Are earwigs bad bugs????

15 years ago

At least I THINK that is what they are- they look very similar to the pictures on the website below.

I found a little about them on the internet but am wondering if I need to spray for them or just let them be... they are most often in our bathroom. This weekend I noticed they had taken over a rotten piece of wood on our shed (it is a corner edging, not structural).

I freaked out when I saw them in the wood thinking they might be some weird, mutant form of termite, LOL. Haven't minded them too much in the house. They are kind of gross but the cats seem to like them :-) and I try not to spray insecticides in the house.

Most bugs get sprayed with aerosol hairspray and when they slow down enough, they get stepped on. Also works great on bees and flies that get in the house! Seems healthier than the chemicals (sorry bug lovers!).

Here is a link that might be useful: link to earwig pictures

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Comments (11)

pattico_gw
15 years ago
I don't know...but from the looks of them in the pictures...makes me want to sleep with cotton balls stuffed in my ears...

I had a bug crawl into my ear during the night once many many years ago...Only lasted a few mins , we shined a flashlight in my ear and it crawled out...I nearly went crazy during those few mins...don't ever want to experience that again.

patti
vicki_lv_nv
15 years ago
Although nasty looking and icky, they are harmless. Click the link below to find out more:

Sorry bug lovers...but I squish them!

Here is a link that might be useful: Earwig
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Cherryfizz
15 years ago
My Dad used to cut a piece of garden hose with a little beer in it and put it near where he saw the earwigs outside and that helped to get rid of them.

I have earwigs that come into my bedroom and I don't know where they are coming from. They bite too! I woke up one night with a burning sensation at the base of my spine. I reached around to rub the hot spot and I felt what was like a thread from my underwear so I brushed it aside. I realized it wasn't a thread and jumped out of bed and there was a dead earwig where I was lying. The bite didn't hurt but it sure sent a burst of really hot burning heat at the bite spot.

Anne
kathi_mdgd
15 years ago
I hate them also.

Lay down a folded up newspaper where you see them and leave it overnight.The next morning go out with a bucket of soapy water,pick up the newspaper and put it in the bucket.Lots of them critters will fall out and the soapy water will kill them.
Kathi
lynn_d
15 years ago
They are a pain in the butt and eat my plants so when I stumble across them they get stomped! Last year the invaded a pot of elephant ears and devoured the roots!
caflowerluver
15 years ago
They creep me out. I went to wash my hands at an outdoor faucet by the garden and bunch came out when I turned on the water. I yelped and jumped and kept brushing them off my hands. Just the thought of it again freaks me out. Yuck!
Clare
talley_sue_nyc
15 years ago
I have *never* heard of an earwig biting someone!

I foudn this:
"The name "earwig" derives from a false European superstition according to which these insects enter the ears of sleeping people and bore into the brain. In fact, earwigs rarely bite--usually when sat upon or handled--and their bite is only mildly painful."

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/ppearwig.html

Earwigs eat an omnivorous diet of other insects and plants. This diet can be beneficial: earwigs feed on aphids, mites, fleas, and insect eggs. Unfortunately, in gardens they munch on dahlias, marigolds, lettuce, potatoes, and hostas. They will also feed on mosses, lichens, and algae. Earwigs are active at night and hide during the day in almost any dark, confined space, particularly if it is moist.
barb_from_pa
15 years ago
I hate 'em!! I say kill the little suckers!
kathi_mdgd
15 years ago
Barb i love your little "killer" and i totally agree with you.
Kathi
Cherryfizz
15 years ago
LOL They sure do bite. The bite wasn't painful as I stated in my post. When the thing bit me it was a burning heat that I felt. When I got up to see what it was there was the dead earwig on the bed where I was lying.

Anne
janie_ga
Original Author
15 years ago
LOL, I had to save that little guy! thanks everyone, I will just let the cats keep being entertained by them and will leave the ones in the shed on their own. As long as they don't try eating me, the cats, or my house I am happy!!!