Reports Of This Tough Looking Bug Have Surged This Year! But Don’t Be Fooled – They Aren’t Going Crawl In Your Ear And Eat Your Brains…

STAND BACK CICADAS!! For some reason, earwigs have decided that 2024 is their year. We’ve had more reports of earwigs this year then we’ve had in the past 10 years COMBINED! We’ve scheduled more treatments for earwigs than any other individual pest this year. But there really is not anything to worry about.

Known to be a relatively common household pest, particularly in single family and garden level homes, the “earwig” appears to really be getting around this year. They love houseplants and even feast on aphids, mites, and eggs from other insects that commonly infest houseplants.

This year we have had a handful of reports and treatments scheduled here at Park Tower, and our exterminating team tells us we are not alone. This bug has been popping up more regularly in many other locations throughout the region. Occasionally they will invade structures such as ours and can be pesky and stubborn when you are attempting to treat for them.

In this particular instance, Google provides a pretty decent tutorial on this bug. They are attracted to moisture and dark, damp places, and multiply pretty easily in warm and humid conditions. They squeeze through doors, windows, and cracks – though it is unlikely they will crawl up a building such as Park Tower to enter your home through the windows. Typically we will see them during dry weather when they are trying to find more moisture positive surroundings.

Some history…the word earwig is said to come from the Anglo-Saxon term ‘earwicga’. That translates to “ear creature.” The myth is that earwigs enter peoples’ ears and bore into their brains. Nope! Just a myth. They do no such thing. They may have scary looking pincers on their behind, but they won’t pinch or bite you, nor will they crawl into your ear unless you put them there. Earwigs are omnivorous, feeding on decaying or live vegetation or live and dead insects – not humans. Generally they are non-threatening and typically not invasive.

However, if you come into contact with them they may become stinky. As a defense mechanism, some types of earwigs  release a smelly substance if they are disturbed or crushed.

It is said that insecticide treatments may only provide relief for a short period of time. PTC Magazine instructs that correcting conditions that contribute to their development is the most effective approach. So, sadly if you have a plant that becomes infested, it may need to go.

Our Pest Control Operator rep William Kay told us, “I believe that they may have been brought in with a plant or plants as they like damp and decaying vegetation. A high-rise multi-residential building is not an ideal habitat for these pests.  [We’ve] had a huge increase in service requests for earwigs this season as we’ve had a particularly warm and wet spring and summer. This makes for an ideal environment for earwigs to thrive, so it makes sense that we have an increase in activity all around the Chicagoland area.  By and large earwigs are a relatively harmless yet disconcerting occasional invader.”

If you ever observe any pest, contact us and we will have our exterminating team visit. AEGIS Pest Control is pre-scheduled to visit every two weeks for household pest prevention and treatments. If you are able to catch it or snap a picture, that can be very helpful so they know what they’re dealing with. If you can capture it, a ziplock bag or plastic container with a lid is ideal for storage. Reach us anytime at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.