Color: Dark brown
Legs: 6
Shape: Long, narrow
Size: About an inch
Antennae: True
Earwigs got their name from the myth that they crawl into sleeping people’s ears and tunnel into their brains. The long cerci, or clippers, on their backsides easily identify an earwig.
Earwigs hide during the day and feed on leaves, flowers, fruits, mold and insects at night.
Contrary to folklore, earwigs do not crawl into ears and eat people’s brains at night. They do not spread diseases, but their menacing appearance can be alarming to a homeowner.
These insects live together outdoors in large numbers. They can be found under piles of lawn debris, mulch, or in tree holes. They gain entry to a structure through exterior cracks.
Remove harborage sites such as leaf piles, mulch piles, or other vegetation. Seal cracks and crevices well to prevent structural entry.
Earwigs eat a variety of things, including plants, decaying matter, and small insects. In gardens, they may harm seedlings, flowers, and soft fruits, but they also help by eating aphids and other pests.
Earwigs like moisture, darkness, and decaying material, so you’ll often find them under mulch, leaf piles, logs, or garden debris. Damp spots around your home, such as leaky pipes or wet soil near the foundation, can also attract them indoors.
To keep earwigs away, reduce moisture around your home by fixing leaks, improving drainage, and removing leaf litter and mulch near your foundation. DIY methods may help for a while, but having a professional check your home is the best way to find and fix what attracts them.