Earwigs are among the easiest household and garden insects to recognise.
Their most distinctive feature is the pair of curved structures resembling pincers at the end of their abdomen.
Those pincers can make an earwig look threatening, but appearances are misleading.
Earwigs are generally harmless to people. They do not normally attack humans, they aren't known for spreading disease, and finding one inside your home usually means you have an unwanted visitor rather than a dangerous infestation.
They can, however, become a nuisance indoors and sometimes damage flowers, seedlings, vegetables and soft fruits outdoors.
Here's what you should know about earwigs and what to do if you find them around your home.
What Is an Earwig?
Earwigs are insects belonging to the order Dermaptera.
There are many species worldwide, so their size, colour and behaviour can vary.
One particularly widespread species is the European earwig, Forficula auricularia.
Adult European earwigs are generally brown to reddish-brown and have:
- an elongated, flattened body
- six legs
- long antennae
- short wing covers
- a distinctive pair of forceps-like structures at the rear.
These rear appendages are called cerci.
Male European earwigs generally have more strongly curved cerci, while females tend to have straighter ones.
Some earwig species have wings and are capable of flying, although European earwigs are not commonly seen flying.
What Are the Pincers Used For?
The forceps at the rear of an earwig's body aren't simply decorative.
Earwigs can use their cerci for purposes including:
- defence
- capturing or holding prey
- interactions with other earwigs
- mating-related behaviour.
The intimidating appearance of these structures is probably one reason people fear earwigs more than necessary.
Do Earwigs Bite or Pinch People?
Earwigs are not aggressive toward people.
Their pincers are mainly used for normal insect behaviour rather than hunting humans.
If handled, trapped against the skin or threatened, an earwig may attempt to defend itself.
But earwigs are generally considered harmless to people and are primarily nuisance insects when they enter homes.
If you find one crawling indoors, there's usually no reason to panic.
Do Earwigs Crawl Into Your Ears?
One of the oldest stories about earwigs claims that they deliberately crawl into the ears of sleeping people.
Some versions of the myth go even further and claim they burrow into the brain.
This is not normal earwig behaviour.
Earwigs do not seek out human ears as somewhere to live or reproduce.
Like many small insects, an earwig could theoretically wander somewhere unusual by accident, but that is very different from saying earwigs are attracted to human ears.
The frightening story associated with their name should not be treated as a biological fact.
If any insect or foreign object actually enters your ear and cannot be removed easily and safely, seek appropriate medical care rather than inserting sharp objects into the ear canal.
Are Earwigs Dangerous?
For most people, earwigs are not dangerous.
When they wander indoors, they don't normally:
- damage the structure of the house
- infest human food
- reproduce successfully throughout the home
- attack sleeping people.
They are usually simply a nuisance.
Large numbers inside a building, however, may indicate that outdoor conditions are encouraging them to enter or that there are plenty of suitable entry points.
Where Do Earwigs Normally Live?
Earwigs prefer protected places, particularly areas that are:
- dark
- cool
- damp
- sheltered.
During the day, you may find them underneath:
- stones
- logs
- boards
- flowerpots
- mulch
- leaf litter
- garden debris
- loose bark
- dense vegetation.
They become much more active after dark.
This nocturnal behaviour explains why you may have earwigs in your garden without seeing many during the daytime.
Why Do Earwigs Enter Homes?
Earwigs normally live outdoors.
They can wander inside when outdoor conditions become unfavourable—for example when conditions become unusually:
- hot
- dry
- cold.
They can enter through small openings around:
- doors
- windows
- foundations
- utility penetrations
- other cracks and gaps.
Once inside, they may be noticed in relatively cool or damp areas.
However, earwigs generally don't establish thriving indoor populations in the way some household pests do.
Why Do I Find Earwigs in My Bathroom?
A bathroom can provide the cool, damp environment an earwig naturally seeks.
You may also encounter them around:
- laundry rooms
- basements
- utility areas
- kitchens
- garages.
Seeing one earwig in a bathroom doesn't necessarily mean you have an infestation inside the building.
The insect may simply have entered from outdoors.
Repeated sightings, however, are a good reason to check for possible entry points and excess moisture.
What Do Earwigs Eat?
Earwigs are opportunistic feeders.
Depending on the species and available food, they may eat both plant and animal material.
Their diet can include:
- decaying organic matter
- insects
- insect eggs
- mites
- aphids
- tender plant shoots
- flowers
- vegetables
- soft fruits.
This creates an interesting situation for gardeners.
Earwigs can sometimes be pests and beneficial predators at the same time.
Can Earwigs Be Good for Your Garden?
Yes.
Earwigs aren't automatically bad for a garden.
They can eat aphids and other small organisms that gardeners may consider pests.
In some situations, this predatory behaviour can be beneficial.
Therefore, finding a few earwigs outdoors isn't necessarily a reason to eliminate them.
Control becomes more relevant when their numbers are high enough to cause noticeable plant damage or when large numbers are repeatedly entering your home.
Can Earwigs Damage Plants?
They can.
Earwigs may chew:
- seedlings
- leaves
- flower petals
- tender shoots
- sweet corn silks
- soft fruits.
Damage can appear as irregular holes or chewed edges.
Soft fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and apricots may sometimes be affected.
However, don't automatically blame every hole in a leaf on earwigs.
Slugs, snails, caterpillars and other pests can cause similar-looking damage.
Because earwigs feed mainly at night, one useful way to investigate is to inspect affected plants after dark with a flashlight.
Are Earwigs Attracted to Light?
Some earwigs may gather around outdoor lighting.
This can increase the number found near doors and windows and potentially increase the chance of them wandering indoors.
If outdoor lights appear to be attracting large numbers of insects, changing lighting practices may help.
Yellow outdoor lighting can be less attractive to earwigs than conventional white lighting.
How Do Earwigs Reproduce?
Earwig reproduction is more interesting than many people realise.
Female European earwigs create protected nests in the soil and lay groups of eggs.
Unlike many insects that simply lay their eggs and leave, female earwigs show a degree of maternal care.
The mother guards and tends her eggs and may continue caring for newly hatched young during their early development.
Young earwigs are called nymphs.
They resemble smaller versions of adults and become progressively larger through a series of moults.
This behaviour makes earwigs unusual among many familiar garden insects.
How to Get Rid of Earwigs Inside Your Home
Finding a few earwigs indoors usually doesn't require aggressive chemical treatment.
Start with simple physical control.
1. Vacuum or Sweep Them Up
Individual earwigs can simply be vacuumed or swept up and removed.
If using a vacuum, dispose of the captured insects appropriately.
2. Seal Entry Points
Inspect around:
- doors
- windows
- foundations
- pipes
- utility openings.
Seal appropriate cracks and gaps where insects may enter.
Repair damaged screens and consider weather-stripping around doors where necessary.
3. Reduce Moisture
Look for unnecessary moisture around the building.
Possible sources include:
- leaking pipes
- poorly draining gutters
- water accumulating near foundations
- damp crawl spaces
- excessive irrigation immediately beside the building.
Correcting moisture problems may make the area less attractive to earwigs and can benefit the building for other reasons as well.
4. Remove Outdoor Hiding Places Near the House
Earwigs can shelter in organic material around buildings.
Consider moving or reducing unnecessary:
- leaf piles
- boards
- garden debris
- dense ground cover
- wood piles
- excessive mulch
immediately beside the structure.
You don't need to make your garden sterile.
The goal is to reduce especially favourable hiding places directly around entry points.
5. Review Outdoor Lighting
If large numbers of earwigs gather around bright exterior lights, consider using less-attractive outdoor lighting where appropriate.
Keeping unnecessary lights off can also reduce the number of insects gathering around entrances.
Do You Need Insecticide Inside Your Home?
Usually not.
University of California IPM guidance states that indoor insecticide treatments aren't recommended for earwigs because spraying inside does little to prevent new insects from entering from outdoors.
Correcting the conditions around the building and blocking entry points generally makes more sense.
If you have a severe or persistent pest problem that you cannot identify or control, consider consulting a qualified pest-management professional.
How to Control Earwigs in the Garden
Before controlling them, first determine whether they're actually causing significant damage.
Remember that they may also consume aphids and other pests.
If control is necessary, start with non-chemical measures.
Reduce Hiding Places
Remove unnecessary:
- boards
- boxes
- dense weeds
- plant debris
- piles of leaves
from areas where earwigs are causing problems.
Be thoughtful about mulch.
Mulch has many gardening benefits, so this doesn't mean all mulch should be removed. But thick, continuously damp material can provide favourable shelter for earwigs.
Manage Excess Moisture
Because earwigs favour damp environments, avoid unnecessary overwatering.
Where appropriate for the plants and local climate, watering methods that reduce prolonged surface moisture may help.
Use Simple Traps
Earwigs hide during the day, and this behaviour can be used to trap them.
Possible traps include:
- rolled newspaper
- corrugated cardboard
- short pieces of hose
- bamboo tubes.
Place traps near affected plants in the evening.
Check them the following morning and remove the earwigs.
Another method used in garden pest management is a shallow container containing vegetable oil with a small amount of fish oil as an attractant.
If using any open trap, consider children, pets and wildlife and position it safely.
Do You Need Pesticides in the Garden?
Often, no.
Non-chemical methods such as reducing hiding places, managing moisture and trapping may be enough.
If you believe pesticide treatment is necessary, use only a product legally approved for the pest and intended location in your country.
Always follow the label.
Avoid indiscriminate pesticide use because broad-spectrum products may kill beneficial insects along with pests.
Regulations and authorised pesticide products differ considerably between countries.
How to Prevent Earwigs From Coming Back
A practical prevention strategy focuses on the environment around your home.
Consider:
- sealing cracks and gaps
- repairing window and door screens
- improving drainage
- fixing water leaks
- clearing gutters
- reducing unnecessary debris beside the building
- keeping excessive mulch away from entry points
- managing outdoor lighting
- monitoring damp areas.
You may never prevent every occasional earwig from wandering inside.
But repeated indoor appearances can often be reduced substantially.
Earwig Myths and Facts
Myth: Earwigs deliberately crawl into people's ears.
Fact: They do not normally seek out human ears.
Myth: Earwigs burrow into your brain.
Fact: There is no biological basis for this frightening folklore.
Myth: Their pincers make them dangerous.
Fact: Earwigs are generally harmless to humans.
Myth: All earwigs are destructive garden pests.
Fact: They may damage some plants but can also feed on aphids and other pests.
Myth: Finding an earwig indoors means your house is infested.
Fact: Earwigs commonly wander indoors from outside and generally do not reproduce successfully inside homes.
Myth: You need strong pesticides to get rid of them.
Fact: Indoor earwigs can usually be vacuumed or swept up, while reducing moisture, outdoor shelter and entry points helps prevent more from entering.
When Should You Be Concerned?
A few earwigs outdoors are usually nothing to worry about.
Consider taking action when:
- large numbers repeatedly enter your home
- they are damaging seedlings or crops
- soft fruits are being damaged
- moisture problems are contributing to pest activity
- you cannot determine what insect is causing the problem.
If you're unsure whether the insects are actually earwigs, proper identification should come before pesticide treatment.
The Bottom Line
Earwigs may look intimidating because of the pincers at the rear of their bodies, but they're generally harmless to people.
They do not normally crawl into human ears, they don't burrow into the brain, and finding one inside your home is usually more annoying than dangerous.
Earwigs prefer dark, cool and damp environments and are mainly active at night.
Outdoors, their role is mixed. They can damage seedlings, flowers and soft fruits, but they may also help by eating aphids and other insects.
If earwigs are repeatedly entering your home, focus first on:
- reducing excess moisture
- removing hiding places near the building
- sealing cracks and openings
- vacuuming insects found indoors
- adjusting outdoor lighting where necessary.
For garden problems, trapping and habitat management can often reduce earwig numbers without unnecessary pesticide use.
Health and Safety Disclaimer
This article provides general educational information about earwigs and household pest management. Pest species, approved pesticides and regulations vary between countries. Always follow local regulations and pesticide labels. If an insect or another foreign object becomes lodged in the ear, seek appropriate healthcare advice rather than attempting potentially harmful removal methods.
Sources and Further Reading
Penn State Extension — European Earwigs
https://extension.psu.edu/european-earwigs
University of Minnesota Extension — Earwigs
https://extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/yard-and-garden/yard-and-garden-insects/earwigs
University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program — Earwigs
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/earwigs/
University of California IPM — What Is Integrated Pest Management?
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/what-is-ipm/
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