Earwigs, often called “pincher bugs,” can be unsettling to find in your home or garden. However, these reddish-brown insects are more than just their intimidating pincers. Understanding earwigs is key to managing them, as they can be both beneficial predators and damaging pests. This guide will demystify earwigs, debunk common myths, and provide effective strategies for homeowners and gardeners.

Debunking the Myths: Are Earwigs Dangerous?

A persistent myth suggests that earwigs crawl into human ears to lay eggs or tunnel into the brain. This claim has no scientific basis. While any insect can accidentally wander into an ear canal, this is a rare event and not specific to earwigs.

Their intimidating pincers, or cerci, are the primary source of concern. However, they mainly use these for mating, defense, and folding their wings. An earwig might pinch you if handled, but the pinch is rarely strong enough to break the skin and transfers no venom or disease. If the skin does break, simply clean it with soap and water as you would any minor scratch.

Earwig Identification: What to Look For

Accurate identification is the first step in effective management. The most common species, the European earwig, is reddish-brown with an elongated, flat body measuring about 0.5 to 0.75 inches long.

Key identifying features include:

  • Pincers (Cerci): These forceps-like appendages are at the end of their abdomen. Males have more curved and separated pincers, while females have straighter ones.
  • Body Shape: Their narrow, flat bodies allow them to slip into tight crevices.
  • Wings: Most adult earwigs have two pairs of wings but rarely fly. The short, leathery forewings protect the delicate, fan-like hindwings.
  • Antennae: They have long, thread-like antennae.
  • Nymphs: Baby earwigs, or nymphs, look like smaller, wingless versions of adults.

Earwig Behavior and Life Cycle

Earwigs are mostly nocturnal. They emerge at night to find food and mates. During the day, they seek cool, dark, and moist places like under rocks, mulch, leaf litter, and woodpiles. When disturbed, they can release a foul-smelling yellow liquid as a defense.

Their life cycle includes egg, nymph, and adult stages. After mating in the fall, females lay 20 to 80 pearly white eggs in underground nests. In a unique display of maternal care, the female guards her eggs and cares for the nymphs until their second molt, even feeding them regurgitated food.

The Earwig’s Dual Role: Pest or Predator?

Earwigs are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and insects. This flexible diet shapes their impact on your garden.

The Beneficial Predator

Earwigs are effective biological control agents. They prey on many soft-bodied pests, including:

  • Aphids
  • Mites
  • Insect eggs (codling moth, stink bug)
  • Pear psylla
  • Centipedes

Their pest control benefits often outweigh any fruit damage in apple and pear orchards.

The Potential Pest

When their populations get too high, earwigs can damage young plants and soft fruits. They create ragged holes in leaves and can consume entire seedlings. Damage often looks like slug activity, but earwigs leave no slime trail. Plants they may damage include:

  • Peaches, apricots, and raspberries
  • Corn silks
  • Zucchini and cucumbers
  • Petunias, roses, and marigolds
  • Basil and lettuce

Why Earwigs Come Indoors and How to Stop Them

Earwigs enter homes seeking moisture and shelter, especially when it gets too hot, dry, or cold outside. They are also attracted to lights at night.

Prevention Strategies

  • Reduce Moisture: Fix leaky pipes, clear gutters, and ensure proper drainage away from your foundation. Use a dehumidifier in damp basements or crawl spaces.
  • Eliminate Hiding Spots: Remove leaf piles, woodpiles, and thick mulch from around your home’s foundation. Create a dry border of gravel or stone.
  • Seal Entry Points: Use caulk to seal cracks and gaps in your foundation and around doors, windows, and utility pipes.
  • Inspect Items: Check anything you bring inside, including firewood, plants, and outdoor furniture.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Earwigs

IPM uses a combination of strategies to achieve long-term control, with chemicals as a last resort.

Monitoring and Trapping

First, confirm you have an earwig problem. Observe plants at night with a flashlight or set simple traps to gauge their numbers.

  • Oil Pit Traps: Bury a shallow container (like a tuna can) so the rim is level with the soil. Fill it with equal parts soy sauce and vegetable oil. The scent attracts the earwigs, and the oil traps them.
  • Crevice Traps: Place rolled-up, damp newspapers or short sections of cardboard near infested areas. In the morning, shake the trapped earwigs into a bucket of soapy water.

Physical and Mechanical Controls

  • Barriers: Apply petroleum jelly around the stems of vulnerable plants. You can also place plastic cups with the bottoms cut out around seedlings to create a barrier.
  • Physical Removal: Use a vacuum or broom to remove earwigs you find indoors.

Biological Controls

Encourage natural predators in your garden. Birds, lizards, toads, spiders, and ground beetles all feed on earwigs. Chickens and ducks are also effective but may damage garden plants.

Chemical Controls (Last Resort)

Only use pesticides when other methods have failed and pest numbers are high.

  • Natural Options: Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural powder that dehydrates insects. Sprinkle it around plants but avoid applying it to flowers where it can harm bees. Neem oil and homemade garlic or pepper sprays can also act as repellents.
  • Commercial Baits & Sprays: Baits containing spinosad are effective and more targeted than sprays. For persistent infestations, targeted sprays with active ingredients like permethrin can be used in the evening when earwigs are active. Always read and follow product labels carefully.

When to Call a Professional

For severe, overwhelming, or persistent earwig infestations, a professional pest control service is your best bet. Professionals have the expertise and tools to provide comprehensive, long-term solutions.

Conclusion: Coexisting with Earwigs

While their appearance can be alarming, earwigs are generally harmless to humans. They play a complex role in the garden, acting as both pests and predators. By using an integrated management approach, you can keep their populations in check and maintain a healthy, balanced garden ecosystem.