This story was originally published in July 2018.
As one of the most demonized beetles in history, the catchy tune has inspired truly gruesome myths and stories. But despite the insect’s intimidating pincers, it’s actually pretty harmless to humans. Still, they’re a nuisance. And as earwig numbers naturally grow over the summer, people are looking for ways to deal with these unwanted pests.
“I went on vacation on the 11th of this month and there were quite a few [earwigs] in two specific places: in the grain bin and in the bulkhead of the house, ”said Ronica Smith of Strong. “When we came back from vacation on the 23rd, they were and are everywhere. In the kitchen sink, in the tub, in my dishes, in the basement, crawling around everywhere. “
Smith was recently part of a discussion about catchy tunes, and more specifically how to eradicate them, on the Maine Homesteading Facebook public page. And the posts indicate that she’s not the only one struggling with this creepy crawling animal.
“Right now, you could probably see three at any given time, wherever you are [in my house]”Said Schmied.
This may sound like a nightmare to many, and for good reason. Earwigs have been falsely portrayed as dangerous pests for decades. It all started with an Old English myth that claimed that earwigs deliberately crawl into people’s ears while they sleep, then dig into their brains and cause excruciating pain and madness when they lay eggs.
This terrible story earned them their common name, a combination of the Old English words “eare”, which means ear, and “wicga”, which means insect.
Of course, this name just perpetuates the myth and allows catchy tunes to snake their way into horror films, poetry, and more. One of the most memorable of these earwig stories is the 1972 episode of the Night Gallery show, in which a man is driven insane when an earwig is stuck in his ear and eats its way through his brain. The episode has been named one of the most terrifying TV episodes in history by several reviewers.
“There’s certainly a stigma attached to these things being violent,” said Clay Kirby, pest control specialist with the University of Maine’s Pest Management Office.
With a long, armored body and formidable pliers protruding from the rear end, earwigs seem capable of doing some damage, but they actually don’t care about people. They use their pincers to hold live prey (other insects) and protect their nests. They only use their forceps on people when picked up or otherwise provoked, and their pinch is unlikely to break the skin and not cause permanent irritation, Kirby said.
Even though earwigs – just like ants and many other insects – occasionally migrate into people’s ears, they are not really able to dig their way from the ear canal through skin and bones into the brain.
Earwigs are common all over Maine, and despite the scary myths about these insects, they are harmless to humans. However, they can harm a wide variety of plants. Credit: Courtesy Griffin Dill, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
But catchy tunes can also cause damage in other ways. As opportunistic eaters, they feed on insects and a variety of plants, which can be a problem for gardeners.
“I remember one case outside of Augusta where a gardener kept finding fresh holes in the leaves of the bean plant every morning,” said Kirby. “I told them to go out with a flashlight late at night and do some scouting, and she called me the next morning and said, ‘I got it! There were catchy tunes all over the plants. ‘”
Earwigs are nocturnal, eat at night and hide during the day, preferably in dark, damp areas. People often find them under piles of wood, in rock edges, under plants and sometimes in houses.
They can damage a variety of flowers, ornamental plants, and vegetables by feeding on leaves and giving them a ragged appearance. Corn silk is one of her favorite foods, according to the UMaine Pest Management Office. You will consume it while it is growing, which prevents pollination and results in poorly developed ears with missing kernels.
But catchy tunes are not all bad. West Virginia University entomologists now believe that much of the damage once attributed to earwigs is caused by snails, nudibranchs, ground worms, and other pests. And because earwigs feed on insect eggs and soft-bodied insects, they can sometimes serve as a biological control for certain pests like aphids.
However, earwig infections can be a problem. So how do you get rid of them?
One of the best ways is to make very simple catchy traps, Kirby said. These traps are essentially places where earwigs take shelter during the day.
“They like moisture and dark hiding spots, nooks and crannies,” said Kirby. “If you have a canoe in your yard and haven’t used it for a while, turn it around in mid-July, catchy tunes live there. The canoe serves as a huge earwig trap. “
Smaller catchy traps that are much easier to use are a short wooden board, a piece of old hose, and a rolled-up damp newspaper. Placed in an earwig-infested area, all three will attract the pest as a hiding place during the day. Kirby suggests checking these traps every morning and then shaking the earwigs into a bucket of hot water and soap. The soap breaks the surface tension of the water, causing the earwigs to sink and drown quickly.
“If you repeat that, you will eventually suppress their numbers,” said Kirby. “I think if people strive to reduce their numbers to a manageable level, that is more of a realistic goal than getting rid of each one. Sometimes people put so much effort into pest control that it discourages them when they find a few stragglers. “
It should be noted that, according to the University of Maine’s Pest Management Office, earwigs mainly spread through the transport of products. In the summer, this transport of earwigs can happen when people pick up at the flea market, as earwigs often hide in cardboard boxes.
Also, any items left outside overnight – such as patio furniture, potted flowers, and laundry – should be checked for catchy tunes before they are brought to your home.
When looking for dark, damp places, catchy tunes can often be found around the foundations of houses, where they crawl into cracks and sometimes find their way into the house. They are also often found near compost heaps, especially piles with lots of moisture and poor ventilation. Hence, an important management strategy is to reduce or place traps in these prime hiding and nesting locations. Also, if you find them in your home, be sure to check for and seal gaps in the foundation, windows, and doors of your home.
When the infestation is heavy, some people choose to use chemical insecticides like bifenthrin, permethrin, and resmethrin, which usually form a 3-foot band around a house. And in a home, household formulations of boric acid, bifenthrin, permethrin, resmethrin, or tetramethrin can be used to control earwigs, according to the UMaine Pest Management Office, which emphasizes the importance of following the label directions when using these chemicals.
“People have different philosophies when it comes to pesticide use,” said Kirby.
For those who don’t want to use chemical pesticides, there are other ways to remove these pests from your home.
West Gardiner’s Rachel Rollson has had problems getting catchy tunes into her home and gardens in the past, but she’s done a few things that seem to keep her at bay. First off, she has chickens that naturally control the earwig population by eating them. She’s also placed half a meter of crushed stone around her house to reduce the moisture that attracts earwigs. And when earwigs destroy her plants, she sprinkles some diatomaceous earth on the ground in her gardens.
Made from the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms, diatomaceous earth is a fine white powder that can dry out and kill a wide variety of beetles, including earwigs. It has been used to control bed bugs, cockroaches, crickets, fleas, and more, according to the National Pesticide Information Center.
Because of its abrasive and absorbent properties, this natural powder is also used in thousands of non-pesticidal products, including skin care products, toothpastes, paints, and water filters. Even so, it should be used with caution.
“It’s one of those things you have to be careful about because when it’s around plants that attract pollinators, you don’t want the bees to pick it up and track it down,” Rollson said. “It could kill useful bugs. Besides, you don’t want to breathe it in. “
According to the National Pesticide Information Center, kieselguhr can irritate the nose and nasal passages when inhaled. It can also cause irritation and dryness to the skin and eyes.
Inside the home, disinfection is key. The more you clean, the less attractive an interior space is to pests, Kirby said.
But if things get worse and you just can’t get rid of all of the catchy tunes that are hidden in your house, then at least you can get a good rest knowing they can’t really crawl into your brain. So if they are driving you crazy, that’s not why.
