Disclosure: We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Did you find earwigs in your rabbit hutch, and now you worried whether they are harmful to your bunny? Since I have dealt with them several times, I’ll show you how to get nasty-looking earwig bugs out of the bunny cage.
Earwigs are a dangerous looking insect but they do not pose a life-threatening risk to pet rabbits. However, they shouldn’t be around your bunny. Their little pincer-ends pinch the bunny and hurt it. The wound may get infected. To keep the earwigs away from your rabbit, clean the hutch with a diluted bleach solution.
It’s not difficult to get rid of earwigs around your rabbit, you just need to be armed with the correct strategy.
In this article, I will discuss if earwigs are dangerous for bunny rabbits, how earwigs get into rabbit hutches, and what you should do to get rid of them — Keep reading!
What Are Earwigs Insects?
Earwigs, also known as ‘pincher bugs,’ are medium-sized insects (like silverfish) that are brown and black with a distinctive pincer on their rear. Their size may vary between ¼ inch to 1 ¼ inch. Generally, they aren’t harmful to household pets such as rabbits, but their pinch can be painful, though most of the time it’s hardly even noticeable.
Video About Earwigs’ Pincer
Earwigs Insects are not poisonous, as their pincer’s do not carry venom. In addition, earwigs don’t even sting like a mosquito or wasp. This means that even if an earwig were to pinch your pet rabbit, there is zero risk of poisoning or real harm. However, if the pinch is in a tender spot, it is possible that they could break the skin and expose your rabbit to a mild risk of infection.
Although earwigs are not aggressive towards humans or rabbits, then will still pinch as a form of defense. If earwigs feel threatened or scared, they will use their pincers to try to intimidate or even hurt their aggressor. However, pinching rarely does any damage to the victim and usually just results in slight discomfort.
Earwigs can also fly, but they rarely do it as they are not very good flyers.
If they find a permanent supply of food in your house, they will reside forever — Here’s what earwigs like to eat:
Earwigs like to live in damp, dark holes. The best way to prevent them in your rabbit hutch is to keep the hutch dry. This is also better for your bunny’s health.
~Stacey
Now that you know what’s included in the earwigs’ diet, you can control their growth in your house.
What Earwigs Eat
- Small insects
- Pollen
- Lichens
- Soft fruits, flowers, and vegetables (lettuce, sweet potatoes, apricots, etc.)
- Greasy food items left in the kitchen
Let’s discuss briefly whether the presence of earwigs poses any danger for bunny rabbits.
Are Earwigs Dangerous For Bunny Rabbits?
Earwigs are not dangerous for pet rabbits, but bunnies can still get nipped in the face or nose by an earwig and may get frightened or very slightly hurt. The earwigs’ pinch is mildly painful to rabbits, causing stress.
There is very little chance that your rabbit will eat an earwig. Rabbits are herbivores and have no real interest in eating insects. If your rabbit did accidently eat an earwig, it would not be harmful because earwigs are non-poisonous.
It’s common to see lots of earwigs around the rabbit’s hutch. In most cases, there is nothing to worry about — They are part of nature.
As spooky as they earwigs appear, they are harmless to rabbits.
Even though they are not a direct threat to a rabbit’s life, beware that there is a very small chance that they could puncture your rabbit’s skin exposing them to a risk of infection.
We keep a bottle of Vetericyn Plus around in case our rabbits get a wound of any kind. This will help prevent an infection, and help you avoid a costly visit to the veterinarian. { Click Here to see Vetericyn Plus on Amazon. >>> }
Yet even though earwigs present no real danger to your bunnies, they are creepy and we’d all rather they live out in the woods instead of in our rabbit’s cage.
Why Earwigs Attracted To Rabbit Hutches
Earwigs are attracted to rabbit hutches because they like to live in dark, warm, and damp places. Rabbit hutches are one of the ideal choices for earwigs to live in and provide a comfortable breeding zone. A rabbit’s hutch is a fine habitat for earwigs because it is made of wood and provides darkness, warmth, and moisture.
Let’s start with the wood that your rabbit’s hutch is made of.
Earwigs, aka ‘Pincher bugs,’ are commonly attracted to cellulose materials. Since the rabbit’s hutch is made of wood primarily (unlike this rabbit’s hutch, which is made out of easy-to-clean plastic), the rabbit’s house is always on the brink of welcoming new earwigs.
Since we can’t do much about the material the hutch is made of, let’s focus on the other characteristics that your rabbit hutch offers to earwigs; darkness, warmth, and moisture.
We can’t do anything about the darkness, your rabbit needs it also. Same goes or warmth, it’s required.
However, moisture we can and should control. Not only does moisture attract earwigs, it’s not healthy for your bunny.
How To Control Moisture In Your Rabbit Hutch
1. Provide Proper Ventilation
Ideally, you’ll have vent openings at the bottom and top of the enclosed portion of your rabbit’s hutch. This allows warm moist air to rise and exit out of the top of the hutch, while cooler dry air is pulled in the bottom vent.
2. Clean Your Hutch Regularly
You must clean your rabbit’s bedding regularly. The will poop and pee in their bedding, and it will get moist. This is both unhealthy for your bunny, and a dream habitat for earwigs.
Most people replace their bunny’s bedding about twice a week.
Now let’s find out how to get rid of earwigs if they’ve already moved into your bunny’s hutch.
How To Get Rid Of Earwigs In Your Rabbit Hutch
To get rid of earwigs once and for all, clean the rabbit’s hutch with bleach water (One part bleach to four parts of water). It will kill all the germs and keep the earwigs and other small insects away from the rabbit. Wait at least a day for the hutch to dry out completely before putting any dry bedding in it or returning your bunny to the hutch.
You can also use soapy water and spray it on the earwigs when you see them crawling — Only when the rabbit isn’t around. Keep in mind that this is going to introduce more moisture to your hutch, so I’d only used it in the outdoor sections of your rabbit’s cage.
Do NOT use a pesticide to kill earwigs in your rabbit’s hutch — Chemicals used in the pesticides can be lethal for your bunny.
The pesticide chemicals are dangerous for small animals as well as infants. They shouldn’t be used anywhere near the rabbit.
Tips To Keep Earwigs Out Of Your Rabbit Hutch
- Keep your rabbit’s hutch clean and dry
- Vacuum the house regularly
- Don’t leave the rabbit’s food outside at night
- Fixed leaky faucets, pipes, or ducts near the rabbit’s hutch
- Wipe up the spills if there are any
- Avoid organic debris buildup near you rabbit’s hutch, such as leaves and branches
- Store food in closed containers
- Seal any cracks through which earwigs can slip in
- Call a pest control specialist to seek help…but you need to be wary of the pesticides they might recommend.
I hope this information helped you in taking care of your rabbit against the earwigs. Do you have any other tips for getting rid of earwigs? Say it out in the comments below!
I have ear wigs in my backyard and my bunny’s ear is scheming or moving I think she might have one in her ear she scratches it a lot I’m scared what do I do
Ick. You can’t see it with a flashlight? If you’re scared, you should take her to your veterinarian and have them look.