Certainly one of the most unsettling looking insects that you may ever come across, a mixture between a centipede, ant, and spider – literally one of the ugliest things you’ve ever seen crawling around in your home – it’s important that you understand exactly what an earwig is and how you can remove it from your property forever without any headache or hassle whatsoever!
That’s exactly what this quick and easy to follow along with guide has been created for, giving you the insider insight you need to successfully banish these insects from your life forever – all without ever having to call in that the exterminators or pouring chemicals, toxins, and other interesting concoctions around your home that could put you or your loved ones in jeopardy.
Let’s dive right in!
How to determine if you have an earwig problem in the first place
The first step in removing earwigs is first determining whether or not you’re dealing with these insects in the first place, something that seems relatively simple and straightforward on the surface – but nothing could be further from the truth.
You’re going to want to look at a handful of different pictures of earwigs on the Internet to get a real firm idea of what these little insects look like on the surface, and it might even be worthwhile to get some “maximum zoom” pictures to study as well.
Yes, this can be a little bit gross and unsettling – but it is important “recon” and that can make or break the removal process.
Once you have determined that you do in fact have an earwig infestation in your home, it’s time to begin taking the necessary steps to remove them forever!
The easiest way to keep your wigs out of your home (without using pesticides) is to eliminate as much of the green plant matter in your home as possible
The very first thing you need to understand about eliminating earwig infestations is that these little critters do not live inside your home (or take up residence), but instead crawl through your home and inside your home looking for food and a place to reproduce.
Nesting outside in dark, moist areas – and absolutely in love with rotting looks, rotting leaves, and freshly tilled soil more than anything else – the first step to getting rid of these little nasties is to eliminate as much of the green plant matter you have in your home (or in the immediate vicinity outside your home) as possible.
This may not be as simple as it seems on the surface – after all, you’ll need to get rid of all plants, fruits, and vegetables that are left out in the open for a short duration – but it is essential if you’re going to stop providing them with the “bait” thereafter.
Personally, I find controlling this pest in St Petersburg Florida to be quite a task for the reasons previously mentioned. In this area, with all the rain and sunshine there are always plants growing very rapidly, even in the winter months!
Secondly, you might want to consider using different vapor lights to catch or trick earwigs into falling into your traps
Another tip or trick that you’ll want to leverage as early and as often as you can is to use what are known as “vapor lights”, providing you with an easy and efficient solution that allows you to dehydrate these little critters the moment that they step under the “spotlights” – humanely and effectively vaporizing them in a hurry.
You might also want to consider using “white light technology” in conjunction with other earwig traps, as they are drawn to this color light and can be lowered into just about anything to their ultimate demise!
Finally, you’ll want to dry any and all moist areas in your home to rob them of a healthy habitat
Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want to eliminate as many of the moist areas in your home – especially those that are shaded for the majority of the day.
Remember, earwigs absolutely love wet, moist, dark areas (especially in the seller or the attic), and it’s advisable that you attack them in their natural habitat or remove as much of this habitat from your home or property as possible to keep them from ever coming back.
Sure, these aren’t the only methods out there that are proven to be effective at eliminating an earwig infestation without any real stress or effort whatsoever – but they happen to be some of the easiest to implement!
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- License: Creative Commons image source
Pete Kontakos is a certified wrestling coach and has experience in the retail industry and restaurant industry as a General and District manager.