Help! We just purchased our home and have found it to be infested with earwigs.
Jo,
Thank you for listening to the Inside Outside Guys – we appreciate you.
An earwig infestation is not a pleasant thing to deal with – although the old myth that these insects actually take up residence in our ears has been proven false.
It is most common to see these critters in homes that are slab-on-grade construction where there is not crawl space or basement and they are most active at night.
They like moisture and moist places – especially those in and around organics such as leaves and wood mulch. – under rocks, logs and wood piles.
Once in the home, they can hide virtually anywhere – but are most likely to be in the moist, humid areas of the home such as kitchens, baths, laundry rooms, crawls and basements.
Step one is to eliminate moisture and humidity – so de-humidifying is critical.
Step two is to try to create a dry barrier outside the home foundation by pulling leaves, bushes, grasses, mulches, etc away from the foundation – we always talk about a good twelve-inch barrier with these things.
Step three would be the application of pesticides to reinforce this barrier – on the ground around the home and even up the exposed walls ofthe foundation outside the home.
If you live in a slab-on-grade, you would need to seal every potential crack in the slab – around pipes, settlement cracks, etc – Dow makes a spray foam product that is also a pesticide that is ideal for such applications.
De-clutter areas where the creatures are most likely to appear to eliminate hiding spaces – keep laundry off the floor as well as storage boxes, etc. Clean homes and spaces are far less likely to see infestations and provide hiding places.
As a last resort, you may initially need the services of a good professional such as Creature Control – 800-441-1519.
Hopefully this helps with your concerns. Please stay in touch with us and tell everyone you know about the Inside Outside Guys.
God Bless and enjoy your new home.
The Guys