Spiders have a characteristic appearance which is easily identifiable by most people. They have eight legs compared to most insects six legs, and they also have no wings or antennae. The spider is considered to be beneficial because it eats other pests; most people can’t get over their creepy appearance.

Spiders have to be treated differently than other insects when it comes to pest control. By nature, spiders are difficult to control with pesticides. Their legs are non-porous, so they don’t really absorb the chemical well. The body of a spider is usually off the ground so it doesn’t come in contact with the pesticide either. If you try to use a dust, that won’t generally work because they don’t groom themselves. Yes, insects do groom themselves. Believe it or not, roaches groom themselves similarly to a cat. Depending on the species (there are over 35,000 species of spiders) some spiders can hold their breath long enough that even fogging or tenting will not kill them.

Most pest control companies will not guarantee their services for spiders just because of the difficulty in controlling them. One of the better ways to control spiders is by eliminating their food sources. If there are no other insects around your home then they don’t have anything to eat; eventually the spiders move on or starve. Another way to control these nuisances is to treat around the window sills, door jams and eaves. Some companies still use power sprayers to apply chemical and there’s just no way to treat these important areas without making a mess of the home.

Most spider bites are relatively harmless other then some redness and irritation. The Black Widow and the Brown Recluse are the two species which cause the most harm and require immediate medical attention. This fact is also the reason why these two species are misidentified by homeowners more than any others. If a spider is found that may be harmful, collect the specimen in a container and take it into a local pest control company for identification.

Earwigs are one species of insect that can easily be identified by just their appearance. It’s their pinchers or forcep-like appendages at the end of their abdomens that give them away. This is also why these insects are known as a “pincher bug.” Even though these pinchers look like they can cause some painful damage, they are primarily used for holding prey and not as a offense weapon. Earwigs are usually scavengers, feeding on dead animal and plant material but some species will feed off of living plants. The insects will generally be more active during the evening hours and can be found under rocks, debris and boards during the day.

It is believed that the word earwig originated from the Anglo-Saxon word earwicga, which means “ear creature.” This term originated from the widespread belief that earwigs would crawl into the ears and bore into the brains of sleeping people. With that said, doctors remove the insects from human ears from time to time but it doesn’t happen on a regular basis to substantiate the myth.

Earwigs are often found near building foundations, similar to other insects such as crickets, centipedes and millipedes. To keep these pesky pests out of your house, keep your structure’s exterior free of earwig hiding places and regularly rake up dead leaves from the yard. Exterior pest control maintenance every two months and interior service twice a year will keep the earwigs at bay.