Alarming to look at, harmless in fact. The pincers cannot meaningfully hurt you and they do not go in your ears.
Unmistakable — the rear forceps are unlike anything else you will find indoors. The old folklore about earwigs entering ears while you sleep is simply untrue and has no basis. They neither bite nor sting, and they carry no disease.
The species you have. Dark reddish-brown, rear pincers, about three-quarters of an inch. Curved pincers indicate a male, straight a female.
Earwigs need moisture, which makes them a reliable indicator of where you live on the peninsula. In dry Sequim they are seasonal and modest. In Quilcene, Brinnon, Port Hadlock, and the Chimacum creek bottoms they are a year-round fixture. Damp retaining walls, hillside daylight basements around Discovery Bay, and irrigated valley ground all sustain large populations that then move indoors when conditions shift.
Perimeter treatment is effective because earwigs are almost always entering from immediately outside — usually within a few feet of the wall. The durable fix is combined: treat the perimeter, and pull the damp organic material back off the foundation. Treatment alone against a wall packed with wet mulch will underperform, and it is fairer to say so than to keep re-treating.
Call us when: You are finding them indoors regularly rather than occasionally, or numbers rise despite drying out the perimeter.
Unmistakable — the rear forceps are unlike anything else you will find indoors. The old folklore about earwigs entering ears while you sleep is simply untrue and has no basis. They neither bite nor sting, and they carry no disease.
Peak June through September, worst in wet years. Earwigs need moisture, which makes them a reliable indicator of where you live on the peninsula. In dry Sequim they are seasonal and modest. In Quilcene, Brinnon, Port Hadlock, and the Chimacum creek bottoms they are a year-round fixture. Damp retaining walls, hillside daylight basements around Discovery Bay, and irrigated valley ground all sustain large populations that then move indoors when conditions shift.
Perimeter treatment is effective because earwigs are almost always entering from immediately outside — usually within a few feet of the wall. The durable fix is combined: treat the perimeter, and pull the damp organic material back off the foundation. Treatment alone against a wall packed with wet mulch will underperform, and it is fairer to say so than to keep re-treating.
Mulch, leaf litter, and organic debris against the foundation. Damp retaining walls, planters, and raised beds. Overwatered landscaping and sprinkler overspray. Firewood, boards, and stones lying directly on soil. Damp crawlspaces and basements.
You are finding them indoors regularly rather than occasionally, or numbers rise despite drying out the perimeter.
Flat contract pricing, and we answer the phone locally. Tell us about the property and we'll get you a number.
Or call (360) 670-3367 — we answer locally.
