Earwigs Chapter 10 Section II – General Pest Control Basics of the Pest Bear & Affiliates Service Personnel Development Program , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Earwigs are: They are occasional invaders They prefer to live outside They are predators Their habits are associated with environmental conditions They enter structures in search of food They are easy to kill but hard to control , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Occasional Invaders Are found inside structures but do not usually establish populations inside Infestations are generally seasonal in nature Do not normally cause continuous problems inside structures Are sometimes called miscellaneous pests , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Earwigs are occasional invaders Two species of earwigs are invaders of structures: the ring-legged earwig and the striped earwig The striped earwig is the most common invader of buildings Earwigs are commonly found outside buildings in the mulched areas of flower beds , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Earwigs do not normally fly They do have wings Some species are capable of flight Striped earwigs are commonly found in light traps, which are used to attract flying insects They normally crawl into structures in search of food, water or shelter , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Earwigs prefer to be outside Given ample food and water, earwigs will remain outside They are commonly found in the thatch, particularly in St Augustine grass, where they feed on insects, mold and fungi Excessive watering is one of the main causes of earwig migrations , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Earwigs are predators Earwigs are veracious feeders and will attack and kill other insects at random Female earwigs lay their eggs in cells in the soil and continually groom the eggs to remove fungus Male earwigs will consume the young earwigs when the hatch and will kill the female to get to the young , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Earwig populations are controlled by the environment During any type of extreme adverse conditions earwigs tend to move: Too much water or drought Too hot or severe cold Homes with mulched flower beds and heavily thatched lawns are the prime targets for earwig infestations , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Earwig enter buildings in search of food They usually are found in flower beds and turf adjacent to the structure They enter around doors and windows A common point of entry is around plumbing and electrical accesses Once inside a structure they forage for food and are commonly seen in open areas , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Earwig are easy to kill They are killed by very small amounts of pesticide Most residual pesticides will kill earwigs They readily accept baits, particularly organic baits Contact with a chemical barrier will cause the earwigs to be more active prior to death , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Earwig are hard to control Control requires location and elimination of the normal habitat - outside Treating flower beds, mulched areas, and turf with heavy thatch is very important Use of granular materials will increase the potential for successful control Barrier treatments will kill earwigs but they will still enter structures before they die , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

IPM works very well with earwig control Inspect the property to locate the source of the infestation Remove or reduce the harborage to reduce future infestations Apply residual materials and baits on the exterior of the structure Apply residuals in the interior Reinspect to determine the amount of population reduction , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved

Always look for earwigs In flower beds Where there is heavy mulch And around house plants , Central Fla Duplicating, Inc. All rights reserved