However, their presence inside the home can quickly become unpleasant - and outside, their droppings can stain exterior siding and covers for and boats and barbecues, for example.

Contact with soapy water can also kill the insect, Lagacé adds.Įarwigs are completely harmless and are in no way dangerous to humans. Other ways to avoid a spread include cleaning the ground of any wood or leaves, caulking all visible cracks and crevices, and placing small jars of vegetable oil in places where earwigs are visible. Further, nothing should be kept directly on the ground without ventilation space underneath. It’s important to reduce the humidity level around the floor of the house as much as possible by redirecting the gutters to keep water away and avoid its accumulation around the building. Thus, an early infestation can quickly deteriorate to become unpleasant and invasive, even getting inside homes. 'Since we've had a fairly wet summer so far, it's normal to see more earwigs,” he saysĮach year, a female lays about 50 eggs in the soil, caring for the larvae after they’ve hatched. The rain, heat and humidity provide an environment in which earwigs can thrive, he adds. “There have always been requests for outdoor treatments against earwigs, but this year, we have a greater number of calls compared to other years,” said Lagacé. According to exterminator Karl Lagacé, this summer's weather is playing a major role in the increased spread of earwigs in residents' yards.

The earwig, an insect of the forficulidae family, is more present this year in the Cote-Nord municipality of Sept-Rivières than in the past.

High dead space ventilation