Crawling Insect Control in Oregon and Washington
Keep Earwigs, Millipedes, and Sowbugs Outside
Crawling insect control keeps the small pests that live in mulch, leaf litter, and damp soil from moving indoors: earwigs, millipedes, sowbugs and pillbugs, and house centipedes. Most cannot live long inside, so the work happens outside and at the entry points. A&A inspects the perimeter, treats the foundation line, recommends sealing the gaps they use, and points out the moisture that draws them in.
Contact our amazing team today and keep the crawlers outside.
How do I get rid of crawling insects?
Earwigs, millipedes, sowbugs, and centipedes live in damp places outdoors and wander in through gaps, especially when the weather turns. University extension guidance is consistent: moisture control and denying them a way in do most of the work, and spraying indoors is rarely needed. A&A's program follows that order:
Step 1 of 5 shown
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Perimeter inspection
Your technician walks the foundation, looking for the damp mulch, leaf litter, boards, and debris these pests live under, and for the gaps under doors, around windows, and at slab edges where they get in.
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Identify the invader
Earwigs, millipedes, sowbugs, pillbugs, and house centipedes point to different conditions, so identification comes first, along with the moisture source each one is telling you about.
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Targeted exterior application
On A&A's Bug Bundle and Bug & Rodent Bundle, every visit includes an exterior perimeter inspection and application for crawling insect control, along the foundation line where these pests travel.
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Close the way in
Your technician recommends sealing the entry points found on the inspection: door thresholds and worn sweeps, window and screen gaps, and cracks in slabs and foundation walls.
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Interior service as needed
The bundles include interior services as needed. Most crawling insects that get in die within days in dry indoor air, so inside the fix is usually sweeping or vacuuming them up while the outside work takes hold.
Are crawling insects harmful?
Mostly not. Earwigs, millipedes, sowbugs, and pillbugs are nuisance pests: extension specialists describe them as harmless to people and to homes. What they do signal is moisture, and the damp conditions that draw them in also suit pests that are more of a problem.
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Earwigs generally don't attack people, though they can pinch if trapped in clothing or sat on.
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Millipedes do no damage beyond the nuisance and cannot survive long in dry indoor air.
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Sowbugs and pillbugs are crustaceans, not insects, and recycle nutrients outdoors.
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House centipedes are harmless to people and feed on silverfish, cockroaches, and spiders.
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Large numbers indoors usually point to damp mulch, debris, or a moisture problem at the foundation.
Protection plans that cover crawling insects
Two of A&A's recurring bundles list ants, spiders, and other crawling insects among their target pests, on quarterly or bi-monthly schedules:
Prefer to talk it through?
Call Oregon (503) 567-1188
or
Washington (360) 209-1793.
- Get a Free Estimate for the Bug Bundle
Bug Bundle
Monthly subscription prices starting at
$35 / month
- Target pests: ants, spiders, and other crawling insects
- Exterior perimeter inspection and application for crawling insect control
- Removal of accessible wasp nests on the structure of your home
- Sweeping of spider webs, followed by an overhead application for spider control
- Interior services as needed
- Get a Free Estimate for the Bug & Rodent Bundle
Bug & Rodent Bundle
Monthly subscription prices starting at
$45 / month
- Target pests: rats, mice, ants, spiders, and other crawling insects
- Exterior perimeter inspection and application for crawling insect control
- Removal of accessible wasp nests
- Sweeping of spider webs, followed by an overhead application for spider control
- Service of tamper-resistant exterior bait stations and inspection for potential entry points
- Interior services as needed
Best Value
Get Rid Of Those Pesky Pests
Want to know what A&A Pest Control can do for your home or business? Fill out the contact form and our office team follows up with pricing, service timelines, and scheduling. Contact us by noon and we will have a technician onsite the next business day. Prefer to talk it through? Give us a call.
Thank You For Being Awesome
Your request is in, and it's with our office team. We'll follow up by phone, text, or email during business hours to confirm the details and get you scheduled. In a hurry? Call (503) 567-1188 in Oregon or (360) 209-1793 in Washington before noon, and we'll have a technician onsite the next business day.
Which crawling insects get into Oregon and Washington homes?
These four are the usual crawling visitors from the soil and mulch around a building. Ants, cockroaches, spiders, and silverfish crawl too, and each has its own page.
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European earwigs
Reddish brown, about 3/4 inch long, with a pair of forceps at the tail, curved in males and straighter in females. They feed at night and hide by day in dark, cool, moist places such as under boards, soil clods, and dense vines. Dry, hot, or cold spells send them indoors.
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Millipedes
Dark brown, about an inch long and thin, with two pairs of legs on each body segment. They live under stones, leaf mold, mulch, compost, and grass clippings, and they migrate in cooler weather or after heavy rain. Indoors they last only a few days.
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Sowbugs and pillbugs
Crustaceans, not insects, 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. Sowbugs are grayish; pillbugs are bluish black and roll into a ball when disturbed. Both need damp places: under boards, in rotting wood and stumps, and in cedar shakes with a moisture problem.
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House centipedes
One to one and a half inches long, dirty yellow with three dark stripes and 15 pairs of long legs. They live in dark, damp spots such as under slabs, inside block walls, and in floor drains, and feed on silverfish, cockroaches, spiders, and other small arthropods.
Crawling insect prevention tips
Most crawling insects are a moisture problem first. These five steps make a foundation less inviting:
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Pull mulch and debris back
Clear leaf litter, grass clippings, boards, and other debris from along the foundation, where millipedes, sowbugs, and earwigs hide.
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Fix drainage and damp spots
Grade soil so water moves away from the foundation, and repair leaks and damp areas in basements and crawlspaces.
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Dry out damp rooms
A dehumidifier in a basement or bathroom takes away the moisture house centipedes and the pests they feed on need.
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Tighten doors and windows
Close the space under door thresholds with sweeps, and secure windows and screens.
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Seal slab and wall cracks
Fill or seal cracks and crevices in concrete slabs and block walls, where crawling pests hide and get in.
FAQs
Why do I see millipedes or earwigs inside after it rains?
Weather drives them in. Millipedes become restless and migrate after heavy rains or in cooler weather, and earwigs seek refuge indoors when it is too dry, hot, or cold outside. Most cannot survive long in dry indoor air, so sweeping or vacuuming them up and fixing the damp spots and gaps outside does more than treating inside.
Are earwigs, millipedes, or house centipedes dangerous?
No. Extension specialists describe house centipedes as harmless and sowbugs as beneficial outdoors, and millipedes do no damage beyond being a nuisance. Earwigs generally don't attack people, though they can pinch if trapped in clothing or sat on. Their main message is moisture: large numbers indoors point to damp conditions at the foundation.
Does A&A treat crawling insects?
Yes. A&A's Bug Bundle and Bug & Rodent Bundle list ants, spiders, and other crawling insects as target pests, and every visit includes an exterior perimeter inspection and application for crawling insect control, with interior services as needed. For businesses, Crawling Insect Programs are part of the commercial services A&A offers.
Do I need to spray inside for crawling insects?
Usually not. Extension guidance for millipedes, sowbugs, and earwigs says indoor treatment is rarely needed, because these pests die within days in dry indoor air. Sweep or vacuum them up, then work on the outside: moisture, debris against the foundation, and the gaps under doors and around windows where they get in.
How much does crawling insect control cost?
For homes, A&A's Bug Bundle starts at $35 a month and covers ants, spiders, and other crawling insects, and our office team provides free estimates over the phone. Businesses and apartment communities seeking a bid on recurring service get a complimentary site inspection, and pricing stays transparent with no hidden fees.
Prefer to talk it through?
Call Oregon (503) 567-1188 or Washington (360) 209-1793, or contact our amazing team today. Contact us by noon and we will have a technician onsite the next business day.
