I need help getting rid of Ear Wigs in my house?

Question

Hi, my daughter lives in our basement, which is a bit on the damp side. She has been having a fair amount of ear wigs in her room, which is grossing her out. I've done a bit of research and found that they for the most part are just gross looking and are pretty well harmless. Today, we bought a big can of Raid spray. Can someone please give me some suggestions on how to get rid of the little terds? One was even on my back door k**b tonight, when I grabbed, it, yuck. Thanks folks!

Answer 1

my suggestion would be to call an exterminator.  Those thngs look nasty!  I've never seen one in person that I remember anyway, but I looked it up on line b/c I had no idea what it was.  good luck in getting rid of those crazy lookin things!

Answer 2

The basement is more on the unhealthy side from dampness than from earwigs.  I suggest you cure the dampness problem. A dehumidifier would be the best first step.

Answer 3

Step1Eliminate hiding places. Search out and remove damp, dark hiding places such as leaf debris, wood piles, upturned pots and underneath stepping stones. This step alone will help more than anything else you can do.

Step2Encourage hungry birds into your garden by setting out a bird bath or feeders. Birds hunt and consume amazing amounts of insects.

Step3Make earwigs traps by mimicking their favorite hiding places. Loosely roll sections of newspaper, secure with a rubber band and soak in water until thoroughly wet.

Step4Place the homemade earwig traps in areas where damage has been found. The traps should be in place before nightfall. Use several traps for best results.

Step5Pick up the traps every morning. Earwigs will have found their way deep inside the rolls of newspaper during the night.

Step6Dispose of the traps in a plastic bag or tightly covered container. Do not compost.

Step7Fill low-sided cans with 1/2 inch vegetable oil and place on the ground. Earwigs will find their way in and drown.

Answer 4

Because I didn't know what an earwig was, I looked it up on Wikipedia and this is what it had in it for Pest Control:

While earwigs can be considered in some ways a beneficial part of the garden, especially when they prey on other insects, they can become a nuisance because of their habit of positioning themselves within leaves and feeding on soft plant tissues. Since they prefer cool, moist places, a rolled up damp newspaper placed where earwig activity is suspected can be effective in collecting them. The newspaper can then either be discarded or shaken out. Placing diatomaceous earth in key spots around the home (bathroom, baseboards, window frames) can be a long-term repellent