WHY DO I HAVE EARWIGS IN MY HOUSE?
By Chris Williams on June 21, 2019.
Lately I’ve seen a few earwigs, those bugs with the pincers, in my house. I know a few doesn’t sound like many, but they’re just so creepy! Any clues as to where they’ve come from and why they are hanging around? Thanks.
G.J., Ayer, MA
Earwigs normally live outdoors in damp areas where they feed on live or dead insects and plants, sometimes damaging garden plants in the process. If you have earwigs entering your home it’s usually because (1) their outdoor environmental conditions have changed and are now too dry or too wet or too hot, (2) you may be attracting them with outside lighting, and (3) your home has gaps or openings that accidentally let them inside.
HERE’S HOW EARWIGS ARE GETTING INTO YOUR HOME
Earwigs are active at night and are attracted to bright outdoor lights, so they often enter homes around doors and windows, or foundation openings. Check that screens are tight, that garage doors have good seals, and that outside doors have weather stripping and thresholds. Because earwigs have flattened bodies, it doesn’t take much of a gap to allow them inside.
Earwigs sometimes end up inside when they are carried in on items where they have been hiding such as plants, newspapers, or firewood.
EARWIGS WOULD RATHER NOT BE HOUSE GUESTS
Earwigs. Shutterstock.
Earwigs don’t really want to be hanging around inside your home. They’d much rather be outside where it is moist, cool, and shady, and they can find their usual hiding places around the foundation, in ground cover plants, debris piles, or mulch (see What Are Earwigs?). If they do manage to find an area of your home that is damp enough for them to survive indoors, they might scavenge on food scraps, insects, mold, or plants.
Earwigs are usually found indoors in cracks and crevices near moisture, such as in house plants, in stacked newspapers, under carpeting that gets wet, in under-sink cabinets or around baseboards in kitchens and bathrooms.
ELIMINATE EARWIGS WITH OUR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
There are some steps you can take to eliminate earwig hiding places around your home’s foundation (see Foundation Management Can Reduce Earwigs). Reducing mulch, correcting leaky spigots or faulty downspouts, and moving piles of grass clippings, leaves, or other decaying vegetation will help.
There are also things you can do to reduce the attractiveness of porch, yard, or pool lights. Many newer types of LED and other bulbs draw in far fewer insects than our old incandescent bulbs. (see Porch Lights Attracting Bugs? Choose a Better Bulb).
You can also enroll in Colonial’s Preventative Maintenance Programthat provides you with an outdoor twice-a-year perimeter treatment that eliminates earwigs and many other foundation pests before they can move inside. In addition, we offer pest-proofing or pest exclusion services that will seal up openings that earwigs can use to gain access.
CAN EARWIGS PINCH?
Earwig with circi up. Shutterstock.
Finally, here’s the answer to the question that you really want to ask. Yes, the pair of pincers on an earwig’s rear end do look kind of dangerous, but they don’t use them against people…usually. Male earwigs have curved pincers (called cerci), while female pincers are almost straight. They use them to capture prey, in mating, and larger species can use them defensively if handled. If you don’t grab them, they won’t pinch you. And earwigs don’t crawl into people’s ears either.
FAQs
If you have earwigs entering your home it's usually because (1) their outdoor environmental conditions have changed and are now too dry or too wet or too hot, (2) you may be attracting them with outside lighting, and (3) your home has gaps or openings that accidentally let them inside.
Can pest control get rid of earwigs? ›
There are a variety of strategies an exterminator can use to get rid of earwigs. Connect with an Orkin Pro to create an effective earwigs treatment plan for your home.
Why do I suddenly have earwigs in my house? ›
Earwigs Seek Food
Earwigs do not chew on your home's foundation the way termites do, and they do not burrow tunnels in your home like ants. The main reason they may be entering your home is because your house offers a dry, safe place to hide and plenty of opportunities for food.
How do you kill earwig colony? ›
Mix olive oil and soy sauce in a small container and put it where earwigs can smell it. The pincher bugs will climb in and drown, unable to escape the oil.
Do earwigs make colonies? ›
False: Earwigs are not social creatures and prefer to live on their own. While these bugs may be found in close proximity to one another, they do not form colonies or partake in social behaviors, like ants or bees.
What smell do earwigs hate the most? ›
Specific essential oils have scents that earwigs dislike. Some of the best scents to keep earwigs away include peppermint, eucalyptus, cinnamon and basil. In order to distribute these scents throughout your house, simply put a few drops of essential oil into some water to dilute it.
What makes earwigs go away? ›
Mix a solution of water and a few drops of gentle dish soap, put it in a spray bottle, and spray the leaves of your plants. You can also wipe down leaves with this soapy water, making them taste unpleasant to the earwigs.
What are earwigs a warning of? ›
Though earwigs aren't dangerous, they are a warning sign that your home may have water-damaged wood, or another pre-existing pest problem that is damaging the wood of your home. When these bugs appear, you should definitely have a professional pest control technician do a detailed inspection to assess the issue.
Is it bad to see earwigs in your house? ›
They enter houses either by accident or when seeking shelter, especially in the fall or during periods of prolonged dry weather. Earwigs inside the house do not cause any harm or destruction. They are an annoyance or nuisance because of their presence. If disturbed, earwigs may produce a noticeable foul odor.
What does it mean when you keep seeing earwigs? ›
One example would be if temperatures drop and the earwigs invade, seeking warmth. Another possibility would be if conditions start to dry in the earwigs' normal shelter. If there is a damp basem*nt area with perhaps much clutter and even leaves that have blown in, there can be an abundance of moisture and cover.
But earwigs are often considered beneficial insects and are sometimes deliberately introduced to control aphids and other damaging insects. Seeing only a few is more a cause for celebration than for panic. Garden earwigs require control only when the plant damage they do outweighs their benefits.
How long does it take to get rid of an earwig infestation? ›
Expect the effort to take time and happen over multiple weeks. Pest control isn't something that happens in one day, as it often requires persistence and continued effort to effectively remove earwigs from the comforts of your home and yard.
What is the best earwig control? ›
To kill earwigs you find inside your home use Ortho® Home Defense Max® Indoor Insect Barrier with Extended Reach Comfort Wand®, following label directions. Outdoors, apply Ortho® Home Defense® Insect Killer for Lawn & Landscape in landscape beds, around listed edibles, and around the foundation of your home.
Why does my house have so many earwigs? ›
If you have earwigs entering your home it's usually because (1) their outdoor environmental conditions have changed and are now too dry or too wet or too hot, (2) you may be attracting them with outside lighting, and (3) your home has gaps or openings that accidentally let them inside.
How to find an earwig nest? ›
There is also no nest, so an infestation can't be seen in a single place such as with a bee hive. Earwig habits and habitat vary. Some are predaceous, typically preying on smaller insects or arthropods. Most are not predaceous and instead feed on the live or decaying vegetation found in moist soil.
Do earwigs go in beds? ›
If your basem*nt or crawl space tends to be moist, expect some earwig guests. Shelter: Finally, earwigs need a comfy place to live, just like anything else. In this case, they specifically look for warmth. Unfortunately, your body heat can be enough to attract them to places like your bed on a chilly night.
How much does it cost to spray for earwigs? ›
Exterminating kills both the eggs and the bugs to make sure your home doesn't become a stomping ground for a large family of earwigs. The national average cost for extermination ranges from $100 to $400, with the average homeowner paying $300 for spraying a 2,500 square feet home for earwigs.
How long does it take to get rid of earwigs in house? ›
Expect the effort to take time and happen over multiple weeks. Pest control isn't something that happens in one day, as it often requires persistence and continued effort to effectively remove earwigs from the comforts of your home and yard.
Can earwigs become an infestation? ›
Due to their small size, earwigs infest houses by entering any cracks or holes. Make sure to mend any issues related to your doors and windows.
How do you know if you have an earwig infestation? ›
As mentioned, you may notice heightened activity around your outdoor lights at night. If you see earwigs at these locations, be careful to close your doors and windows carefully. If your once-thriving vegetation is now dead or dying at those same spots, this could be another sign that earwigs are nearby.
