besides, check screens for tears and repair them as necessary too.
Do earwigs crawl on you at night?
Earwigs do not crawl . Further; they do not infest people’s ears. It is a myth about the earwigs. Earwigs prefer dark, warmer humid places. Hence it is technically correct that earwigs are attractive for sleeping person’s ear. Having said that, they will not stay there for too long. Further they will not lay eggs there too.
Do earwigs travel in groups?
Earwigs gather in groups as they are semi social insect types. When there are large groups of earwigs, in terms of agriculture, there will be a massive destruction for the plants. Literally, matured earwigs will stay with eggs and in the meantime, they will become nymphs.
Can earwigs hurt you?
Earwigs can bite you if you make them feel like they are under threat. Earwigs are not aggressive in general, and it is very rarely that they lash out except in the occasions where they try to defend them. Even if they pinch you , they will not harm you seriously. However, they will bite you even if you are awake or asleep.
When they bite you, they will pinch your skin. Consequently, it will create a small welt.
They are not poisonous insects or transmit diseases. Further they are not the type of insects which could create structural damage on a significant level. One could find Earwigs as a menace , but they do not create any dangerous impact for you. What they usually will do is they will use their pincers on humans and pinch you if they feel like they are under threat.
If you try to touch them or pick them, they will feel they are under threat and try to pinch you. However, their pincers are not too strong, and it will not break your skin.
However, when they pinch you, you will feel a minor pain. Further chances are that you may have a small bruise or a welt as well.
Do not ever try to pick them up with bare hands. Besides, Earwigs do not want to bite like the mosquitoes or any other bed bug type. Literally they do not have any reason to bite you as they do not depend on your blood unless you try to provoke them.
Why do I suddenly have earwigs in my bedroom?
Earwigs could invade your bedroom if they find the outdoor conditions not so welcoming towards them. In such circumstances, they will end up landing on your living spaces. In other words, if the outdoor temperature drops , they will invade your bedroom as they come in search of warmth.
On the other hand, if their normal shelter also gets dry, they will tend to invade your bedroom. In addition to the above, if they find any damp basement area where there will be more clutter , Earwigs prefer to occupy those areas as there will be excess moisture and shelter.
Earwigs are quite attractive towards these conditions. Further when they invade the bedrooms, they can protect themselves from winter conditions as well.
They try to move inside when the winter conditions arrive.
Having said that, they do not like to live in our space. However, if there are any lapses in the maintenance, they will end up landing there. Earwigs would usually crawl inside the cracks, gaps , holes and reach your bedroom or the space. If there are poorly sealed doors or windows, Earwigs will find it very easy to reach your bedroom.
Besides, Earwigs could be spotted in newspapers, boxes , lumbers also. When you bring them inside, you are unknowingly welcoming the Earwigs also to your bedrooms.
Especially if you have located the boxes in a wet surface, there will be a high potential for the Earwigs to infest them. Further indoor lighting also attracts the Earwigs. Moreover, Earwigs can accommodate in the gap between the plant pot and the saucer. So, when you bring them indoors to protect the plants from winter, Earwigs will also come inside.
How to get rid of earwigs
There are natural and chemical ways of getting rid of the Earwigs. They are as follows.
Using dish soap and water – You may mix dish soap and water and use it as a spray on the Earwigs infested places.
Rubbing alcohol – Next you can use rubbing alcohol and water and spray right at the Earwigs. If you were looking for a quick way of getting rid of the Earwigs, this method would be fruitful.
Boric acid – After that you can use a boric acid powder as well. You can easily acquire them at the hardware stores. You can apply this on the spots where you cannot easily reach. However, ensure that you protect your kids and the pets from boric acid as it is harmful for them.
Light Traps – You may also use light traps to get rid of the Earwigs. They are quite attractive towards the bright light. When they hang around during the nighttime, you can use the dish soap and water method and place a bright light at the bucket so that they will come there in search of light and will end up perishing.
Soy sauce trap – Using oil and soy sauce traps is another way of getting rid of the Earwigs.
All you have to do is to combine olive oil and soy sauce in a small container and locate in the areas where you can commonly spot the Earwigs.
Earwigs love this smell. Hence, they will climb into the liquid and eventually they will end up drowning.
Pesticides – You could also use a pesticide to cover the areas where you commonly spot the Earwigs. You can use pesticides such as seven, malathion which could be quite effective here.
Vacuuming – You may also consider vacuuming the garden and your house so that you can easily remove the Earwigs. Further when vacuuming check whether there are any Earwigs eggs also there so that you can avoid further population. Once you complete vacuuming the areas, you need to dispose of the vacuum bag or empty it into a bucket which is filled with water and soap. It will make the remaining Earwigs drown there.
Prevention methods
When you remove all the Earwigs, it is up to you to ensure that Earwigs do not land in your space once again. So, to do that, you can practice the following steps. If you find any window screen holes, you need to assure that they are fully intact. You should cover those and repair the holes as the Earwigs cannot reach you through those entrance points. Next check the foundation around your house and if you come across any gaps, you need to fill those, so that Earwigs cannot invade your space through those.
Furthermore, you need to fix the leaky drain and pipes as well. As aforesaid Earwigs are fond of cool and moist locations.
Hence look whether you can find any pipes or drains which could be leaking. If you find any, fix those so that there will be less potential for the Earwigs to enter your space. After that you can remove leaf, stone and wooden piles as well. Earwigs would love to have a location where they can access food and shelter. Hence, I suggest you remove the leaves if they have piled up.
Additionally, you need to remove the stone and old wood around your house. Further if there are any mulch or dead leaves or vegetations around the foundation, it will also make your house vulnerable for Earwigs attacks. Hence get rid of them as well. Finally, you should ensure that the gutters and the drainpipes you have at your home are all clean.
Further get rid of the overly shady and damp areas too. You can simply trim the trees and shrubs in your yards.
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