These ancient bugs are gross! Right? They thrive in wet weather, so they're not going anywhere soon. Are you finding them in your house, pool, and garden? Get rid of them quickly with these easy remedies. 

The proper name for earwigs is Dermaptera. They're nocturnal, quick moving bugs that love dark and damp places. They live together, and their nests contain thousands.

It's said the earwig got its name from the folklore that they can get into your ears and lay eggs or enter the brain, but of course, that's not true. The earwig name comes from their back legs as some think it looks like a pair of ears.

The pincers are used to protect themselves and unfold their two sets of wings. There are over 1,500 species of earwigs documented, and most species of earwigs have wings. Yes, some earwigs can fly.

Orkin says their pincers, or forceps, protruding from their abdomen appear to be dangerous but its another misconception. Earwigs can use their forceps to grasp onto a finger if agitated, but earwigs do not sting nor are they dangerous. They have no venom, so earwigs are not poisonous.

Here's what to do if the earwigs have moved into your house?

  • Check for bugs on everything you bring inside, especially laundry, lawn furniture, flowers, vegetables, and firewood.
  • Move mulch away from your house’s foundation.
  • Establish a zone of bare soil that will dry out.

Earwigs can cause lots of damage to your flower and vegetable gardens. If you notice plant leaves that are jagged and full of holes, then you have an earwig problem. The Farmers Almanac says any of these remedies will fix the problem.

  • Spread petroleum jelly around the stems of your plants. Earwigs won’t crawl over it.
  • Try sprinkling borax around it, but keep pets and children away from this area after doing so.
  • Mix equal parts soy sauce and olive or vegetable oil put it in a small plastic container, and secure the lid. Punch holes in the top of the container. Make the holes large enough for the earwigs to get in. Bury the container in the soil just up to the holes. The soy sauce will attract the earwigs, and the oil will prevent them from escaping.
  • Alcohol controls these pests by acting as a surfactant, or wetting agent, that can penetrate an insect’s waxy coat of armor and kill on contact with the body.

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