Earwigs are a common sight around Bennington, NE homes — hiding in mulch beds, under rocks, in the leaf litter along foundations. They’re not dangerous. The pincer-like cerci at their rear end look worse than they are. But when they start coming inside — and in Bennington, they will — they quickly become a nuisance that’s hard to ignore.
Miller Pest Solutions has been treating earwig invasions in the greater Omaha metro, including Bennington, since 2001. Joel Miller has been doing this work personally since 2007. We stop earwigs at the foundation and keep them there.
Signs of an Earwig Infestation
Earwigs aren’t subtle once they’re indoors in any number. Here’s what to look for:
- Live earwigs in damp areas — basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, under sinks, in crawl spaces. They’re drawn to moisture and darkness.
- Earwigs in the garage or entry areas — they tend to follow the foundation perimeter and find gaps at doors, utility penetrations, and weep holes.
- Chewed plant leaves and seedlings — outdoors, earwigs feeding on garden plants leave irregular, ragged holes in foliage. Not as dramatic as some plant pests, but noticeable.
- Clusters under outdoor objects — flip over a landscape timber, stepping stone, or potted plant near the foundation and find a cluster of earwigs. That’s the population that’s trying to get inside.
- Earwigs in ground-floor living spaces — finding them in kitchens, hallways, or bedrooms means the infestation is past the entry-level stage.
Why Earwigs Are Common in Bennington
Earwigs need three things to thrive: moisture, organic material to shelter under, and cool temperatures. Bennington provides all of them. Nebraska and Iowa springs bring heavy rains that saturate the soil around foundations. Standard landscaping practices — mulching garden beds, using landscape timbers, planting shrubs near the house — create perfect harborage zones directly adjacent to the building envelope.
In summer, when temperatures climb and soil moisture drops, earwigs push closer to foundations seeking cool, damp conditions. That’s when indoor invasions spike. A gap at a weep hole, a crack in the foundation, or an unsealed utility penetration is all they need.
Heavy earwig years tend to follow wet springs. After a season of strong soil moisture, populations build up significantly in the ground-level landscape. By July and August, those populations are large enough that even a small percentage finding their way inside creates a noticeable problem.
Our Earwig Control Process
Effective earwig control addresses both the exterior population and the entry points. Treating the inside of a home without tackling the source outside is a temporary fix at best.
Miller Pest Solutions’ earwig treatment includes:
- Exterior perimeter barrier treatment — liquid residual insecticide applied along the foundation, in mulch beds, under landscape timbers, and around doorways and window wells. This is the primary line of defense — earwigs that contact the treated zone are eliminated before they can find an entry point.
- Entry point assessment — we identify the specific gaps, cracks, and penetrations earwigs are using to get inside. Weep holes, utility entries, garage door gaps, and foundation cracks are common culprits.
- Interior treatments — if earwigs have already established themselves inside, we treat damp harborage areas in basements, crawl spaces, and utility rooms with appropriate products.
- Harborage reduction recommendations — we’ll point out landscaping and drainage conditions around your foundation that are sustaining the earwig population. Practical changes to mulch placement, grading, and moisture management make a significant difference in long-term outcomes.
Why Choose Miller Pest Solutions
Miller Pest Solutions is locally owned, QualityPro certified, and a member of the NPMA. We’ve been in business since 2001 — Joel Miller has been personally doing pest control since 2007. This isn’t a franchise operation with rotating technicians and scripted sales pitches. It’s a company built on doing good work and being honest about what it takes.
We serve Bennington and the surrounding communities from our Omaha branch. Our technicians know the local terrain, the local housing stock, and the pest pressures that come with Nebraska and southwest Iowa living.
More at millerthekiller.com.
Get a Free Phone Bid Today
Earwig invasions don’t get better on their own — the longer outdoor populations go untreated, the bigger the indoor problem becomes. Call Miller Pest Solutions at (402) 769-0997 for a free phone bid. We’ll talk through what you’re seeing, give you a clear picture of what treatment involves, and get you scheduled.
Straight answers. Fair pricing. Real results.

