Content:
- Lifecycle of the Earwig
- Earwig Behavior
- Earwigs and Humans
- Can Earwigs Be Harmful: What Makes an Earwig Bite?
- Symptoms of Earwig Bites
- Summary
Earwigs are easily recognizable by the nasty-looking pair of pincers on the end of their abdomen. It is this feature of the earwig that makes them look menacing and has led to many myths about earwigs and their relationship with humans. But are earwigs harmful to humans? To understand this question, you need to know more about the earwig and how it lives.
Earwigs are found almost all around the world, except for Antarctica, most likely because of the extreme cold. They are generally nocturnal insects who will hide during the day in small crevices with a level of moisture. When they are active at night, they are feeding on other insects, plants, and flowers, as well as some vegetable crops.
The earwig goes through five molts in the space of a year, when they become an adult. The female earwig takes care of the eggs and will keep a close eye on the nymphs after they have hatched. The female can watch over the young until they have gone through their second molt.
Lifecycle of the Earwig
Each development stage between molts is called instars, and the earwig will normally live for about a year after hatching. Their mating takes place in the autumn, and the pair will live together through the autumn and winter months.
After mating has taken place, it can take months before the eggs are fertilized.
The pair normally separate between the middle of winter and early spring, and it’s uncertain whether the male leaves willingly or the female forces him out.
After the male has gone, the female will lay her eggs, up to 80 in two days. There are some species of earwig that give birth to live young, but the egg-laying varieties are more common.
When the eggs are laid they are cream-colored or white. Just before they are due to hatch, the eggs change color to a brown and the shape of the egg becomes more kidney-shaped. Each egg is only about 1mm in height and less than 1 mm wide. They are incredibly small.
The female earwig is one of the very few insects that show some level of maternal care towards her eggs. She will make sure the eggs are kept warm and protected from predators and other environmental factors. The female won’t leave the eggs even to feed. She will also clean the eggs regularly to remove any fungus that may grow on them.
After about 7 days, the eggs will hatch with the help of the mother earwig. After hatching, the emerging nymphs will eat the egg casing. The mother regurgitates food to feed the young nymphs. Disturbingly, if the mother happens to die before the young are ready to leave the nest, they can in fact eat her.
When the earwig becomes an adult, the pincers will change shape depending on the sex of the earwig. The male’s pincers become more curved while the female’s pincers stay straight. The color will also develop into a dark black or light brown. If it is a winged earwig, this is the time when the wings will develop.
Earwig Behavior
You will often find an earwig hiding beneath bark or fallen branches, or in among piles of plant debris. They feed on a wide range of dead and living animals and plant matter.
There is a species of earwig found in Hawaii and South Africa that is reportedly blind. Another species of earwigs have the ability to squirt out a yellow liquid that has a foul odor when it feels threatened. The liquid squirts out from scent glands on the abdomen.
Earwigs and Humans
One of the most common questions about earwigs is, are they harmful to humans? Considering there are millions of them living among humans and no reports of dreaded disease spread between the two species, there really is no record of them being harmful to humans.
They are not known to transmit disease to humans or any other animals.
Many think that the nasty-looking pincers are dangerous but in reality, they can cause little if any pain to humans.
While it is true that an earwig may occasionally crawl into the ear of a human, there is absolutely no evidence that they lay their eggs inside human brains.
This is a myth that was created centuries ago, and many still believe it today. But earwigs aren’t the only insect that can crawl into an ear at night while you sleep. Spiders and cockroaches have also been known to enter the ear whiteout your knowledge or permission!
Can Earwigs Be Harmful: What Makes an Earwig Bite?
The earwig doesn’t actually bite a person with its mouth. It uses its pincers to give you a nip, but this is only if the earwig feels cornered or threatened. If you pick it up, then yes, it will give you a nip with the pincers. But most insects or animals will retaliate if they are frightened. Earwigs are no different from anything else that wants to protect themselves.
The majority of people who have experienced an earwig ‘bite’ feel no pain at all. However, if it is a full-grown adult earwig the pincers can leave a more painful bite, but it’s still not going to be too dramatic. It can break the skin, but it won’t cause a gushing wound that’s for sure.
Like anything else that can bite or sting, you should be wary of possible infections if the skin is broken. They do live in the ground, so they are exposed to a variety of bacteria.
Symptoms of Earwig Bites
Often the bite mark is mistaken for a mosquito bite as it is very similar. The main way of telling the difference between the two is by the symptoms the bite produces. The level of symptoms may vary from person to person as well, depending on how strong the pain threshold and the immune system are. For some people, there may barely be a mark or any symptoms.
For others though, the symptoms may be more apparent.
You might notice two red marks left by the pincers after you have been nipped by an earwig. There will be a tiny distance between the two marks but it will be clear that there are indeed two separate marks. If the bite has been hard enough to be painful, the skin may be broken, and there may be just a tiny bit of blood oozing from the site.
Another symptom of an earwig bite or nip is itching around the area where you have been bitten. The skin could be reddened and inflamed as well. Like any other bite or sting, you should treat the bite as soon as it occurs. This includes washing the area thoroughly with warm water and antibacterial soap.
Then apply an antibacterial ointment. If the pain is quite bad, which is highly unlikely but not impossible, you could take a painkiller or use a numbing cream.
It is really important to avoid any type of bacterial infection resulting from an earwig bite. If you don’t, you could end up with really bad swelling or even cellulitis. Cellulitis is the inflammation and infection of the skin which can become dangerous if left untreated. The area of the skin will become very red and hot as well, and you may develop a fever.
The chances of you experiencing a serious problem from an earwig bite are very remote. They barely have the capability to even break the skin, so the risk of infection is quite minimal.
But just to be sure, even if the bite hasn’t broken the skin still make sure you wash the area thoroughly. Sometimes the skin break can be so tiny you may not even be able to see it clearly.
Summary
Earwigs are not really harmful to humans, but they can be detrimental to your garden. Especially if you have marigolds planted because they are very fond of eating those. If you have earwigs in your garden, you might see quite a bit of plant damage, including the foliage and the flower heads.
Other than the garden damage, there really is nothing terribly bad about the humble earwig. They aren’t going to bore into your brain while you sleep, or climb up through your nose to get to your brain. If they do crawl into your ear it will be purely by accident, and most likely the earwig is looking for somewhere dark and moist to hide. Ears provide a great environment for warmth, moisture, and darkness.
So, in summary, earwigs are harmless provided you leave them alone. Don’t try and capture them and pick them up, unless you are prepared to take the consequences.
If the earwig bites or nips you, it is not the fault of the insect. It is the fault of the human for creating the fear and discomfort the insect is experiencing. And if you do get bitten by an earwig, there’s no need to rush to the nearest medical facility. Just wash the area and pop some cream on and you will be good as new in no time at all.
