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Do Earwigs Bite? – The most controversial myth is out there loud. Do Earwigs bite- this question has threatened many people in different areas and taken away their sleep like never before. Different myths have added up to this pest and its skin-crawling name. Even though many people claim that earwigs can enter a person’s ear and live there for a fortune, it is not true.
It is scary to have a pest feed on your brain, and therefore, a lot of people look out for the question, do earwigs bite? Therefore, this article is here to break the controversial myth and find out answers to all your questions. To begin with, we can claim that earwigs don’t feed on the human brain and neither do they lay eggs in the ear canal.
While earwigs are small and vary in color, they look pretty dangerous with their protruding pincers and wings. This protruding pincers stretches from the back of the abdomen and is specifically used for catching prey and self-defense. Apart from it, earwigs are commonly located in dark and moist environments. Therefore, one can expect to find them in their home.
Even though earwigs are capable of biting human skin, they avoid the same as they feed on plants. However, in self-defense cases, we can find earwigs biting human beings and drawing blood out of the same. Most of the humans who have been affected by earwigs bite have found a swollen, red mark at the site and nothing more. However, we don’t recommend you take any risk with the same as it can lead to several issues that are never addressed properly.
Insects can carry different viruses, which are often missed out in our regular vaccines. This, in turn, leads to special treatment for the same. Therefore, it is important for individuals to know the different problems that an earwig can cause. Most of the sites relate the same to mosquito bites, but life hasn’t been so easy for everyone. Even spider bites are considered not so harmful but can lead to serious issues. Let’s dig into the matter properly.
Do Earwigs Bite?
Well, the answer is yes. However, this story has different layers that are often left undiscussed. Earwigs are technically harmless as all they do is protect themselves. When a human being tries to get closer to earwigs, the insect bites out of self-defense. A human being is in trouble, especially when he tries to pick it up and get rid of it. Therefore, one must be really sharp when it comes to dealing with the same.
It is possible to have an earwig infestation at your place. Like other insects, earwigs can also find a home at your place. Therefore, regular maintenance of your house is an important decision to take care of. An earwig infestation can be troublesome and must be taken care of as soon as possible. Call up an exterminator and get rid of the source immediately.
Do Earwigs Bite? – Symptoms
To be true, earwigs aren’t venomous. However, an earwigs bite can leave a mark or two on your skin which provides discomfort for a short period of time. An earwig bite can be easily identified by two red pinch marks with a small distance between them. A person can often experience skin breakage, causing bleeding as well. Even though this bite looks stressful and tough to deal with, it goes away quickly with time.
However, it is important to detect whether the bite is by an earwig or not. Take a close look at the same if it isn’t clear to you. When an earwig pinches, it is difficult to detect any puncture wounds near the site. Similarly, you wouldn’t find any skin reaction related to the same. On the contrary, mosquito bites involve a single minuscule puncture when it is covered by swollen skin.
While a spider bite can be recognized as a twin puncture wound that is painful, hot, and gradually grows larger with time. Spider bites are actually harmful and can lead to tissue death in the center of the bite site. However, earwig bites are not the same, and they are less harmful compared to other insect bites.
Well, all your answers related to doing earwigs bite have been met. However, the symptoms of an earwig bite are yet to be answered. While we expect an earwig bite to not cause much trouble, one can face serious issues related to the same. Earwigs are found in places where bacterial growth is easier. They thrive in places like drains, soil, and decaying plants, which are filled with different bacteria and viruses. Therefore, a person must clean the wound as soon as an earwig pinches him.
The risk of having a skin infection increases with negligence, and the case becomes even worse when the pincers break off the skin. This leads to the skin being swollen up and firm. One must try to avoid the skin from turning into a blister at all-cause. Once the blister is infected, it can lead to a common skin disease known as cellulitis. Some of the common symptoms of cellulitis are –
- Finding pain and tenderness around the bite site
- Warm sensation around the affected area
- Fever and Nausea
- Inflamed and red skin
- Glossy and tight swelling of the skin
However, these all are common symptoms that individuals can experience. On a serious note, one can face severe problems like –
- Sweating and chills
- Shaking, Fatigue and Dizziness
- Aching muscles and warm skin
- Lightheadedness
On the other hand, if you experience issues like lethargy, red streaks, blistering, and drowsiness, then it’s high time, and consulting a doctor would be the right thing. However, rush to the emergency room immediately if the situation is getting out of control. Untreated earwig bites can also lead to sepsis which intravenous antibiotics can only treat.
Well, do earwigs bite seems like an important question now?
How to prevent Earwigs Bite?
No one would want to be in a situation where they have to deal with sepsis. However, carelessness can lead to different issues in the long run. Therefore, it would be better to use good precautions to prevent the whole situation. At the end, it is better to never ask the question, do earwigs bite?
If you ever contact an earwig, it is best to find an extra level of cloth to protect yourself. Even having pincers like forceps makes it impossible for them to penetrate a thick layer of cloth. Therefore, instead of using bare hands to remove them from your body/place, wear gloves and proceed with the same.
Another precaution to avoid the entry of earwigs at your place is to cover different areas on an individual level. Instead of worrying about the different areas, locate them one by one and deal with them the same. Usually, earwigs find narrow passages through drains and cracked doors and windows. Similarly, one must also look out for dead plants at their place. Any area that can lead to bacteria growth should be removed from the house.
Other precautions that can prevent the growth of earwigs at your home are mentioned below. It is always better to avoid the question, do earwigs bite?
- Earwigs tend to accumulate and lay eggs in dark and moist places. If we find those locations at our place, it will be easy to identify the growth of earwigs and get rid of them once and for all.
- Drains are a perfect route for earwigs to enter your house. We often forget to close the bathtub drains and sinks, which becomes a perfect passage for earwigs when in a rush when in a rush. Therefore, permanently close the drain after use.
- Decaying plants are not only home for negativity but also earwigs. With so much bacterial growth, it gets challenging to save the plant. Therefore, the best way to deal with the same is to eradicate it.
- If you have a lawn in front of your house, there is an easy possibility of earwigs finding a way into your place through the open seals in your doors, windows, and pipes as well. There might be other entry points as well for the insect. Therefore, find a good exterminator and deal with those sealing correctly. You are free to deal with the same on your own. Use mesh or caulking as it provides long-lasting solutions.
- If you find earwigs infestation anywhere in your house, use boric acid on the same to get rid of the insects. However, please avoid direct contact with the same as it can get challenging to manage a huge number.
- One of the master ideas is to vacuum the earwigs and empty the bag far away from your place.
Do Earwigs Bite? – Treatments
#1 Wash the Pinch Area
The first thing to occur after an earwig bite you are bacteria spread through that region. As earwigs live in the soil, there is a high chance of earwigs carrying different bacteria that you are not vaccinated for. Washing off the area helps prevent the spread of bacteria and, therefore, meets with all the different answers related to doing earwigs bite? However, if you don’t have any liquid to wash off the area, then use some septic creams to deal with it.
#2 Use an Ice Pack
If the earwig’s pincers break off the skin, it can get excruciating for the person. It can even lead to swelling up and becoming hot at times. Therefore, it is essential to deal with the situation as soon as possible. While many prefer to use sanitizer on the same, using something to cool down the area will also help. Therefore, we recommend you to use an ice pack on the region for 3-5 minutes dealing with the heat up. Using an ice pack can also help with the itchiness and irritation in the area.
#3 Use Neosporin and Hydrogen Peroxide
While you are out finding the perfect solution for the earwig’s bite, it is available at your place itself. Hydrogen peroxide and Neosporin are two solutions that are available at everyone’s place. This anti-infective ointment is the best solution out there. However, if there is an open wound and there is a chance for the cream to contact the inner layer of skin, try to avoid using it. This can lead to severe blister and pain in the wound. Simply applying Neosporin around the wound will provide faster healing.
#4 Visit a Doctor
If you have used all the solutions mentioned above and haven’t found the right cure yet, it is high time you visit the emergency ward in your nearby hospital. An earwig bite can also lead to sepsis which is challenging to deal with later. Taking care of your health is never a negative point.
Do Earwigs Bite? – FAQs
Q1. How does an earwig bite?
Usually, an earwig won’t bite a human being. However, if someone tries to remove them, then earwigs use their forceps looking pincers to bite into the skin of a human being. This usually happens out of self-defense and, therefore, shows that they mean no harm to anyone. This pincer is used to capture prey as well.
Q2. Can we kill earwigs?
Killing earwigs is entirely legal. However, earwigs do not cause any harm in the house and therefore should be dealt with smartly. One can eradicate them by sweeping them off the house. Apart from it, killing earwigs wouldn’t eradicate them. It is essential to acknowledge that they lay eggs in different corners of the room. Therefore, call for an exterminator to deal with the same.
Q3. What are earwigs attracted to?
Even though they lay off their eggs in moist and dark places, you can expect to see earwigs around lights. You can quickly locate earwigs under the cushions left outside on the lawn after a night.
Conclusion
We hope we have answered all your answers related to the question- do earwigs bite? It is essential to deal with the creature smartly and not hurt yourself while doing the same. However, you might not hurt yourself during the process if you wear protective gear like gloves. Apart from it, we often miscommunicate earwigs with carpet beetles. Therefore, check this article on Sleck, which explains what a carpet beetle bite looks like.
