Golden Hills Pest Control is the top choice for Sacramento County pest control & extermination. We have over 30 years experience, and have helped thousands of homeowners and businesses with earwig extermination and other pest control.

Golden Hills Pest Control

Earwigs Control Services in Sacramento

IDENTIFICATION

The adult earwig is readily identified by a pair of prominent appendages that resemble forceps at the tail end of its body. The adult body is about 3/4- inch long and reddish brown. Most earwigs prefer to live in cool, wet environments that are not often disturbed. Earwigs crawl inside homes through cracks, gaps, and holes that lead inside the structure. They can even be carried into the structure through common activities like bringing in the newspaper, boxes, or books. The earwig gets its skin-crawling name from long-standing myths claiming the insect can climb inside a person’s ear and either live there or feed on their brain but this myth is unfounded. Earwigs are capable of biting but despite their fierce appearance, earwigs generally don’t attack humans.

Earwigs thrive in dark, cool, moist environments. They are most active and feed mostly at night. Earwigs are commonly found hiding under loose soil, debris, or dense vegetation.
Female earwigs dig cells in the ground in the fall and winter where they lay masses of 30 or more eggs. Eggs hatch into small, light brown nymphs and remain in the cell protected and fed by their mother until their first molt. Second-instar nymphs may forage at night but still return to the nest during the day. Third- and fourth-instar nymphs are darker and forage on their own. Generally there is one generation a year.

The adult earwig is readily identified by a pair of prominent appendages that resemble forceps at the tail end of its body. Used for defense, the forceps are somewhat curved in the male but straighter in the female. The adult body is about 3/4 inch long and reddish brown. Most species have wings under short, hard wing covers, but they seldom fly. Immature earwigs look like adults except they are smaller and lack wings.

Contrary to popular myth and despite their ferocious appearance, earwigs generally don’t attack humans, although they are capable of biting if trapped in clothing or sat upon.

Earwigs LIFE CYCLE

Earwigs feed most actively at night and seek out dark, cool, moist places to hide during the day. Common hiding places are under loose clods of soil, boards, or dense growth of vines or weeds or even within fruit damaged by other pests such as snails, birds, or cutworms.

Female earwigs dig cells in the ground in the fall and winter where they lay masses of 30 or more eggs. Eggs hatch into small, light brown nymphs and remain in the cell protected and fed by their mother until their first molt. Second-instar nymphs may forage at night but still return to the nest during the day. Third- and fourth-instar nymphs are darker and forage on their own. Generally there is one generation a year, but females produce two broods.

Part of the earwig population hibernates during the winter as pairs buried in cells in the soil. In the hotter parts of California, earwigs may be relatively inactive during the summer. In milder California climates, some remain active all year.

DAMAGE

Earwigs feed on the following: insects, mites, and growing shoots of plants. They are often feed on aphids and insect eggs and can provide significant biological control under some circumstances.
Earwigs can cause leaf and stem damage to seedling plants and soft fruit (apricots, strawberries, raspberries, etc). When feeding on the leaves on older plants, including fruit trees it is common to find numerous irregular holes or chew marks around the edges. This damage may resemble that caused by caterpillars. Earwigs also cause damage to flowers including zinnias, marigolds, and dahlias. Earwigs will seek indoor areas when conditions outside are too dry, hot, or cold. Sweeping and vacuuming is helpful in the control of earwigs as well as sealing entry points around your home or business.

If earwigs are a regular problem in a building, inspect the area to see how they are getting into the house and properly seal the exposed cracks and entry points. Removing debris and organic material from the perimeter of a building that could provide harborage is also an excellent control measure. Possible harborage sites include: ivy growing up walls, ground cover, mulch, gutters debris, wood piles, piles of newspapers, etc.

It is also helpful to keep moisture away from the structure that will attract earwigs. Repairing drain spouts, proper land grading for water drainage, and ventilating crawl spaces will all help to minimize moisture around and under your home. If earwigs are attracted to outdoor lighting, use yellow or sodium vapor lightbulbs, which are less attractive to these insects.

Earwigs Inside the Home

Indoors, earwigs can be swept or vacuumed up; be sure to kill and dispose of them promptly so they won’t reinvade. If earwigs are a regular problem in a building, inspect the area to see how they are getting into the house and seal up cracks and entry points. Remove materials outside the perimeter of the building that could provide harborage, such as ivy growing up walls, ground cover, bark mulches, debris (especially leaves in gutters), wood piles, leaf litter, piles of newspapers, or other organic matter.

Also, keep water and moisture away from the structure by repairing drain spouts, grading the area so water drains away from the structure, and ventilating crawl spaces to minimize moisture. Insecticide treatments indoors aren’t recommended, since they will do little to prevent invasions. If earwigs are attracted to outdoor lighting, use yellow or sodium vapor lightbulbs, which are less attractive to these insects.

Golden Hills Pest Control
Business Hours

Monday - Friday 8AM – 4PM

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Call Us

(916) 333-3738

Service Area

East Sacramento, Rocklin, Rancho Cordova, Orangevale, Lincoln, Citrus Heights, Sacramento, Roseville, Elk Grove, Folsom, West Sacramento, Fair Oaks, Carmichael.

Business Hours

Monday - Friday 8AM – 4PM

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"Wow. I am impressed. I've had this problem with spiders for years. I tried everything. Kept washing everything with Mr. Clean, put down powders, picked up a ton of them with toilet paper, but the buggers always came back! Frustrated me beyond belief. I don't know what I was thinking at the time, but I was watching one of them work it's way across my bathroom floor and was thinking 'what's the point. Why bother doing anything when they just come right back.' Then I started thinking 'Could even a professional do anything about this? Well I'm done, what the hell.' So I called Golden Hill. Sure enough they were there the same day doing their thing. I didn't expect much, but damn if the little buggers never came back! I couldn't believe it! If only I'd known then what I do now. Thanks guys! You guys rock!
Derek B
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This is the first time our house receives treatment for pest control from Golden Hills so I would have to update this sometimes in the future. We plan to do more than one treatment and do a follow up every 2 months. The customer service was very friendly and the guy explained what they're about to do in a thorough manner. They first sprayed inside and outside the house to get rid of the ants. We are expecting them to return next week to do the rest of the work. With the ants treatment we didn't have to leave the house because they didn't use a toxic or unbearable chemical. We expect to have to the spider webs removed and the crevices outside to sprayed too. Here's to a pest free summer this year.
Minh L
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My mom has used Golden Hills for 20+ years, so when it came time to get rid of nasty spiders, they were the ones to call. I spoke with Warren who remembered my mom after all these years and he is just awesome. The day they came to my residence the for the first time, I had forgotten to leave payment behind for my husband to give them. Instead of just leaving, the gentlemen waited for Warren to call me so it could be all sorted out, and it was. I know my mom has had an awesome experience, and so far, I have too. Thank you for being awesome!
Vanessa G.
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I freaked out after seeing a few black widow spiders around my house so i had golden hills pest control out yesterday. They were very friendly, knowledgable, and thorough. Haven't seen any live spiders yet so hoping the service lasts. I'll defiantly use this company again for my future pest control needs.
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