Pincher Bugs
Some Important Facts About Pincher Bugs
Pincher bugs, otherwise known as earwigs, are a hardy and plentiful species of insect, and can oh so very hard to convince that they are unwelcome. Fortunately for us humans, pincher bugs are not considered harmful whatsoever to humans or household pets. They can give a small pinch with very little force when handled incorrectly, and the quickness with which they run about can be a bit off putting. They are omnivorous, which means that they tend to both forage on decomposing or moisture plant materials, but also hunt for other insects, their young, their eggs, or their dead for nutrition. Sounds gross, I know, and so is the old wives tale that they were named for. The fact remains, the earwig is relatively harmless and easy to kill, though whisking back outdoors from whence he came may be just as effective.
Pincher bugs prefer the outdoors, as dark and moist are his cup of tea. Drought and elongated periods of severe heat will drive him indoors, and this is when you are most likely to see him flittering around your baseboards in a panic. Squishing him is not recommended, as being attacked, frightened, or killed causes the earwig to release a staining, orange secretion which has a horrible odor all its own. Vacuuming him and any others quickly with a hand held unit, and then emptying it outdoors far away from the house, is a very good solution to the occasional run in. Insecticides do work very well on pincher bugs, as they have no known tolerances to any of the most common types of poison. The only problem with them is that they will not stop an infestation problem. You must start outdoors if there a problem within your home.
Pincher bugs are called earwigs because it was believed, up until the past century even, that these crawled into the ear and bored into the brain while the victim slept. This myth, of course, is supported by no medical or scientific fact, and should be disregarded as a possibility. Pincher bugs are more helpful than harmful to humans, as they help to control the unborn spider population with the eating of thousands of eggs per night. If earwigs have entered your home by the droves, or even by multiples of ten, then you may need to begin repelling them with a perimeter treatment.
Perimeter treatments for the control of pincher bugs should start about three feet from the base of your homes foundation, and should be applied to the ground all the way around the perimeter of your home. Mark your starting point, and any points where you may need to take a break, so that you cover the entire circle without leaving any open areas. Sealing your basement well and caulking all cracks and crevices will help immensely as well.