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Specimen · Euborellia annulipes

Updated

Kansas pesticide business license #3403

Earwigs in Wichita homes

Earwigs are long, dark insects with forceps on the tail. Donnie has seen more earwigs than usual this year.

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Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Indoors

Fall, dry periods

Active

At night

Price

$125–165 a visit
Earwig illustration, top view: a long body with forceps at the tail, spotted legs and pale-tipped antennae.
EarwigForceps at one end, pale-tipped antennae at the other.

Facts from K-State Research and Extension and the other sources named on this page

How do I know it's an earwig?

These checks fit the ringlegged earwig, which K-State calls Kansas's most common, though not plentiful. Most extension pages describe the European earwig, which has a reddish head (Iowa State, Ohio State).

4checks

Forceps · Size · Legs · Antennae

Ringlegged earwig illustration with four numbered callouts: forceps at the tail, a long, nearly black body about half an inch long, pale legs with dark spots, and pale segments near the tips of the antennae. A magnifier shows the forceps in true color.

  1. Forceps at the tail

    Pincer-like forceps on the last segment. On males the forceps may be uneven, with the right one more curved; on females both are straight.

  2. About ½ inch, nearly black

  3. Light legs with dark spots

  4. One or two white segments near the antenna tips

Earwig

Tail end
Forceps
Look
Nearly black and long
Size
About ½ inch
Where you find it
Damp spots: woodpiles, mulch, under leaves and logs
Silverfish illustration, top view: a silver body tapering to a point with long antennae and three tails.

Silverfish

Tail end
Three long, thin tails
Look
Silver to gray and scaly, tapering to a point; moves in quick, short dashes
Size
¼ to ½ inch
Where you find it
Basements, bathrooms, behind cabinets; some in dry attics

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); University of Illinois Extension, Earwigs; Ohio State University Extension (HYG-2068); Iowa State University Extension, Earwig.

Do earwigs pinch, or crawl in ears?

Ears

Folklore; there's no truth to it (MF3291)

The pinch

They may pinch with the forceps, but it isn't painful (MF3291)

The house

Earwigs inside don't cause any harm or damage (Iowa State)

If disturbed, they may give off a bad smell (MF3291). Illinois Extension says they generally won't bite or sting people.

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); Iowa State University Extension, Earwig.

Seeing lots?
Text Donnie a photo.

It tells him whether it's something to jump on or not a concern at all.

Take a clear photo from above.

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Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.

Why are earwigs in my house?

They live in damp spots outside, come out at night and wander in. These are the four places to look.

  1. 01

    Woodpiles, boards and mulch

    Outdoors in damp places: woodpiles, mulch, dead leaves and logs.

  2. 02

    Wet spots by faucets and downspouts

    Where water collects at the foundation.

  3. 03

    Doors and windows near lights

    Lights draw them to doors and windows, where they get in.

  4. 04

    Damp rooms inside

    Near sinks and in bathrooms in summer (Colorado State); often the basement or crawl space (Illinois).

When they come inside

K-State says earwigs occasionally wander inside, especially in fall and during prolonged dry periods.

Minnesota sees them indoors in July and August, sometimes in large numbers, and Colorado State says invasions peak in late summer.

Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); Colorado State University Extension, Earwigs; University of Illinois Extension, Earwigs; University of Minnesota Extension, Earwigs.

What can I do about earwigs myself?

What K-State and Colorado State suggest.

5steps

Tick the ones you're already doing.

The steps you're already doing

  5. Ask Donnie

    Not sure what you have?

    Seeing lots inside? That's where Donnie comes in.

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Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); Colorado State University Extension, Earwigs.

What doesn't work

Spraying indoors. Minnesota Extension says that once earwigs are indoors, pesticides aren't effective.

Worth knowing

  • Change the habitat

    K-State says that if they're a continuing nuisance, it may be necessary to change the habitat around the house.

  • Hiding places

    Colorado State says eliminating their hiding places is the most important part of controlling earwigs.

  • Large numbers

    Ohio State says insecticide may be needed to get rid of large populations.

  • What they eat

    Mostly plant matter, plus dead and living insects (MF3291).

Who do I call about earwigs, and what does a visit cost?

Price · one-time visit

$125–165

a one-time visit. No contract.

Quarterly · $140 a visit*

Monthly · $120 a visit*

*For a home that's $165 one-time.

Donnie works alone, so it's him at the door on every visit. Most visits are booked within a week.

See every price 

Arrival · A window of about an hour; he texts when he's on the way

Paying · After the visit: card, Venmo, cash or check

If pests come back · Text Donnie. He talks it through and tells you before he comes whether a return visit costs anything.

No contract

You pay for each visit.

Same-day reply

Mon–Fri 8–5

Licensed in Kansas

In Wichita since 1992

Text or call Donnie

(316) 681-2255

Text Donnie Call Donnie

Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.