Adult earwigs are .59 to .79 inches long. They are typically dark brown to black in colour with a red head and pale yellow-brown legs. The body is elongated and flattened. Read on for more earwig facts.
Dermaptera/Forficulidae
Forficula Auriculana
The female lays several batches of approximately 50 eggs in nest-like shallow depressions beneath boards or stones.
Firstly, earwigs generally live outdoors and feed on plant material. They are highly active at night and hide during the day under any cloak of concealment. Earwigs are outdoor insects that become household pests when they invade structures. This occurs usually in the fall or at night. Indoors, they are found in cracks and crevices, and under furniture and carpeting.
Earwig control and prevention begins outdoors by removing moist harbourages. In other words, these include wood piles, landscape timbers and mulch. Since earwig control is difficult, it’s best to contact your pest control company as a result.
Pillbugs and sowbugs are dark grey in colour and measure between 1/4 to 5/8 inches long. These humpbacked, oval crustaceans appear to be covered with segmented armour. Pillbugs are distinguished from sowbugs through the pillbugs’ ability to roll up into a ball when alarmed.
Crustacea/Isopoda
Armadillidum vulgare
Porcellio laevis Koch
.
Female sowbugs and pillbugs carry their eggs in a brood pouch where their young hatch after 45 days. There are 24-28 eggs in each brood; one to three broods are produced each year.
Pillbugs and sowbugs are found in moist areas so they can feed on organic matter. Likewise, they are commonly found outdoors under stones and plant materials. Similarly, pillbugs and sowbugs frequently invade basements and crawlspaces. They do not cause damage, but still are considered a great nuisance.
Importantly, it is beneficial to reduce moist environments for effective control. For example, removing any piles of organic matter, wood, and any other materials that can create harbourage areas. Meanwhile, you can contact Terminix Canada’s BC branch to learn more about how to get rid of pillbugs and sowbugs.
Silverfish are primitive, wingless insects that are half an inch to one inch long when fully grown. Meanwhile, they are flat, somewhat “carrot” shaped, and covered with silvery scales.
Thysanura/Lepismatidae
Lepisma saccharina
Linnaeus
.
The female silverfish lays one to three eggs per day in concealed crevices or beneath objects. These will hatch in about 43 days. Young silverfish look exactly like the adults, except smaller. These insects have longevity, commonly living a minimum of three years.
Silverfish are found anywhere throughout a structure. In other words everywhere from the basement, to individual floors, to attics, to shingles on the roof. They readily feed on books, cloth, and sometimes dried meats or dead insects.
Importantly, it’s vital to reduce any areas of concentrated moisture for effective silverfish control. Likewise, lowering the temperature and removing infested items helps eliminate localized silverfish infestations. Sanitation is always helpful, however it may not greatly reduce the silverfish infestation. Silverfish control is easily accomplished with thorough applications of baits and/or residual insecticide sprays or dusts. Above all, you can always contact Terminix Canada to learn more about how to get rid of silverfish.
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