Corky's Pest Control

Corky's Pest Control, Inc.
71 Satellite-Monitored Vehicles
Serving San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles

BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics BBB Accredited Business

EARWIG

earwig on rose petal
earwig growth

EARWIG
The Earwig is about ½ to ¾ inch long, and is a quite common nocturnal pest. Usually they are vegetarians, eating plants, but they may even eat other bugs at times--dead or alive. Home-owners usually see the damage they cause to plants. They eat round and jagged holes in the leaves of plants, and damage the flowers and seeds. Although it is rarely seen, earwigs can actually fly.

If a problem with these pests exists they can usually be found under door mats, beneath the bark of trees, in and around the garden hose, under almost everything in the yard and, of course, in the wheels and tracks of your sliding glass doors.

1.Antenna- slender & threadlike
2.Eyes-
3.Head-
4.Legs- 6
5.Wings- can fly
6.Thorax-
7.Petiole- none
8.Abdomen- long and flattened
9.Color- reddish to brown
10.Other - forceps on rear “cerci”

 

Life Cycle
Earwigs lay dozens of eggs in clusters in the ground, which hatch in 8-10 days. The nymphs go through several instars over the next 20-80 days before becoming adults. The female tends to her young until they are strong enough to fend for themselves. There are 1-2 generations throughout the year, developing more rapidly during the spring and summer.

earwig parts