What does an earwig infestation look like?
Very few people ever encounter an earwig infestation of large proportion. As these are outside insects, even if people see just a few which might wander into a home or apartment, it is considered a major invasion. These are not tiny insects and the intimidating forceps lead to panic when people do see an earwig infestation.
Earwigs are not social insects, so there is no queen or king or colony workers as one would encounter with bees or even termites. There is also no nest so an infestation can’t be seen in a single place such as a hive can be for bees.
Earwig habits and habitat vary. Some are predaceous, preying on smaller insects or arthropods, typically. Most are not predaceous and instead feed on the live or decaying vegetation found in moist soil. If there is no other food, earwigs might be more predaceous.
If there is a home with moist soil around the foundation and an abundance of leaves, dead plant material in the soil, and even live plants such as tender weeds, earwigs will have adequate conditions to eat, hide, and rear young.
It is very common to remove the vegetation cover and see dozens of earwigs scurrying about to find hiding places. Domestic earwigs and young especially cannot tolerate dry and sunny areas for long. Sometimes, one might even see earwigs go into holes in rotten tree stumps but earwigs typically do not dig or burrow to a great extent. The flexible abdomen will allow them to move quickly and into tight areas.
Inside, unless conditions are excellent in a basement for example, earwigs will not typically be present in large numbers. If there is a food source, either vegetation or insects, and the area is moist and protected, earwigs can establish a population.
Why do I have earwigs in my apartment or home?
Are earwigs dangerous or poisonous to humans?
Do earwigs have wings and do they fly?
How do I control earwigs and will they hurt house plants?
How do I exterminate or get rid of earwigs?
How do I keep earwigs out of my house?
What are the difference
-between an Earwig and a Cockroach
-between Earwigs and Silverfish