Earwigs and termites in Anaheim are two insects that you will find in your backyard. If handled, they might give you a pinch but both insects are nonvenomous and do not inject any kind of poison. They are both winged but earwigs rarely fly. Like all insects, each has six legs and three body segments, but if you closely compare earwigs vs termites, you will see very distinct differences in their characteristics.
Termites Identification
Termites group together as a family their entire life. They are eusocial or have a complex social structure.
Big Family
Nymphs first molt into workers, but others may further molt to become soldiers, alates (reproductive male and female), and workers are left to take care of the nymphs. They truly are social insects which is pretty uncommon in the insect world. The stages of the life of a termite, nymphs molting into either a worker or a soldier, are determined by how the queen feeds them.
The Queen Termite
The queen can live up to 30 thirty years, keeping her nest operational. In comparison, the other termites in her family live only a few years. When the queen first starts to lay her eggs, it might be dozens to hundreds, but the more the queen produces, the more eggs she makes. On average, a queen lays around 1,000 eggs once her nest is functional, with workers taking care of the eggs and young nymphs. In larger communities, a queen may produce up to 40,000 eggs a day.
Working All Day
Termites also never sleep. They constantly do their job 24 hours a day. With this reproduction and efficiency, termites can clean up an immense amount of dead and decaying wood.
Termite Control
But these truly amazing insects may get confused and stumble into your property and eat your wooden belongings. If you suspect an infestation, are have any trouble with termites bugging you, please give us a call for an inspection and professional termite treatments in Anaheim.
Earwig Identification
Be relieved that earwigs do not cause any danger whatsoever to you or your family. Your house or business is safe from any real danger if you see one. Earwigs do not have venom and are not poisonous. They do possess a set of rear pinchers, but if you get pinched by an earwig, it is no more painful than an average pinch on your skin. If disturbed earwigs may emit a foul-smelling liquid as self-defense. Earwigs are non-social although mothers will protect the clutch of eggs until her death. So, if you see one earwig, it may just be one, and may not mean you have an earwig infestation.
Help the Environment
Earwigs can be good for the environment by cleaning up rotting plant life and dead insects. In most cases, earwigs do not live past a year old. So, if you don’t mind a couple of nibble marks out of your zinnias and roses, earwigs are wonderful for keeping other more intrusive gardens-pests under control. Pests like slugs, mites, aphids are prey to earwigs. Although, if you have a fruit or vegetable garden, earwigs have been known to go after beets, corn, strawberries, and lettuce.
Earwig Control
It is best to call a local pest professional for an insect infestation of any kind to ensure the removal is done safely, especially around consumable food. Please call us with any questions or concerns you might have with garden treatments.
Spotting the Difference Between Earwigs and Termites
Identifying earwigs and termites can be done by examining their distinct visual characteristics. One of the key differences is their body shape and structure. In the question "termites vs earwigs" here's the best way to tell the difference:
- Body Shape and Structure: Earwigs are elongated and somewhat flattened.They have prominent pincers (cerci) at the rear end and clearly segmented bodies. Termites, on the other hand, are more uniform and cylindrical. They have soft bodies without noticeable segmentation and they lack the prominent pincers that earwigs have.
Size: Earwigs range from 1/4 inch to 1 inch in length while termites are generally smaller, with worker termites around 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch long.
Color: Earwigs are usually dark brown or reddish-brown. Worker termites are creamy white to light brown and soldiers and reproductive can have darker heads or bodies, often tan or dark brown.