How often do bugs crawl into sleeping people’s ears?
There are many horror stories circulating that tell of nasty insects or spiders that crawl into people’s ears as they sleep. More often than not, these stories lack evidence, and are dismissed as old wives tales. However, it is likely that any emergency room doctor would disagree with this opinion.
In reality, bugs crawl into peoples orifices often. The most common destination for certain creepy-crawlies looking to invade a person’s body are the ears. One woman who recently had an enormous roach pulled from her inner ear said that an ENT at her hospital mentioned several other similar cases of ear-residing insects. In fact, this ENT claimed that insects need to be professionally removed from patients' ears at least once every month. On the day when the woman visited the ER for her insect troubles, she was told that she had been the second of such cases that day.
What insect is most likely to enter your ears?
Despite conventional wisdom, it is by no means uncommon to have your ears invaded by bugs. According to Benjamin McGrew, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology, at the University of Alabama, people with bugs stuck in their ears enter their clinic at least four to five times per year. McGrew goes on to claim that most offending bugs are cockroaches.
Cockroaches will often become stuck deep within a person’s inner ear. The roaches are then unable to vacate the ear on their own, so medical intervention usually becomes necessary in these cases. The doctor states that a mere roach in a person’s ear is not even the most disturbing insect-related medical situation that he has encountered.
At one point, the doctor examined a patient's ears and found a spider web deep in a man’s ear canal. A number of different types of flying insects have been found trapped within human ear canals, such as moths. However, cockroaches can be particularly dangerous if one gets stuck within your ear canal. The danger in these situations results from trapped cockroaches frantically scratching a person’s eardrum in an effort to shake itself free.
Why do bugs crawl into people’s ears?
Why would a cockroach or spider be interested in crawling into your ear? Cockroaches, and many other bugs, like to walk around your home during the night, which happens to be the same time you’re most likely sleeping. Your ears can look like potential new “homes” for bugs as you lay there quiet and motionless. Bugs look for small, warm, and humid places to go, and your ear just so happens to meet those qualifications.
To be more specific, cockroaches are attracted to various types of chemicals. This includes volatile fatty acids which are released from fermented foods. So, just like bread or beer, our earwax emits these cockroach-attracting chemicals.
How common is it for a bug to crawl into your ear?
How frequently bugs enter ears is not consistently tracked or reported in a way that would provide a specific percentage. So, while we can’t provide a specific number, it does happen. Some groups of individuals are more susceptible to this issue happening. Those most at risk include the elderly, disabled individuals, and small children.
Why? It is more likely that this issue can go unnoticed or unidentified for longer periods of time for these groups. Other factors can include your individual circumstances and environmental factors.
What should you do if a bug has entered your ear canal?
If you suspected that a bug had entered your ear, would you attempt to remove it yourself or seek medical attention? We recommend the latter, but either way, you should work with a pest control company to remove those pesky insects from your home, hopefully preventing a future ear-related pest incident.
Terminix offers pest control services across the United States. Our experienced technicians will remove cockroaches, spiders, flying insects, and more from your home. Contact us today to find your local pest control branch!