What is this awful six legged creature in my house?

June 21, 2024 10:40 PM

In the past month, I have found two large, thin, beetle-like dark brown bugs in my house on two separate occasions. I'd like to know what these are and what I can do to prevent any more of them from coming into my house short of burning it down.

I live in Northern California (Bay Area). These insects are about half an inch long, and they seem to have a pincher on their bums that they seem to stick up sort of scorpion like when they are threatened. They also seem to have a preference for being under things. I tried to get a picture of one of them I cought under a jar, sorry it's not great. My initial guess was earwigs, but these guys seem much larger than any earwig I've ever seen. I don't think they are cockroaches - they are slim and more segmented than the roaches I've seen. They also seen pretty fearless. My two cats (cat tax) tried to catch the second one that we found and it did not run- it turned and raised it's little pincer and we all lost our goddamn minds.
Bug lovers will be happy to know I was able to catch and release both of these awful things outside, but I do not ever want to see another one in my house again. I keep things relatively clean, no food out, food waste in a covered container outside.
What are they and how can I never see one in my house again?

posted by firemonkey to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

Earwigs. They eat plant material. Did you recently bring in a bouquet or houseplant? They often hitch rides indoors in flowers or pots.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:10 PM on June 21

Earwigs! They get too hot and seek moisture and dark places. Check your plant pots and any rotting vegetable matter but often they are just looking to cool off. They are freaky looking but pretty much harmless.

Fun fact, some species of earwig have 2 penises.
posted by blnkfrnk at 12:04 AM on June 22 [2 favorites]

Could be a rove beetle, something like this, although maybe not that exact species. Also harmless.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 2:33 AM on June 22 [2 favorites]

The defensive behavior and size sounds more like a rove beetle. There's lots of different kinds and they eat lots of different things, none of which are common in houses, so these are likely just random introductions of a species that is having a very good year. N California is covered in bugs year-round, and all of their populations fluctuate wildly across space and time. So it's pretty common to track in a few of the same bug one season and then never see it again.

As for mitigation, you'd do the same if it were an earwig too: don't keep a bunch of decomposing organic matter around, wipe your feet outside the door, check for obviously big gaps in windows and where any utilities pierce your walls.

If stuff like this really bothers you consistently, you might consider seeking some exposure therapy for dealing with phobias. I've seen friends have great success, starting within a month of treatment. I can't really tell if this is extreme problematic distress you're experiencing or just the casual hatred of insects with the 'burn it down' jokes, but help with entomophobia
is relatively accessible and effective!
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:03 AM on June 22 [1 favorite]

Have you considered general treatment of your house by an exterminator?
posted by Tandem Affinity at 9:24 AM on June 22

Does not look like an earwig to me. Earwigs generally don't "stand" quite as high as what I'm seeing. They're more flat and close to the ground. The good news is it also very much does NOT look like a cockroach, so it's likely not an infestation of some kind. Bugs of all kinds can find their way inside, I wouldn't stress on this.

Clean the area and make sure there's no damp areas, cold sweating/dripping pipes from summertime condensation, etc. Bugs need moisture and water to live.
posted by SoberHighland at 11:35 AM on June 22