Extermination earwigs
Also called forficules or ear clips, earwigs are critters that pose no threat to humans. Although harmless, an invasion of these insects can be quite problematic. How to prevent an earwig infestation? By what means can they be exterminated? Here is some useful information that can help you eliminate these insects.
Description of earwigs
With a very elongated shape, the ear clip is an insect whose size varies from 8 mm to 2.5 cm. Depending on the species, its flattened body can be equipped with four small wings. Also, it is covered with a relatively hard exoskeleton.
Ear clips are colored bright brown-redhead. In general, the abdomen of this insect is much darker than its head as well as its thorax. At the end of this abdomen, there are two pliers or forceps.
In females, the claws are especially small and almost straight. On the other hand, with males have longer and curved claws. the earwig also has two antennae whose length represents half of its body.
It has a pair of mouthparts characteristic of the “grinder” type. Generally speaking, ear clips are much more in motion at night. However, they are also active during the day while looking for relatively dark and damp corners for shelter.
Ear clips live outdoors. However, if you find them in your home, it is certainly not to look for a place for their nest. Unlike some socially organized insects, earwigs live individually and more precisely in moist soils.
The life cycle of earwigs
Mating earwigs is carried out in summer. As a result of this, the female lays her eggs inside a dug nest. A few months later, the larvae give adults. Around October, the critter will hide in the ground in order to hibernate.
In winter, males die in large numbers, but the female survives this icy period. A month later, the female isolates herself in a small hole that she herself dug in order to lay 50-70 white eggs.
The larvae finally hatch around the middle of May. Then the female takes care of the eggs and its larvae until the last of the four molts that the larvae will undergo. The life expectancy of ear clips in about a year.
How are earwig invasions unpleasant?
During the day, the forficules do not support light. They therefore spend most of their time in:
- ground crevices;
- the hollows of the flowers;
- under the bark of soft wood;
- between the petals of large flowers.
The earwig has the ability to fly, but does so only very rarely. He prefers to live hidden in dark and humid areas such as the kitchen, bathrooms or under carpets. This insect feeds mainly on decaying matter, fungi, aphids and plants: leaves, fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc.
In addition, these insects can pose a threat to your flowers and garden. In addition, ear clips have a look unsympathetic. However, their presence in a house turns out to be quite painful for the residents.
Indeed, these critters crawl, climb walls, barriers and hedges. It is also possible that they take refuge in your food, in your bed or in your cupboards. Just the idea of knowing them close to you is enough to disturb your tranquility.
In addition, earwigs secrete a particularly stinking liquid. An infestation of these insects does not pose any danger to human health. To put it simply, ear clips pose no threat to humans.
How to get rid of earwigs?
For earwig extermination, it is necessary to follow certain specific steps. Before using a service capture and relocation of animals,check that it is an infestation of ear clips.
Detect the presence of earwigs
To detect the presence of ear chip, you must first of all examine your plants. If you feel that some plants have been devoured by these insects, do not hesitate to take a torch to make a night visit.
This will allow you to have a confirmation. Also, if you have a vegetable garden, be sure to inspect your cut flowers that you bring back into your home. It could be that these flowers contain ear clips.
Trap and kill earwigs
It is possible to trap these insects in two different ways. As a first step, arrange vertically on the floor pieces of corrugated cardboard wound on themselves and fix them with the help of an elastic band.
Then return to the floor flower pots filled with wet newspaper. Lift these papers with a small stone to leave a space through which earwigs can crawl. In reality, this type of trap serves as the home of its insects.
Remove earwigs with diatomaceous earth
La diatomaceous earth,made from tiny aquatic organisms are a real asset to easily eliminate earwigs. Indeed, these insects rubbing those with this earth scratch their bodies and eventually die.
In case of a large infestation, it is possible to make use of some insecticides. It is recommended to use them outdoors rather than inside the house. For the duration of the extermination of earwigs, it is advisable to leave your house and return to it 4 hours later.
Take the trouble to leave the windows open for 10 minutes.
If in spite of everything, the invasion persists, you must call on professionals to help you get rid of it. To this end, you will find in Montreal a team of specialists willing to offer you its services.