EARWIG CONTROL

   This article is about EARWIG control.
It will explain why they are a pest and what
needs to be done for controlling infestations.
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   The following article is about Earwigs.
It will discuss basic biology, detail what to
expect from local infestations and then list 
the products needed to control them. To see
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   Earwigs have been a cosmopolitan pest for
many years in the United States. There are over
ten species in America, but four are most common
and likely to invade homes. These include the
European, the Shore, the Ring Legged and the
Seaside Earwig. Some of these have wings, some
have stripes on their abdomens, some are dark
brown, but all have pinchers. Earwigs are
both plant and insect eaters. In fact, they will
eat just about anything. Plant damage looks
much like slug damage; the main difference
is that slugs will leave a slimy trail behind
where earwigs leave no foot prints. Plant
damage can be extreme. Although it is most
common to find small irregular holes, earwigs
will readily eat all of the "meat" of a leaf
leaving only a skeleton frame behind.  Earwigs
also like insects. Though they may feed as
predatory insects, earwigs will readily eat
dead insects, algae and vegetation. Since they
eat so many different food items, earwigs may
find a home and food just about anywhere. It
is not unlikely to find them around any type
of home. However, unlike ants or termites,
earwigs will readily establish themselves
in the roof, the attic, the basement or 
the crawlspace. Although some species can
fly, most find there way into homes by 
walking up the side of untreated homes.
Once established in the mulch beds and
flower beds around your home, earwigs will
soon find their way inside. 
   Earwigs are active year round. Although
they may find shelter under rocks and other
ground cover during winter months, only freezing
temperatures and ice seem to stop them from
daily foraging and activity. Eggs are usually
laid in the late fall/early winter. Females
will lay 30-50 and generally have one brood a
year. However, in warmer climates, she may have
two.  The eggs will hatch in about 2-3 months
and the first instar of development will spend
much of it's time feeding on the food mother
brings home. Within a month, the first instar
will enter it's second stage of development
which is when they become a lot more venturesome.
By early summer, they will be fully mature and
ready to migrate away to neighboring nest sites.
This is usually around June, July and August.
Although the summer months are when you most
likely may see invading earwigs, it is important
to understand that they may be active year round.
If you are seeing them in living areas of the
home during cold winter months, it is because
they have established themselves somewhere in
the home. Since they can eat just about 
anything, earwigs can successfully nest in
sections of the home which may be warm the
whole year. 
   Earwigs become noticed when they start to 
invade. Homeowners will find them in basements,
garages, Jacuzzi's, bathrooms and just about
any part of the home. Earwigs like it moist
and prefer dark areas. Basements and crawl
spaces provide great nest locations, but because
people store many boxes and other items in
these environments, earwigs find their way into
homes by hitching a ride. Once in the home, 
earwigs will take advantage of any object which is
set on the ground. Such locations are prime
nest sites and slab homes seem to be particularly
vulnerable. Since the slab will readily absorb
moisture, earwigs are able to nest under carpet
and find food by emerging and foraging as needed.
Old wives tales tell of earwigs finding there
way into the ears of sleeping people only to
cause fever and insanity. Such tales are
far fetched but earwigs have been found to
crawl into any vacant cavity they can find.
They love small holes, cracks and crevices.
Such invasions won't lead to insanity, but
their pinchers will hurt when they grip you
and it is more likely they will find their
way into your shoes than your ear!
   Controlling earwigs is done based on the
type of infestation you have. Mild invasions
and activity levels can be controlled with a
product called ESFENVALERATE.  This is a no/low odor
liquid concentrate which is mixed with water and
applied with a SPRAYER. Treat all the
way around the foundation both inside and 
outside. Pay particular attention to the 
outside. Treat around windows, doorways, garages,
crawl space entrances, pipe entrances, vents,
AC areas and water spickets. Esfenvalerate is easy to
work with since it is odorless. Treat inside
along baseboards where you are seeing them. In
most cases, they will live along cracks and
crevices where carpeting meets the wall or under
boxes, crates, benches and other hard to
move solid items. Spray these areas so that
as the earwigs emerge seeking food, they will
find the Esfenvalerate. The residual is good for 
up to a month and will provide control of mild
infestations. If you have hard to spray
areas which have a lot of seams and areas
where the earwigs may be nesting, use our
BAYGON AEROSOL. This material is very active
on earwigs. It comes with a tube for precise
application and dries clear. It will penetrate
hard to reach areas and provide quick knockdown
of active earwigs as well as a month of residual.
Baygon Aerosol is also convenient to use in between
liquid treatments. It is ready to spray so that
any seen can be treated immediately without having
to mix up a tank of Esfenvalerate. Remember, 
Baygon Aerosol is designed for quick control and 
limited areas to treat. Esfenvalerate is for bigger 
areas. For sensitive areas or if you have places
where earwigs are persistent, set out some EARWIG TRAPS.
These round plastic traps use a food lure as attractant
and have several small holes through which earwigs
like to enter. Bait them as the directions detail using
one of the food types listed. Soy sauce works well so
use it if you have some. These traps can be used
safely in food and dish cabinets but are also ideal
for outside applications - particularly at the base of
any garden vegetable - since earwigs love to munch
on our summertime fruits and vegetables. Be sure to 
clean and rebait traps every 1-2 months - especially 
during the warm season.
   For more sever infestations, you will need to
address nest locations directly. This may mean
having to treat outside or inside. Outside infestations
will be found around the home. Mulch, wood chips, 
bark, and gardens provide the more common materials
where earwigs like to nest.  Such areas can
be large and not practical to treat with Esfenvalerate.
For these areas, it is better to use ORTHENE WP.
This material has a strong odor but works great
on earwigs. Only use it outside. Water it in with
a HOSE END SPRAYER. Orthene will work quickly on
earwigs. It is best to treat right after a rain.
If it is dry, water the area prior to spraying.
This will let the material penetrate to nesting
earwigs. In the days following treatment, earwigs
will forage for food, crawl over the Orthene and
die. Orthene will work fast and effectively. If
you have a  really bad infestation, it is recommended 
that you use some BIFEN GRANULES as well. Bifen G 
won't work quickly like Orthene, but it is more time
released and generally lasts 2-3 months. This
could prove important when wanting to insure
that you are getting the first stage which
hatches from the egg. Bifen needs to be watered
to activate it and it is important to apply
it in a uniform fashion. This can be done with
a fertilizer spreader or a SCATTER BOX. Be sure
to get good coverage over flower bed areas, 
mulch islands and turf. Although it is usually
not needed to treat the entire yard, the more
of a "barrier" you have around the home, the
less activity you will have coming into the
home. If you feel you need to use both Bifen
and Orthene, spread the Bifen first and then
spray the Orthene. This will provide the very
best results since the water from the orthene
will get the Bifen to start releasing. By
the time the Orthene is wearing off, usually
in a couple of weeks, the Bifen should be
releasing enough to begin to take effect.
  If you believe the nests are located in the
crawl space or attic of the home, it will not
be practical to spray Esfenvalerate in such areas.
Use ECO DUST for these areas. ECO dust is
odorless, lasts a long time and designed for
moist environments. Most importantly, it is
very active on earwigs. Apply it with a 
DUSTIN MIZER. This tool lets you blow the
ECO Dust out 25-30 feet to hard to reach areas
of remote crawl spaces and attics. When properly
dusted, attics and crawl spaces won't be able
to house nest seeking earwigs. ECO Dust also
works well on several other pests so it will
help control any perimeter invader you may have
had problems controlling.
   Once under control, simply treat the yard
once a year and spray your foundation every
month to be sure no more come back. Earwigs
can be a nasty, smelly insect when they
invade your home. Esfenvalerate and Baygon
will control mild infestations; Orthene
and Bifen Granules will control large levels
outside.  If they are established inside
crawl spaces or attics, ECO Dust will be
needed.

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