Thanks to the forceps protruding from their abdomens, not to mention their long antennae and creepy-crawly legs, pincher bugs (or earwigs) might look like the stuff of your nightmares. And if you’ve ever been pinched by one, you might think you’ve been bitten or stung. These are definitely not insects you want hanging around your house, and if you spot a few, you want them gone yesterday! Thankfully, pincher bugs aren’t really harmful. But we understand why you don’t want them invading your home, and can get rid of them for you.
But first, let’d dispel some myths: Pincher bugs, or earwigs, don’t sting or bite. But if they feel threatened, they will indeed pinch you, and it can hurt just a bit. Luckily, they aren’t venomous, and only rarely does the pinch even break the skin. And no, earwigs don’t crawl into your ears and lay eggs in your brain! We aren’t even sure where that story originated, but it’s definitely not true.
However, pincher bugs will cause major damage to your garden, aside from just generally creeping you out. They feed on leaves of plants, particularly young seedlings. A female pincher bug will lay clutches of 20 to 60 eggs at a time, helping the insects to reproduce rapidly. And when the weather cools off or gets rainy, pincher bugs often decide to take shelter within homes. So if a swarm of pincher bugs invades your landscaping, you want to deal with them quickly.
If you notice a creepy little bug with long pinchers hanging out in your garden, or crawling about your kitchen, give us a call right away. Snap a picture if you can, so that we can identify the insect for sure. Then we’ll assess your home and yard for a pincher bug infestation, and recommend the best pest control treatments for your situation. When you act fact, we can interrupt their breeding cycles and get rid of these destructive, pinchy little pests quickly.