St. John's crawling with earwigs

A damp summer is to blame for more earwigs than usual coming out of the woodwork and getting into homes in the St. John's area.

"Earwigs generally thrive in a damp setting, and this time of the year, with the temperature starting to drop down, they start to move inside buildings people are discombobulated by it, to say the least," said Rod Squires, owner of Complete Pest Control. "Most people aren't comfortable with them, no matter where they show up."

The bugs can be 1.5 to two centimetres in length and carry a set of pincers on their abdomen and a set of wings, though they rarely fly.

It's common for the earwig to make its way into buildings in the fall of the year, but after a wet summer, home owners are seeing more of the creepy-looking pests than ever.

The boom in population of the earwigs have also driven a boom in business for Complete Pest Control. Squires said he's taking over 100 phone calls a day.

"The phone starts around 7:00 in the morning and doesn't stop until 9:30 or 10:00 at night ... I've been workingseven days a week," Squires old CBC News.

Squires said the bugs are harmless, and it's the name and look of them that scares people.

"They're a soil insect, they don't carry dirt or disease, they're just hideous to look at and they end up in places that people are not comfortable with," said Squires.

Homeowners can get rid of the pests by using home remedies like mixing soya sauce and oil or using traps. But Squires said usingpesticides is the most effective way to ensure your home is earwig-free.