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Tag: how to get rid of earwigs

  • Do Earwigs Bite? The Complete Guide to Earwig Bites and Safety

    Do Earwigs Bite? The Complete Guide to Earwig Bites and Safety

    If you have at any time seen an earwig running over the floor with its scary pincers raised you probably have asked yourself a question: “do earwigs bite?”. This is one the top questions that are most often ask by homeowners to us, about these unknown and mysterious creatures. We should examine the whole truth about earwig bites and thus uncover the lies from the facts.

    Do Earwigs Actually Bite Humans?

    In brief, Do earwigs bite people, but such instances are quite rare. Most of the specialists come to a common conclusion that an earwig is not a dangerous species for humans and that it is very hardly ever that one can get bitten, these cases are mainly when the insect is not given space to get away or when it is being attacked.

    earwig-bite

    Pinching vs. Biting

    Therefore, one should not misled into thinking that earwigs “bite” in the normal meaning of the word. On the other hand, they similarly operate their pincer-like limbs as if they were biting when they feel threatened. The main function of their pincers is as the defensive aspect of the primary body.

    In such a case, it can assumed that most probably the earwig would try to grasp your skin as if it would like to keep it instead of giving a fast bite because the pinch is the best part of the skin that can receive a quick bite, thus it would be more expedient for the animal to hold the pinch than to bite it. The pain caused by the pinch would be like a scratch, and in most instances, it would not even get to the extent of breaking the skin.

    Earwig Bite Symptoms and Appearance

    If you want to understand Do Earwigs Bite this guide will help you to understand. In case the earwig has managed to pinch you, this is what you will most probably notice.

    Common Symptoms

    • Two separate red marks on the skin, placed a little distance apart because of the two bite
    • The sensation of slight pain or discomfort as if you were given a small pinch
    • Redness and swelling at the bite area
    • Less bleeding

    When to Be Concerned

    In most cases, earwigs heal quickly without medical intervention. But it is important to consult a doctor and seek medical help if they bite you.

    • A strong allergic reaction, such as very hard breathing or hives
    • Symptoms of infection, like redness, swelling, etc
    • Regular pain or swelling that becomes serious after time has passed

    Fascinating Facts About Earwig Behavior

    earwigs

    Maternal Care

    One of the most amazing and lesser-known facts about earwigs is their exceptional maternal care. Female European earwigs are certainly the only insects that have got a plan and definitely understand that the main purpose of their life is to look after their eggs and young nymphs. To “lick” through the eggs thus keeping them moist and free from mold, mothers will do so and they will also energetically defend their brood to no one but themselves against those who want to catch it, even males who might be the ones to eat the eggs, apart from the predators.

    Defensive Secretions

    If an earwig is in danger, it will be highly likely that it would be among those species of earwigs that can emit highly unpleasant-smelling secretions from the glands that are located in the abdomen at the distance of 3.9 inches. The secretions thus obtained have benzoquinone substances that serve as a double purpose to them: they not only make predators give up the chase but also protect them from microbial infections thus effectively cleaning up the place. It is also quite funny that these secretions can momentarily stain human skin blue because of their quinone content.

    Social Behavior

    In other words, it is time to dispel the myth that European earwigs are solitary creatures; in fact, they are very social animals and prefer living in numbers, i.e. large groups consisting of hundreds of individuals. The most recent studies indicate that earwigs that have grown up in groups are likely to anxious about being alone as adults, and the opposite is true for those that have taken from groups: they become stress and more prone to getting fungal infections.

    Are Earwigs Beneficial or Harmful?

    The Good Side
    Earwigs are of great use in natural pest control. They are great hunters of aphids, insect eggs, and other soft-bodied pests. A study at Washington State University has found that earwig is a natural enemy in apple orchards, that is, if an orchard is infest with pests it is going to be necessary to use less insecticides and that populations of aphids are going to be heavily depress by earwigs.

    Potential Damage
    They may be good as predators, but earwigs can also be the source of the following problems:

    • Soft, baby seedlings and young plants
    • Soft fruits like strawberries, raspberries
    • Corn silks, thus, pollination may be affected
    • Flowers like dahlias

    Conclusion

    Although the term sounds foreign to many, what puzzles most people about earwigs is do earwigs bite?. It may not, at first glance, appear to be a difficult answer, but in actuality, the notion of a pincer pinch is not what one would imagine when considering being bitten. These amazing insects are mostly non-harmful to humans and are usually helpful with natural pest control.

    The main conclusion is that earwigs are rather harmless to people. They are predominantly feared and overlooked by the significant amenity they do to the environment, and their reputation is unduly harmed by the lingering nature of the myths that they crawl into ears and eat brains. The knowledge of facts about earwigs would assist us in better understanding the fantastic insects and take responsible measures at times when required.

    In case you find the earwigs at your home, do not treat them with fear but rather with moisture controls and exclusion. Keep in mind that one pinch by the earwig is nothing as compared to the pest issues that these insects keep at bay in your garden.

  • Do Earwig Fly? The Surprising Truth About Them

    Do Earwig Fly? The Surprising Truth About Them

    Have you ever tried to figure out do earwig fly? You haven’t. Bizarrely shaped pincers and ears of insects still serve their purpose to confound homeowners across the US past forty years. It is a fact that earwigs often caught crawling through the gardens and occasionally invading the homes, but their flying abilities are still one of nature’s best-kept secrets.

    The Amazing Truth About Earwig Flight

    Beholders may surprised to hear that early insects have the ability to flit in the skies; however, the truth is a lot more complex than they initially assume. The majority of the earwig varieties have wings, but the instances of them flying are very few. The very name of their biological order, Dermaptera, comes from a Greek word that describes the structure of their wings only.

    One example is the fact that they tend to have two wing pairs: the front one (or tegmina) being short, thick, and leathery, while the rear is of a large, membranous, and fan-like shape. Nevertheless, earwig fliers are very clumsy and they usually perform only a few quick flights. Their wings are much less efficient in terms of power compare to those of other flying insects like the housefly.

    do-earwig-fly

    The Incredible Wing-Folding Engineering

    Earwig wings are a splendid example of the natural world’s genius for engineering and design as they have a super-efficient replot system allowing them to retract their wings to a fraction of their original size. Fully outstretched, earwig wings may be over ten times their folded dimension – one of the most excessive fold ratios in the animal kingdom. This intricate origami-type of folding style enables earwigs to have a totally free movement on land while still having their wings protect beneath the hard covers.

    The wings fold through about 20 different fold lines alone, forming a structure so compact that it seems to go against traditional origami rules. The wing joints are also made of a special elastic biopolymer, which is called the protein resilin, that gives wings the ability to go from their fold to open states by the snap without the need for muscle power.

    When and Why Do Earwig Fly?

    Earwig bugs fly when:

    • After disturbances: If their nests get waterlogg or destroyed, earwigs can fly to look for a new place to stay
    • Mating purposes: Certain species go flying to find partners during the mating season
    • Food seeking: Sometimes, they make short flights to the places where they get food
    • Light attraction: Earwigs have been observe flying to the light sources; hence, the moon acts as their guide

    One among those is the Labia minor species that even uses its pincers to comb its wings out before every flight, according to the study. The majority of earwig flights made at velocities ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 meters per second; thus, “slow-flying” insects is a suitable classification for them.

    Common Earwig Species and Their Flying Abilities

    common-earwig

    European Earwig (Forficula auricularia)

    The European Earwig, the most common species in the gardens of North America, is a very rarely flying creature despite having wings that are well-develop. Normally, it’s not their flying that leads them from one place to another, but they are carry on clothes, lumber, or other commercial products.

    Shore Earwig (Labidura riparia)

    Shore earwigs, also called striped earwigs, are flight-capable and have even seen flying after they became disturbed. This species can grow to be 30 millimeters long and is consider good for controlling pests because it feeds on other animals. So if you wonder do earwig fly these two types can.

    Debunking Common Earwig Myths

    The Ear-Crawling Myth

    Most people are misinform that earwigs, which are the last thing on their minds, will willingly drive themselves into human ears to deposit their eggs or to dig up their brains. The entry of earwigs into human ears has reported in literature only in very few cases, and they have been classified as localities where the bug entities start to display their names, but this is no different from other small insect species.

    Are Earwig Pinches Dangerous?

    Usually, an earwig uses its pincers to accomplish the task of defense, capturing prey, or realizing the mating process, rather than to attack humans. Thus, if we consider an earwig as the entity, then its defensive pinching behavior can seen as giving a retreat signal to the aggressor because the pinch is so insignificant and there is no case of the skin being broken. The pinch is not poisonous, and any pain that might arise will be very mild.

    Seasonal Earwig Activity Patterns

    Earwig populations can wax and wane based on specific weather conditions. A hot and humid summer can make the earwigs breed more than usual and thus, increase the population. The highest temperature and humidity in June particularly suit earwigs to survive and reproduce.

    Recognizing the rhythms of earwig populations permits the residents of the house to predict the situation; thus, they can take pre-emptive psychosocial steps.

    The Bottom Line on Flying Earwigs

    To be honest, Do Earwig Fly. But, they are generally more inclined to crawl and hardly ever get to the air if it’s not necessary. Please note that the wing-folding is their most complex engineering solution of nature, which makes them still have the possibility of flying as well as being ground mobile.

    In case you have earwig troubles and you are situated in the US, bear in mind that those insects do no harm to people; in fact, they are even good. Concentrate on moisture control, habitat modification, and natural prevention methods since they will be most effective in the long run. In case that’s not enough, you can always ask the pros to come and deal with the problem. They can also offer you specific help, normally for your situation.