The essentials in 30 seconds
The common European earwig is a slim, reddish-brown insect about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long with a pair of pincers (forceps) at the tail: curved in males, straighter in females. Earwigs are harmless to people: the story about crawling into ears is a myth, and the pincers give at most a mild pinch if you sit on one or grab it. They hide by day in cool, damp, dark places and come indoors when the weather outside turns too dry, hot or cold. Indoors they find little to eat and soon die. To get rid of them: trap them in rolled newspaper or shallow oil cans, clear mulch and debris from the foundation, fix moisture around the house and seal gaps at ground level.
- Indoor insecticides are rarely needed and do little to stop new arrivals.
- In the garden, earwigs are both pests of seedlings and soft fruit and useful predators of aphids.
- Most problems peak in mid to late summer.
What earwigs look like
| Insect | How to recognize it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| European earwig | 1/2 to 3/4 in, reddish-brown, flat body, short wing covers, pincers at the tail | The usual garden earwig in California and the UK |
| Ring-legged earwig | 1/2 to 3/5 in, dark with banded legs | Less common; same control |
| Striped earwig | Named for its stripes; attracted to lights | Southern California; strong unpleasant smell when crushed; leaves plants alone |
| Earwig nymph | Smaller, paler (whitish to light brown), wingless | Stays near the nest while the mother guards it |
| Silverfish | Silvery, teardrop-shaped, three thin tails | Bathrooms and books; see our silverfish guide |
Most earwigs have wings folded under short wing covers but seldom fly. They are active at night, so you mostly meet them when you lift a flowerpot, unroll a hose or pick up laundry that has been outside.
A female lays a clutch of about 20 to 50 eggs in a small chamber in the top few inches of soil, then guards the eggs and young nymphs, which is unusual among insects. There is generally one generation a year.
Are earwigs harmful, and do they pinch or bite
Earwigs are not dangerous: even large numbers indoors pose no health hazard. Here is what the common worries come down to.
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| Earwigs crawl into your ears while you sleep | An old European superstition behind the name. Extension entomologists describe it as untrue |
| Earwig pinches are dangerous | The pincers are harmless, used for defense, and give at most a mildly painful pinch if you sit on or handle one |
| They infest houses | They wander in but rarely settle, except in very damp spots, and die indoors for lack of food |
| They destroy gardens | They damage some soft plants and fruit, but also eat aphids, mites and insect eggs |
| They damage wood or the house | They feed on plants, fungi and small insects, and leave the structure alone |
Earwig bite or pinch: wash the area with soap and water. If it is swollen, a cold pack wrapped in a cloth for about 20 minutes helps; avoid scratching. Ask a pharmacist if the skin turns hot, red or painful, or you see pus. As with any bite, seek emergency help if lips, tongue or throat swell or breathing becomes difficult.
Why earwigs come into the house
- Weather. They seek shelter indoors when it is too dry, hot or cold outside. Many arrive during hot, dry spells looking for moisture.
- Moisture next to the house. Damp crawl spaces, basements, leaking spigots, AC condensate, clogged gutters and soil that slopes toward the walls.
- Shelter at the foundation. Thick mulch, ivy and ground covers, wood piles, boards and stored items against the walls.
- Lights. Many earwigs are drawn to lights at night, so they gather around doors and windows.
- Hitchhiking. They ride in on cut flowers, laundry baskets, cardboard boxes, newspapers, firewood and produce.
If you find them mostly in one room, look for the moisture: under sinks, dishwashers and tubs, in the laundry room or basement. A dehumidifier in a damp basement makes it far less appealing.
How to get rid of earwigs in the house
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01
Remove the ones you see
Sweep or vacuum them up and empty the bag or canister outside.
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02
Set sticky traps
Place glue traps under sinks and in other damp spots where you have seen earwigs. They show you where they come in.
-
03
Dry the hot spots
Fix drips under sinks and around the dishwasher, ventilate the bathroom and laundry room, and dry out the basement or crawl space.
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04
Seal ground-level gaps
Caulk cracks around windows, doors and pipe or cable entries, and fit weather stripping and door sweeps, especially at ground level.
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05
Change outdoor bulbs
Yellow or sodium-vapor bulbs near doors attract fewer insects than white light.
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06
Work outside the house
Indoor steps alone give short-term relief; the lasting fix is around the foundation.
How to get rid of earwigs outside
Outdoor work cuts the numbers that reach the house and protects the garden.
| Change | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Pull bark mulch back from the foundation and replace it with a dry gravel strip about 12 to 18 inches wide | Takes away cool, damp cover right next to the walls |
| Remove ivy, dense ground cover and weeds near the house and vegetable beds | Removes daytime hiding places |
| Clear boards, boxes, leaf piles and stored items from against the walls | Fewer hiding places by the doors |
| Clean gutters, extend downspouts, fix leaking spigots and AC drip lines | Dries the soil along the foundation |
| Grade soil so water drains away from the house; ventilate the crawl space | Less moisture to attract them indoors |
| Use drip irrigation and keep sprinklers off the walls | Keeps water away from the house |
Earwig traps that work
- Rolled newspaper or corrugated cardboard. Roll it loosely and lay it near plants or along the foundation in the evening. Earwigs crawl in to hide by morning. Shake them into a bucket of soapy water. Adding a little wheat bran inside improves catches.
- Oil can trap. Sink a low tin, such as a tuna or cat food can, so its rim is level with the soil, and add about 1/2 inch of vegetable or fish oil. A drop of bacon grease in vegetable oil makes it more attractive. If you use a deeper cup, keep the oil at least an inch below the rim so earwigs crawl in and cannot climb out. Empty and refill as needed.
- Flowerpot trap. Stuff an upturned flowerpot loosely with straw or hay and set it on a cane among affected plants. Shake it out each morning.
- Short hose or bamboo pieces. Lay them on the soil near plants just before dark and empty them in the morning.
Check traps daily or every 2 to 3 days, and keep trapping until catches stop. Trapping also tells you whether numbers are high enough to need anything more.
Earwigs in the garden: pest and predator
Earwigs eat a mix of plants, fungi and small animals, so they help and harm at the same time.
| Where | What they do | Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Seedlings and young leaves | Chew ragged holes and edges, sometimes whole seedlings | Trap in spring; protect young plants |
| Flowers such as dahlias, zinnias, marigolds, clematis and chrysanthemums | Eat petals and young leaves | Flowerpot traps on canes among the plants |
| Soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, apricots) | Shallow gouges and holes; hard fruit like apples is left alone | Pick fruit as it ripens; trap nearby |
| Sweet corn | Feed on silks, which spoils pollination and kernel development | Trap along the rows |
| Fruit trees with aphids | Eat aphids, mites and insect eggs | Leave earwigs in fruit trees unless the fruit is soft |
Earwig or slug damage? Go out after dark with a flashlight. Earwigs are easy to spot on the leaves. Slugs and snails leave shiny slime trails; caterpillars leave webbing or droppings.
Earwigs: frequently asked questions
Do earwigs pinch or bite?
They can give a mild pinch with their tail pincers if they are trapped, sat on or handled. The pinch is harmless.
Are earwigs dangerous?
No. They are harmless to people and pose no health hazard, even in large numbers.
Do earwigs go in your ear?
That is an old superstition behind the name. Extension entomologists describe it as untrue.
Why do I have earwigs in my house?
They come in from outside when the weather turns dry, hot or cold, drawn by moisture and lights. Mulch and debris against the walls give them a base.
How do I get rid of earwigs in the house?
Vacuum the ones you see, dry damp spots, seal gaps at ground level and cut back mulch and debris outside.
What do earwigs eat?
Plants, fungi, mosses, algae and small insects such as aphids, mites and insect eggs.
What is the best earwig trap?
Loosely rolled newspaper or cardboard set out in the evening, or a shallow can sunk in the soil with about 1/2 inch of oil.
When are earwigs worst?
In Colorado, for example, outdoor problems peak from mid-July to mid-September.
Sources
University and horticultural guidance, checked on 27 October 2026.
- University of California IPM · Earwigs ↗Identification, eggs and maternal care, plant damage, beneficial predation, reasons for entering homes, oil can and rolled newspaper traps, habitat reduction, spinosad baits, indoor control.
- NC State Extension · Earwigs ↗Species sizes, the ear myth, hitchhiking, sticky traps in damp areas, sealing, 12 to 18 inch gravel border, sodium-vapor lights.
- Colorado State University Extension · European earwigs ↗Mild bite when handled, plant damage and benefits, summer peak, bran-baited traps, oil level in deeper traps, exclusion.
- Royal Horticultural Society · Earwigs ↗UK species, harmless pincers, aphid control on fruit trees, affected flowers, flowerpot traps.
- NHS · Insect bites and stings ↗First aid for bites and when to get help.
Earwigs by the back door?
Set a few rolled newspapers along the foundation tonight and see where they gather before you change the mulch.