Earwigs, Silverfish, & Flies
Earwigs, Earwig Infestation, & Earwig Control
There are more than 20 different species of earwigs in the United States. Depending on the species, adult earwigs range in size from 5-25 mm. They are slender insects, with two pair of wings, and have pincers on the back of their abdomens. Some species produce a foul smelling liquid that they use for defense. Similar to ants, earwigs can use pheromones to communicate with one another.
Earwigs do cluster together in large numbers. They are noctornal and are usually only active at night. During the day they hide in cracks in damp areas. When they are outdoors, earwigs are most often found under rocks and logs and in flowerbed mulch. Earwigs eat plants and insects. During the winter months, they live in burrows in the ground. In spring, the females lay eggs in their burrows.
Earwigs often find their way into homes looking for food or to find shelter from the changes in weather.
Signs of an Earwig Infestation
Living in a wet climate means that we have a nice abunance of insects here in North Carolina, and that includes earwigs. Homeowners often find them in areas where there is water; kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. Earwigs will also find their way into bedrooms and family rooms.
The most important part of controlling earwigs is eliminating their hiding places. At a certain point of infestation, insecticide application may not control earwigs very well. However, there are a variety of things that can be done.
If you’ve noticed earwigs in your home, then call Cape Fear Termite & Pest Control today.
Silverfish, Silverfish Infestation, & Silverfish Control
Silverfish are teardrop-shaped insects that can measure up to 12-19 mm in length. They are usually bluish-silver in color. They have three long bristles on rear, to large, long antennae on their heads, and six legs. Immature and adult silverfish look similar and only differ in appearance in size.
Silverfish can thrive in most climates, but they prefer to dwell in dark, damp areas such as; basements, attics, kitchens, and bathrooms. They are especially attracted to paper and damp clothing. They are commonly found in stored boxes in garages and sheds.
Silverfish feed on carbohydrates, particularly sugars and starches. Cellulose, shampoos, glue in books, linen, silk, and dead insects may be food sources.
Female silverfish’s egg numbers and habits vary, depending on species. Some species lay clusters of 2 to 20 eggs.
Most often, homeowners spot a silverfish infestation when they find one on the floor or in a sink or bathtub. Other signs of infestation, such as their feeding damage or tiny pepperlike feces, can be more difficult to spot.
If you’ve noticed silverfish in your home, then call Cape Fear Termite & Pest Control today.
Files, Fly Infestation, & Fly Control
Sanitation is the most effective and important step in reducing pest numbers regardless of the species. However, sometimes that’s not enough.
Over one hundred pathogens are associated with the common house fly. That includes strains like; Salmonella, Staphylococcus, E. coli, and Shigella. These pathogens can cause extremely dangerous and often fatal diseases in humans and animals, like typhoid fever, cholera, bacillary dysentery, and hepatitis. Sanitation is critical to controlling these flies, but accurate species identification is essential for successful fly control.
Here are some other things you should know about flies and fly control:
- Depending on the species, the life expectancy of a fly is anywhere from eight days to two months. In some species, a fly can live up to a year.
- Flies belong to the order Diptera, meaning two wings. There are more than 16,000 species of flies in North America.
- Flies plague every part of the world except the polar ice caps.
- One pair of flies can produce more than 1 million offspring through their offsprings’ offspring in a matter of weeks.
- Millions of micro-organisms may flourish in a single fly’s gut, while a half-billion more swarm over its body and legs.
- Flies spread diseases readily because they move quickly from rotting, disease-laden garbage to exposed human foods and utensils.
- Flies land often and can deposit thousands of bacteria each time they land.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture sources reveal that flies contaminate or destroy $10 billion worth of agricultural products annually.
- Every time a fly lands, it sloughs off thousands of microbes. If a fly lands on food or utensils, customers may ingest germs that can trigger serious illness such as diarrhea, food poisoning, meningitis, and bloodstream infections.
Fly in your soup? Call Cape Fear Termite & Pest Control. We’ll get rid of what bugs you.
